ASHES & PAIN
Chapter 13
SNAPPED
The Huntsville clubhouse barely resembled the place Lane and Diablo had walked into a few months ago.
Fresh lumber framed a new front porch. The faded siding had been replaced, the roof patched, the old sign repainted. Inside, the walls smelled of sawdust instead of mildew. A long table sat in the center of the room where mismatched furniture used to clutter the floor. Maps, budgets and handwritten schedules covered one wall.
A pickup rolled into the gravel lot.
Lane stepped out from beneath the porch roof before the engine even shut off.
Diablo climbed out first.
Alejandra came around the passenger side, brushing travel dust from her jeans before taking in the clubhouse.
“Welcome to Huntsville, brother,” Lane said.
Diablo looked from the building to him.
“Goddamn, Pres. You’ve been busy.”
“We’ve got plenty more work to do.”
Before either of them reached the porch, the front door swung open.
Melanie hurried outside, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
“There you are!”
“Hey, Mel. Hi Kount.”
Lane barely looked her way.
“Hey, she’ll show you your guys’ room,” Lane said and Alejandra glanced back at Diablo.
He gave her a small nod.
“Go ahead.”
Melanie was already leading her inside.
“We’ve got plenty of room. I’ll show you where everything is.”
Diablo watched them disappear into the clubhouse.
“…She goin’ full Martha Stewart, or what?”
Lane shook his head, not even bothering to answer. Instead, he picked up one end of a stack of two-by-fours.
“Girl shit, whatever.”
Diablo grabbed the other end without another question.
They carried the lumber toward the side of the building.
“We’re expanding this wall another twenty feet,” Lane said. “Dorm isn’t enough anymore.”
“For how many?”
“With you, nine patched. Four prospects. More coming.”
Diablo raised an eyebrow.
“Already?”
Lane nodded.
” Yep. So, the property line ends behind those trees.” He pointed toward the neighboring pasture.
“Owner’s getting older. Wants to retire. I’m trying to buy another ten acres.”
“What for?”
“Bunkhouse.”
Diablo looked around.
“We’ll outgrow this place pretty fast and I want to be ready.”
Lane was already walking again.
“Thinking of putting in a workshop over there. Bike lifts. Secure storage. Eventually I’d like a shooting range in the back, maybe grow some shit, I don’t know.”
He kept moving.
“Bail recovery is turning a profit. Protection contracts are picking up. Doing well.”
Another building.
Another wall.
Another future project.
By lunchtime they’d circled the property three times.
Lane talked through budgets.
Construction.
Membership.
Security.
Expansion.
Every sentence started with “next, then, after…”
Every plan reached six months ahead.
Diablo answered when he had to.
Mostly he listened.
They stopped beneath the shade of a live oak overlooking the clubhouse.
Lane unfolded another set of drawings across the hood of his truck.
“If we relocate the parking area over here—”
Diablo wasn’t looking at the plans.
He was looking at Lane.
His president’s eyes never stayed still. They bounced from the ceiling to the walls, door frames, everyone, everything.
The clubhouse looked stronger than it had in decades.
So did the chapter.
Only Lane didn’t.
He kept talking.
Diablo let him.
Because every board, every nail and every new project sounded less like ambition… and more like a man trying his hardest not to think about someone three hundred miles south.
The old Chevy rumbled at the curb outside Dryden Community Clinic.
Kait pushed through the glass doors in jeans, red and black flannels, white T-shirt and a light jacket, spotting Kolton behind the wheel with one arm hanging out the open window.
He reached across the bench seat as she climbed in.
“Here you go.”
He handed her kutte.
She smiled.
“Thanks.”
The leather settled over her shoulders almost automatically, the familiar weight pulling a grin out of her she hadn’t expected.
“Better,” she said.
“Damn right.”
Kolton pulled away from the curb.
“How’s Josh?”
“He’s fine. Didn’t say shit.”
Kolton nodded once.
“I figured.”
She looked out the window.
“The nurses were already acting weird before I got there.”
“They were watching for you.”
“I think so too, but they didn’t say anything.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of Kolton’s mouth.
“So… I hear you got a new boyfriend.”
Kait rolled her eyes.
“Oh, shut up.”
“I’m serious.”
“You know damn well why I did it.”
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
“I just don’t like hearing you’re dating one of my prospects.”
She laughed.
“That’s the only way I was gonna see him.”
