I wanted to ask how she was doing, since she'd been further along than they’d realised back at Halloween, and was now a few days overdue and cranky as hell waiting for the baby to arrive, but clearly we’d moved on. I headed into my room and sat on the bed, setting my helmet on the carpet beside me. Nixie climbed at my leg, so I lifted her up into my lap, and tickled those soft brown ears of hers. Why couldn’t everyone just be as simple and genuine as dogs? They want something, and they go for it. They show love without caring who or what you are. They don’t pretend anything. Why couldn’t people be like that? There was only one person I could think of right now who’d seen me vulnerable and never judged me. I dug my phone out and sent a text.
Me: Fancy a few pints? I’m having a shit day.
I set the phone down and tucked Nixie into my neck for snuggles while I waited for the reply I hoped for. Some friendships lasted, even when everything else went to shit.
Has: Sure thing, man. Where shall I meet you?
Thank fuck for Has-Been. We’d had our occasional spats, but we’d always been tight. Both spray artists, both tattooists. We’d worked together on so many projects, like store signage, and complex designs, and we used to do the old lady tats side by side, so our biker brothers and their old ladies got theirs at the same time. It was a fucking good life, except for the bitch that ruined me.
I sent him the address of a bar just on the outskirts of town, because it would be a little closer to him, and then realised I have a fucking dog and need to account for her. I checked the bar’s website, and was relieved to see there was a section where dogs were allowed, so that solved that one. Has would listen and not judge me, it was something he was really fucking good at. Better than me at least. I tried, but we’re all judgmental assholes at times, right?
“Let’s go, Nixie. Time to meet Uncle Has.”
V
After Rocket stormed outof the shop, I’d turned to Harley and Caroline, wondering what the hell we’d missed, because that was a level of pissed off I’d never seen in him.
“What?”
Harley was on the defensive as he caught me glaring at him.
“Jesus, I should have just stayed out of things. Hang on.” He lifted his phone from his pocket, and dialled someone, holding the phone to his ear as he stepped away from us, but we could still hear him.
“Pres? Yeah, look I’m worried about Rocket. I’m hoping he’s headed home. Can you check on him?”
I exchanged a worried glance with Caroline, who was wringing her hands together, and then started that damn picking at her thumb. I wanted to swat her hand away, but I also knew she wasn’t fond of being touched by anyone but Harley these days.
“No. It’s… Jesus, I said the wrong thing and he stormed out. It’s on me, man, it’s not him.” Harley glanced at us, and I could see the guilt all over his face, “I’ve never seen him like this. He’s… I think I hurt him, and you know me, that’s never my intention.”
My god, what did we miss? I didn’t know Rocket all that well, but I was starting to know him better than I knew Harley, and I knew he had a sensitive side he tried really hard to hide from his club brothers. What the hell did Harley say to him? I thought he was a nice guy, because of how Caroline adored him, and admittedly, he was really good with her, but I found myself just as worried about Rocket as I would have been for someone I’dknown far longer than a few days. He’d forgotten half of Nixie’s stuff in his haste too.
“Yeah, just tell him I’m sorry, yeah? I’ll keep my nose out of his business in future, but I hate the fact that he left here like that.”
As soon as he ended the call, and hauled Caroline back into his arms, stopping her worrying at her thumb more effectively than I could have, I marched up to him with my arms folded. I was absolutely in defensive mode on Rocket’s behalf right now, and completely unwilling to ask myself why that was.
“What. Did. You. Do?”
Harley groaned, kissing the top of Caroline’s head.
“I spoke out of turn, and I hurt his feelings, V. It wasn’t my intention, of course it wasn’t. That’s not me.”
I raised my eyebrows at him, hoping he could see how unimpressed I was feeling at his words.
“Doesn’t take away the hurt though, does it? Doesn’t undo the way you made him feel. Intent means absolutely fuck all if you cause harm, Harley.”
“V!”
He shook his head at my cousin. “It’s okay, she’s right. I know she’s right. I’m really fucking pissed at myself, but I was just trying to do the right thing. I went about it all wrong, but I had to say it.”
He kept hinting at what it was, without actually saying it, so I decided to push him, and he groaned, seeing it on my face before I even asked.
“Had to say what?”
He dragged a hand over his face, and did he just move so Caroline was firmly between us? What the fuck was he about to say?
“Harley,” I warned, already considering that he’d need a slap after whatever he was about to say. It couldn’t be good, could it?
“Jesus. It was about you. I was… I asked him not to hurt you. I know I shouldn’t-”
