Page 11 of Johnny Gun

“You had a nasty cold, sweetie. We’re grateful she took care of you.”

“Hmmm. Sydney. There’s another story. Doesn’t matter.” With a haughty gesture, Opal tossed her light brown hair over her shoulder. “Johnny will be right here, and I’m going to enjoy the show between you two.”

“Goodness, you’re a mean little thing. You know that?” Isolde asked, wide-eyed.

Scrunching her face, Opal laughed. “I’m not mean. Honest. I have to get my fun from somewhere. Everyone thinks because I’myounger, I’m not serious or I don’t have a brain. But I see what goes on and miss nothing.”

“I’d never underestimate you. You’re one of the smartest people I know. Unfortunately, we’re kind of secluded out here. We’re too far from town. You should be hanging out with friends your age, going to the movies, shopping, things like that.”

“I have you,” Opal said seriously. “We’re not that far apart in age.”

Isolde sighed. “We’re not, you’re right. Just over a year. Sometimes, though, I feel like your soul is ancient. You’re like a guardian angel, always looking out for me.”

“I have to watch over you.” Opal stopped walking. Her hazel eyes gleamed with moisture. “You’re my sister. I’ve already lost too much. I couldn’t take it if anything bad happened to you.”

Opal’s words struck hard. In her short time on earth, she’d lost three parents.

“Oh, sweetie.” Isolde put her arm around Opal’s slim shoulders. “I’m going to be fine. Nothing’s going to happen to me or you, you’ll see.”

“Oh, I know.” Holding Isolde’s arm again, Opal resumed walking.

Isolde chuckled at the sharp change in her mood. “You sound so certain.”

Opal shrugged. “Well, yeah. Daddy said the guys from the south are coming to defend the Dalton chapter.”

“Yes, but…”

“Johnny’s riding with them. Why do you think he’s coming? You wait and see. At first, he’ll be cool. He’ll pretend in front of Daddy he’s not interested in you, to keep our father off his back. ’Cause Daddy can be a real pain. But don’t buy into the act. I saw him, and Johnny’s crazy about you. He’ll be your protective shadow, day and night. His biggest problem will be Gomez.”

“Opal, you amaze me. When did you get so grown-up, so incredibly smart?”

“I told you. I listen to the conversations and learn from what I see and hear. People reveal a lot about themselves when they think no one’s paying attention.”

“Your instincts are correct, about Gomez, anyway.”

She scoffed. “My instincts are correct about everyone and everything.”

A sudden gust of wind blew through the trees. A whorl of new-fallen leaves fluttered onto the path. Opal shivered. “Can we go inside?”

“Yeah. It’s getting colder.” Isolde picked up her pace going back to the house. Opal walked with her. As they made it to the top of the hill, a distant and familiar rumble of approaching bikes gave her goose bumps.

“I hear them,” Isolde murmured. “They’re coming.”

“Yes. They’ll be here soon.”

“And so it begins,” she murmured to herself.

Life for everyone was about to change.

Hand in hand, Isolde and Opal reached the top of the hill just as Deacon opened the front door and stepped out. Even from this distance, his bright blue eyes gleamed with a strange light. He was not a happy man. Leaning one fist on a hip, he exclaimed, “Where the hell have you two been? I called and called.”

Isolde evaluated the situation in an instant. She’d turned passive-resistant behavior into an art form. The trick was to stay relaxed and allow her father’s temper to roll over her without reacting or getting defensive. For a man with such a possessive and suspicious nature, the arrival of six unfamiliar and big MC dudes into the controlled environmentwhere his daughters lived had to be a nightmare. Add to his plate the threat to the clubhouse, and her father’s shoulders could barely support the weight of so much responsibility.

“Stay cool and follow my lead,” she murmured to Opal, then smiled sweetly at her father. “We’re here now, Dad. We just came up from the lagoon. It’s so nice out.”

“I was worried.” Deacon raked his fingers through his graying hair. “Don’t you understand what’s going on? You two can’t disappear from my sight. From now on, stay within calling distance. I have enough concerns as it is. Come on, get inside. It’s getting cold.”

“Don’t you hear them, Daddy?” Opal asked. “They should be here soon.”

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