“I bet he loved the idea.”
Dryden
The old Chevy rumbled at the curb outside Dryden Community Clinic.
Kait pushed through the glass doors in jeans, flannels, white T-shirt and a light jacket, spotting Kolton behind the wheel with one arm hanging out the open window.
He reached across the bench seat as she climbed in.
“Here you go.”
He handed her kutte.
She smiled.
“Thanks.”
The leather settled over her shoulders almost automatically, the familiar weight pulling a grin out of her she hadn’t expected.
“Better,” she said.
“Damn right.”
Kolton pulled away from the curb.
“How’s Josh?”
“He’s fine. Didn’t say shit.”
Kolton nodded once.
“I figured.”
She looked out the window.
“The nurses were already acting weird before I got there.”
“They were watching for you.”
“I think so too, but they didn’t say anything.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of Kolton’s mouth.
“So… I hear you got a new boyfriend.”
Kait rolled her eyes.
“Oh, shut up.”
“I’m serious.”
“You know damn well why I did it.”
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
“I just don’t like hearing you’re dating one of my prospects.”
She laughed.
“That’s the only way they were letting me in.”
“I bet he loved the idea.”
Kait side eyed him. He was going a little too long with it.
Kolton’s jaw worked.
“Could’ve picked somebody else.”
“There wasn’t anybody else.”
“What’s-her-face could’ve done it, especially if you asked her.”
“Well, she can’t know club business.”
“Right.”
Silence settled between them.
Kolton kept his eyes on the road.
“I still don’t like it.”
Kait studied him for a second.
“You’re seriously jealous right now?”
He snorted.
“Of Josh? Please.”
“Then what?”
He shrugged, a little too casually.
“I don’t like people thinking you’re with somebody else.”
She blinked.
“Dude… it was a couple of nurses and a dumbass security guard.”
“It’s a small ass town.”
“Alright…”
“What?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Just saying.”
Kait shook her head.
Neither of them said another word.
A few minutes later, Hedrick Ranch came into view in the distance, the collapsed section of the barn roof visible even from the highway.
huntsville
The Moss Creek Tavern was packed enough to be loud but not crowded.
Ceiling fans pushed warm, damp air around the room.
Someone had left the front windows open, letting the smell of wet pine and summer rain drift inside.
A man sat alone on the small corner stage with an acoustic guitar covering I’m No Stranger to the Rain.
Lane nursed a beer.
Diablo leaned back in his chair.
“Kowboy said the roof caved right in. They were late for church trying to put the horses away.”
Lane looked up.
“That bad?”
“Whole middle came down.”
Lane whistled softly.
“They should have some sort of insurance, right?”
“With Randy, man. I doubt it, besides, they didn’t mention anything about that…”
Lane nodded.
“Fuck, that shit is gonna be expensive as hell. I’ll give Blaze a call. Maybe I can help him save some money on materials or something.”
Diablo took another drink.
“Yeah, he’ll appreciate it.”
“So Prince is not pulling his weight as VP?
Diablo smirked.
“Nah, man. It should’ve been you.”
“The call about patching in the County prospects was good.”
Diablo shook his head as he took a drink.
“That was Toast’s idea. Prince ain’t gonna come up with that shit. She’s been coaching him this whole time.”
Lane didn’t answer.
“That’s why I voted for her. Sucks she can’t be an officer.”
Lane finally looked at him.
“You voted for her?”
“Fuck yeah
“But you know that was the one condition.”
“Kinda bullshit, though. She’s as good as any of us.”
Lane began to think about her and didn’t want to.
Diablo clocked it.
“Well, since you’re not gonna ask. She’s all healed up now. Like nothing happened. She’s been keeping busy, just like you, actually. And I think for the exact same reason.”
Before Lane could answer…
The singer leaned toward the microphone.
“How y’all doin’ tonight?”
A few cheers answered him.
“Anybody in here like Brooks & Dunn?”
Several people clapped.
“Oh yeah!”
The singer grinned.
“This one’s for y’all then.”
The opening notes drifted across the room.
“When the sun goes down on my side of town…”
“That lonesome feeling…”
Lane stood.
Diablo sighed.
“Yo, Kount, what are you—”
He was already walking.
The singer barely had time to look up before Lane grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him clean off the stool.
The guitar crashed across the stage.
The microphone squealed.
One punch.
