Page 14 of When The Noise Stops

I was pulling on jeans when I heard the bikes roll up. The rumble of Harleys. My crew.

We had work to do. Hawk was supposed to help me with a transmission rebuild. Tiny was gonna handle the oil changes. I finished dressing and headed for the door.

I opened the door twenty minutes later.

No bikes.

Just empty space where their bikes should've been.

I stepped out onto the stoop. Looked around.

What the hell?

I pulled out my phone.

Me: Where the fuck are you?

Three dots appeared.

Tiny: At Lila's bakery. She needed help. Her helper called in sick.

I stared at the screen.

Me: She asked you two for help?

Tiny: Yup.

I shook my head. How. How had she somehow convinced my crew—my grungy, retired military, barely-housebroken friends—to help her at her bakery.

Me: Send me the address.

Tiny: You know the address, dumbass.

Me: The bakery address.

Tiny: Oh. Right. 1423 Oak Street. Hurry up. She's got us making scones.

I pulled up to Sunshine Sweets twenty minutes later. Nobody was there yet. I tried the door and it opened.

I stopped dead in my tracks after entering.

Tiny was behind the counter. Big, bearded, tattooed Tiny. Wearing a pink apron with ruffles around the edges. Flour on his nose. Holding a pastry bag with yellow frosting. He looked happy.

"Grizz!" He grinned.

"What the hell is this?" I asked

"I'm working," he gestured with the pastry bag.

Hawk peeked around the corner from the back. Flour in his beard. A matching pink apron tied around his thick waist. He looked like a serial killer.

"How did she do this?" I muttered. She had met them once.

"She asked," Tiny said.

"It's hard to say no to her. I think she might have threatened us. It's hard to remember. She talks really fucking fast, also, she promised we could take home whatever we didn't sell."

I opened my mouth to respond, but then she appeared.