The singer hit the floor.
Lane hit him again.
Then again.
Nobody moved.
By the time Diablo reached the stage, Lane had already let go.
Without saying a word, he turned and walked toward the door.
The entire bar watched him leave.
Diablo crouched beside the stunned musician.
“You alive?”
The guy groaned.
Diablo nodded.
“Good.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a twenty, folded it once, and dropped it into the tip jar.
“…Sorry, man. Maybe start covering some Iron Maiden or Manson.”
Then he followed Lane out.
outside
The screen door slapped shut behind Lane.
Humid air hit him like a wet blanket.
He walked straight past the row of trucks toward the Hardline.
The music inside had died.
A dozen confused voices replaced it.
A few seconds later, the door creaked open again.
Diablo stepped out, letting it swing shut behind him.
“…He’ll live.”
Lane didn’t answer.
“I dropped a twenty in his tip jar for ya.”
Silence.
“Figured it was the least I could do.”
Diablo leaned against his own bike.
“You wanna tell me what the hell that was?”
Lane kept his eyes on the gravel.
“I hate that fucking song.”
The chorus of cicadas filled the space between them.
Diablo scratched at his beard.
“Yeah, I got that part, but you’ve punched people for better reasons than that.”
Lane let out a quiet breath through his nose.
“Yeah well—”
Lane looked out toward the dark tree line beyond the parking lot.
He paced around his bike.
“I fucking try, man… I try my fucking hardest.”
Diablo pressed his lips and took a deep breath.
There it is.
“Shit just sneaks up on me sometimes. Then I…”
He looked to the side and pulled it together.
“I wasn’t even thinking about her.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
“Fuck this. Let’s get out of here.”
Diablo left it alone.
The two men started their engines.
A moment later, two Harleys rumbled to life beneath the East Texas pines.
the nest - dryden
Freak on a Leash hummed from the clubhouse speakers while Kode leaned against the counter with Daphne tucked comfortably beneath his arm.
Kait sat on a barstool with a bottle of vodka between herself and Kolton.
Kolton absentmindedly rubbed slow circles across the middle of her back while nursing a beer.
Kode was going on about the Y2K bug, explaining how computers might not recognize the year 2000 and could end up crashing everything from banks to power grids.
Dulce has a sour look on her face.
“So really? All those geniuses didn’t know the year 2000 was ever going to come or something?”
Kode shook his head.
“It wasn’t that they didn’t know. Back when computers had fuck-all for memory, they saved space by using two digits for the year. Nobody figured we’d still be running half that old shit forty years later.”
“Well, can’t they just go back in and put two more numbers?”
Kode laughed.
“Yeah, that’s what they’re trying to do. Problem is, there’s millions of lines of old code out there, and they gotta find every place that uses a date and fix it without fucking up something else.”
Dulce waved a dismissive hand.
“Okay, I’m done with all this geek talk.”
Kait chuckled and took a drink.
Dulce rested her chin on her hand and looked at Daphne.
So… I’ve always wondered…”
Kode groaned.
Dulce ignored him.
“Do blowjobs hurt with those?”
Daphne laughed flashing her fangs.
Kode sighed.
“I knew someone was gonna ask sooner or later.”
Dulce pointed at Daphne’s smile.
“I mean… Have you ever…”
She looked at Kode.
“…bitten him?”
Kait closed her eyes for a second and poured herself another shot.
“God…”
Kolton barked out a laugh.
Kode looked proudly at everyone around the bar.
“First of all…”
He pointed toward Daphne.
“…she’s a professional.”
Daphne smirked.
“Damn right.”
“Second…”
Kode lifted his beer.
“Fang bj’s fucking rule.”
Kolton nearly choked on his drink.
“No offense, Daph…”
He pointed toward her mouth.
“… but those scare the absolute shit outta me.”
Daphne shrugged.
“That’s the idea.”
Everyone laughed.
Even Kait couldn’t help smiling as she knocked back another shot.
Kode put his arms around Daphne.
“You know…”
“What?”
“All this talk gave me a fantastic idea.”
Daphne’s eyes lit up and she looked up at him.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Kode tossed back the rest of his beer.
“Y’all have a good night.”
Kolton waved him off.
“Sleep tight, and don’t let the fangs bite.”
“No promises,” Daphne said.
“Oh, hell no,” Kode chimed in.
The two disappeared though the door laughing.
Silence settled again.
Dulce looked over at Kait. “You look exhausted,” she said rubbing her shoulders.
Kolton watched.
“Farm work is fucking rough,” Kait said rolling her shoulders, welcoming the massage.
“I could tuck you in.”
Her tone was light.
Playful.
But there was enough underneath it that they understood what she meant.
Kait smiled politely and tapped her hand. “I appreciate it.”
She stood, slipping off the stool.
“But I’m just gonna call it.”
She reached over and squeezed Dulce’s hand.
“Night.”
Kolton looked up.
“I’ll be there in a second.”
Kait nodded and walked toward the double doors leading to the courtyard.
The doors swung open.
Closed behind her.
Dulce finished the last sip of her drink and slid off her stool.
“I guess I’ll call it a night too.”
She made it two steps.
A hand clamped around her wrist.
Hard.
She spun around so fast she nearly lost her footing.
Kolton stood inches away.
The easy smile was gone.
“Just so we’re clear…”
His voice was low enough that it barely carried beyond the bar.
“…keep your fucking hands off Kait.”
Dulce stared at him.
“What?”
His grip tightened.
“Don’t get any fucking ideas. She’s mine. You understand me?”
Dulce’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief.
“…Prince, what the fuck? We literally—”
“There’s nothing between you and her. So don’t get it twisted.”
“I was just rubbing her shoulders, what’s the big deal?”
“I know you have feelings for her and that’s not gonna work for me.”
“There’s no fucking way you’re jealous.”
“You’re going back home.”
His eyes never left hers.
“First thing in the morning.”
Dulce slowly pulled against his grip.
“Okay,” she winced. “Prince, let go. That fucking hurts.”
He didn’t.
“I said okay.”
He finally released her wrist.
She immediately cradled it against her chest.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Dulce shook her head.
“You know, I thought you’d changed.”
Kolton didn’t answer.
She took a slow step backward.
“But you’re still a fucking asshole.”
She rubbed the reddening skin around her wrist.
“I wonder what Kait will say if I tell her you’re going around saying she’s yours. I don’t think she’s gonna like it.”
Kolton rushed to her and grabbed her by the neck.
“You better shut your mouth if you know what’s good for ya.”
Dulce pushed him and she began walking backwards.
“If you fucking touch me again. I’ll tell her even more than that.”
She turned and walked toward the double doors without looking back.
next morning
The dining room was already alive by the time Kait and Kolton walked in.
The smell of coffee, bacon and toast hung in the air.
Ram and Mack sat at one of the long tables working through breakfast.
Tracy moved faster than usual, between the kitchen and the dining room with a pot of coffee in one hand and a stack of plates balanced against her hip.
At the bar, Dulce sat alone.
A steaming cup of coffee rested in front of her.
Her duffel bag hung from one shoulder.
Kait frowned the moment she saw it.
“Dulce?”
She looked up and smiled.
“Hey.”
Kait stopped beside the bar.
“Where are you going?”
Dulce glanced down at her coffee.
“I think I’m gonna head home.”
“So soon?”
Dulce shrugged.
Kolton walked past them without saying a word, grabbed a mug from the shelf and filled it with coffee.
Ram looked up.
“You sure?”
Dulce nodded.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
Kait rested one hand on the back of the stool beside her.
“Everything cool? You don’t have to leave.”
Dulce hesitated.
She wrapped both hands around the coffee mug.
“Of course.”
Kait wasn’t convinced. Especially when Dulce glanced at Kolton, but she didn’t push. “Okay.”
She looked toward one of the prospects eating breakfast.
“Sludge.”
He looked up from his plate.
“Yeah?”
“Drive Dulce home when she’s ready.”
He swallowed.
“You got it.”
Dulce slid off the stool.
“Thank you. I’m actually ready now.”
She hugged Kait quickly.
This time there was distance in it.
As she turned toward the door, her eyes met Kolton’s for the briefest second.
He stood at the coffee pot, mug in one hand.
Watching.
“Later guys,” Dulce said to Mack and Ram.
“Bye, honey,” Mack said.
“Adios, Dulcecita,” Ram said with a mouth full of scrambled eggs.
Sludge followed Dulce outside.
The front door shut behind them.
For a few seconds, Kait continued looking at it.
Ram broke the silence.
“Guess it’s back to the barn.”
Mack groaned.
“My shoulders still hurt from yesterday.”
Kolton took a drink of his coffee.
“They’re gonna hurt again today.”
Kait finally looked away from the door.
“…Yeah.”
She reached for the coffee pot.
But Dulce’s hurried goodbye stayed with her longer than she expected.
later
They rolled into Hedrick Ranch just after eight.
The barn roof looked a little less hopeless than it had the day before.
Fresh trusses stretched across one corner while stacks of new tin roofing waited beside the tractors.
Randy was already on the roof.
“About time.”
Ram looked up.
“What you talkin’ about, we’re early.”
“Morning to y’all.”
Blaze tossed a tool belt toward Mack.
“You three are with me.”
The day settled into a rhythm.
Hammers echoed through the ranch.
Circular saws screamed.
Generators rattled.
Kolton and Ram hauled lumber from the trailers while Mack and a pair of prospects passed sheets of tin up the scaffolding.
Kait spent most of the morning balancing on the rafters beside Blaze, driving screws into the new roof one row at a time.
By lunch, everyone was coated in sweat and sawdust.
Ram dropped onto an overturned bucket.
“I swear this roof gets bigger every damn day.”
“It ain’t gettin’ bigger,” Blaze said without looking up. “You’re just gettin’ tired.”
“Bullshit.”
Randy pointed toward another stack of lumber.
“Then quit stalling and bring that shit.”
Ram sighed dramatically.
“I am not built for this shit.”
“Yes, you are. You’re Mexican,” Randy replied.
“I’m sure a couple of your tíos can fix a mean roof,” Blaze added.
“A huevo. This would’ve been done by now.” Ram said the whole crew laughed.
The afternoon disappeared the same way the morning had.
Work.
Water.
Coffee.
More work.
By the time the sun began dropping behind the oak trees, another section of the roof stood finished.
Blaze stepped back and looked up.
“We’re getting there.”
Randy nodded.
“Another couple days.”
Kolton checked his watch.
“I gotta head out.”
Blaze looked over.
“Little man still sick?”
Kolton nodded.
“Yeah, still running a fever. Loraine doesn’t want to send him to school tomorrow.”
Randy waved him off.
“Go on, VP. You did plenty.”
Kolton tossed his gloves on top of a barrel.
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
He gave Kait a quick kiss and got on his bike. He started the engine and rolled slowly down the ranch road until his taillight disappeared.
Blaze grabbed another bottle of water.
“Same time tomorrow.”
Everyone started putting tools away in the shack.
Kait pulled off her work gloves.
“I’m gonna washup before I head back.”
Blaze looked over.
“You can do whatever you want, pretty lady. You done more than you need to.”
She nodded.
“Wish I could do more. I’m gonna call home to see if anything else can be sold faster.”
“Home? This is home, Toast.”
“Right… okay. See y’all later.”
He simply nodded once and went back to helping Randy stack lumber.
A few minutes later, Kait fired up the Kriger.
Instead of turning toward the Nest…
She headed toward Dulce’s apartment.
Kait climbed the concrete stairs two at a time before stopping at Dulce’s door.
The Christmas pink wreath Dulce had hung on the door was still there.
She knocked.
Nothing.
She waited.
Knocked again.
A deadbolt clicked.
The door opened just enough for one brown eye to peek through.
Relief washed over Dulce’s face.
“Kait…”
She opened the door the rest of the way.
“You scared me.”
Kait stepped inside.
The apartment looked exactly the way she’d remembered it.
Pink throw pillows.
Pink knick-knacks.
The unicorns on the same spot.
Dulce shut the door behind her.
“You want anything?”
Kait shook her head.
“Just came to check on you. You seemed scared earlier.”
Dulce’s smile faded.
They stood there looking at each other for a long moment.
Kait shifted her weight.
“So, what’s up, why did you leave?”
Dulce shrugged.
“’Cause…”
“Dulce.”
“I’m fine, Kait, I promise.”
Kait crossed her arms.
“You couldn’t even look at me this morning.”
Dulce swallowed.
Kait’s voice softened.
“Did Kolton say something?”
Dulce looked down at the floor.
Her fingers tightened around the sleeve of her sweater.
“…How did you—”
Kait closed her eyes.
“What did he say?”
“He got jealous… He told me to… keep my hands off you.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Almost unconsciously, Dulce rubbed her wrist.
Kait didn’t interrupt.
“He said…”
Dulce laughed once.
A sad, nervous little sound.
“…he said that you were his and some other stupid shit.”
Silence.
“And then he told me to leave in the morning.”
Kait’s jaw tightened.
“But don’t tell him I told you,” she said in a hurry.
“He did that too?” Kait said looking at her wrist.
“Kait, he’s an asshole.” Dulce suddenly snapped. “He beats women. You should’ve seen how he would leave his ex. There’s like two girls that left the Alley because of him. He even—”
Kait put a hand up. “I know. But, still. You need to come back. You can’t stay here alone while those pimps are out there looking for you. I’ll have a talk with Kolton.”
“No. I can’t go back to the Nest.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“No. I don’t want to… besides Sunshine wants me to go with her tomorrow to the— ” she stopped herself. “Anyway. I’ll just stay here. I’ll be fine.”
“Goddamn it.”
Kait looked around her apartment.
The little pink living room.
The matching blanket folded over the couch.
“Okay, fine. You got a piece?”
“Oh my god, no.”
“I’ll let you borrow mine,” Kait said taking it out of her kutte inner pocket.
“No, I don’t like guns. I don’t even know how to use them.”
“Dude…”
Dulce was shaking her head fast. “I’m fine. I swear.”
Kait sighed. “Well, have a kitchen knife handy or whatever.”
“Okay.”
“You want me to stay?”
Her eyes changed. Then she shook her head. “Yeah right. I don’t want any more problems with Prince so…”
“Jesus Christ, Dulce you’re pissing me off.”
“I’m not trying to. I just… I’m just gonna go to bed.”
“Okay, tell you what, I’m gonna send a prospect over to keep an eye out.”
“Okay.”
“Alright. Lock up, then.”
Kait walked toward the door and opened it.
“Kait?”
She turned back.
Dulce stepped in and kissed her on the lips. “Thank you,” she whispered and gave her a hug.
Kait squeezed her once before letting go.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow. I have an idea.”
Dulce smiled.
“What is it?”
“I think we need a new spot. Keep you guys safe.”
Dulce’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you more tomorrow. Later.”
“’kay.”
Kait stepped into the hallway.
The apartment door closed behind her.
The deadbolt slid back into place.
Kait stood there for another second, staring at the pink wreath hanging on the door.
Then she turned and headed for the stairs.
She was halfway to her motorcycle before she’d already decided.
She wasn’t going back to the Nest.
She was going to find Kolton.
The rumble of the Kriger echoed down the quiet street.
Inside the living room, Kolton’s thumbs stopped moving.
On the television, Killer Instinct kept going without him.
C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!
He didn’t even glance toward the window.
He knew that motorcycle.
Kolton set the controller on the coffee table and stood.
Before Kait could knock, the front door swung open.
She was still wearing her kutte.
Neither of them spoke.
Kolton stepped aside.
“Hey, baby. Come in.”
Kait walked past him without a word.
He closed the door quietly behind her.
The video game waiting for the player to pick the next fighter. Kolton reached over, picked up the remote, and turned the TV off.
Silence settled over the house.
“Kyle asleep?”
He nodded.
Kolton already knew why she was there. “Yeah… something wrong?” he asked quietly.
Kait looked him dead in the eye.
“You told Dulce to leave?”
His expression didn’t change.
“What?”
Kait took one slow step toward him.
“Don’t.”
He held her gaze for a couple of seconds before looking away.
“…She fucking told you?”
“You threatened her? What the fuck, dude?”
Kolton rubbed the back of his neck.
“Not even. I didn’t really—”
“You told her to stay away from me and to leave the Nest.”
“Well, yeah. I told her to back off a little.”
Kait made a face.
“Are you for real?”
He sighed through his nose. Looked down for a moment before speaking.
“I was not liking how close she was getting to you.”
Kait stared at him.
“So you put your hands on her.”
“I didn’t even—”
“You left marks on her.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“You scared the shit out of her, and she’s already fucking scared because of those assholes. She’s a friend to the club. We’re supposed to protect her, Kolton.”
Kolton raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
“We’re not gonna fight over a fucking stripper.”
Kait let out a humorless laugh.
“Her name is Dulce.”
“Whoa, what the hell, baby? Why are you so mad? If it bugs you so much, just have her come back. Whatever.”
“It’s not just that.”
“Then what?”
“You did it again. You fucking told her I was yours.”
He opened his mouth but sighed instead of saying something.
“So you still thinks so? You think you own me?”
“No, baby. I meant you’re with me.”
Silence.
Kolton ran both hands through his hair.
“I said I wasn’t fighting over a fucking snakehole.”
“This ain’t about her no more… Now it’s about you still thinking you have some sort of claim over me.”
Kait took another step closer.
“No, Kait. I just fucking love you.”
His voice cracked with frustration.
“And I can’t stand the way everyone looks at you. It’s bad enough to have all these dudes around you all the time, but I gotta worry about girls too… shit, babe.”
“I don’t care. I don’t belong to you, Kolton. I’ve told you a million times.”
“I know that.”
“If you really knew that—”
“Hey, guys, is everything okay?”
Loraine said appearing in the hallway. She was adjusting her robe around her.
Kait only glared at her.
“Everything’s fine, go back to bed,” Kolton snapped.
Kait looked toward the floor.
“Alright. I’m out.”
“Babe…”
Kait shook her head and left.
“Fuck,” Kolton said and sat down to put his boots on.
Loraine stepped in front of him.
“Don’t… you’re only gonna make it worse. You know how she is.”
Kolton threw his boot to the side.
“What happened? Why were you guys arguing?”
“Nothing, just leave me the fuck alone.”
Kait rode back to the Nest just before midnight.
The clubhouse had quieted down.
Kriket and Klik still lingered around the bar, but most had already turned in.
Instead of heading upstairs, she walked downstairs to the prospects’ room.
The door was open.
Josh lay on his bunk with his ribs wrapped, flipping through an old hunting magazine while Sludge sat on the edge of his bed cleaning mud off his boots. Alan was digging through a duffel bag.
Alan looked up.
“Shit. Toast, hey.”
The other two straighten up.
“Everything good?” Sludge asked.
Kait nodded.
“I need a favor.”
All three looked at her.
She pulled a folded piece of paper from her kutte pocket and handed it to Alan.
“I need somebody to sit outside this apartment for a while.”
Alan unfolded it.
“Yeah, sure.”
She nodded.
“I just want to make sure the girl living there gets left alone tonight. Anyone goes to her door. I need to know immediately.”
Alan started to swing his legs off the bunk.
“Alright.”
Josh stopped him.
“Hey, let me do it. I’ve been laying down enough.”
“Alright,” Kait said and Alan gave him the piece of paper.
He reached over and took the paper.
There’s a pink wreath on the door. Make sure you let her know I sent you.”
Josh looked down at the address.
“Alright. Need you to cover all night, though. Can you do that?”
“No problem.”
“If anything feels off, call me.”
Kait nodded at the other two, and headed upstairs.
Twenty minutes later…
Josh leaned against the hood of the Caprice across the street from the apartment building.
The neighborhood was quiet.
A few porch lights glowed.
Somewhere nearby, a dog barked once before settling down again.
He already let Dulce know Kait sent him.
Now, he only had to watch the door with the pink wreath.
Easy enough.
A Harley rolled slowly into the parking lot.
Kolton swung off.
Josh straightened.
“Prince?” He called out.
Kolton frowned and turned. Josh put his hand up and Kolton walked over.
“The fuck are you doing here?”
“Toast sent me.”
“For what?”
He pointed toward the second-floor walkway.
“She told me to watch the apartment with the pink wreath for a couple hours.”
Kolton looked up at the building.
Then back at Josh.
“I’ve got it.”
Josh blinked.
“…What?”
“I said I’ve got it.”
He started walking toward the stairs.
Josh hesitated.
“She told me to stay all night.”
Kolton stopped.
Turned around.
His expression hardened.
His expression hardened.
“Well I’m the Vice President, so I outrank her. So get gone.”
Josh shifted his weight.
“Alright, VP, my bad. I’ll just let her know you said—”
“She already knows and she’s sleeping, so. Just head back.”
Kolton watched him climb into the Caprice.
He waited.
The sedan backed out of the parking lot and disappeared around the corner.
Only then did Kolton turn back toward the apartment building.
He climbed the stairs and stopped in front of Dulce’s door.
Kolton knocked.
A few seconds later the deadbolt clicked and the door opened.
Dulce smiled automatically.
“Josh, I said no patch, no p—”
When she realized it wasn’t Josh, her smile vanished.
Immediately.
