Page 56 of 12 Months of Mayhem

“You want me to do what again?” There’s no way I heard Twister’s request right.

I glance over in Cannon’s direction to see if he had the same issue. “What school does she go to?” he asks instead.

Twister looks at me, then leans forward and plants his elbows on the table. “April goes to school thirty minutes from your clubhouse at Willow Creek University.”

I know the school he’s talking about and it’s not an easy one to get into.

“But she’s here, why do you need me to go and watch over her? Isn’t she on spring break or something?

“April left to head back to school just a bit ago,” Horse remarks. “Said she needed to get some schoolwork done.”

“You don’t believe her?” Cannon asks, glancing between the two men.

Twister shakes his head. “April is my daughter’s best friend. We’ve all pretty much raised her. Know her just like I know my Mercy. She’s hiding something. Doesn’t want to share it. Hasn’t shared it with my daughter or Horse’s.”

Horse leans forward, clasps his hands. “You want an alliance with our club, we want our girl protected. You do that for us, we’ll align with your club. You won’t have any issues with us, Stoney has even agreed to this as well. Same as Blow over in Tennessee.”

“And you want Fool to protect her?” Cannon asks for confirmation.

“Exactly,” Twister nods.

“I just saw her.” She couldn’t have already left. Then again, that was before I met with Cannon and then again before Twister asked to meet with the two of us.

“She took off right after bumping into you and telling Kayla and Mercy bye,” Horse grunts.

“What else am I missing?” I ask, watching both men closely. “If I’m doing this, I want to know everything I gotta know.”

“Fool was a SEAL until recently,” Cannon states. “He’ll do what it takes to make sure she’s safe, but considering his training and skills, he needs to know everything he can in order to do what you’re asking. He doesn’t need to go in blind.”

“Respect that about you, Fool,” Twister states, nodding. Something in his eyes shifted in a way I don’t know how to read.

“We’ve got several brothers that were in the service,” Horse remarks. “They saw their share of shit so if you need someone to talk to, they’ll listen. Hell, any of us would. I might not have served, nor did Twister, but we’ll still listen.”

“Appreciate that,” I tell both of them. “It’s not necessary. I’ve got my brothers.” I motion to Cannon. “They’re there for me when I need them.” Cannon nods next to me as I continue. “If you’ll get me what I need to know, I’ll see to April.”

“You’ll have it, but I’m telling you now, you hurt her, and we’ll have problems.”

“A girl like April,” I trail off for a moment and hold Twister’s gaze before I finish my statement. “Anyone who hurts her would deserve it.”

“Right then,” Twister says, nodding “Here’s what you need to know.”

He gives me a rundown of some of April’s past. Doesn’t go into detail which I respect. Shows he cares about April’s privacy but also cares to keep her safe. She’s got a shit mom. A dad that loves her but not enough to stick around. She got a scholarship for school, but the club also helps pay for anything else she might need. Lastly, she’s finishing school and getting ready to graduate.

“I’ll make sure doesn’t have any troubles.” April needs someone looking out for her and I can do that. Looking to Cannon, I state, “I’ll head out in ten, get back to the clubhouse. I’ll head to her school tomorrow and check in. If anything seems strange, I’ll let ya know.”

“Take Hazzard and Rimfire with you. Rest of us will be heading back tomorrow.” Cannon nods and raps his knuckles on the table.

“Will do.” I get to my feet and go in search of both Hazzard and Rimfire. The both of them won’t mind heading out early. Not because they want to leave the fun of whatever they could be doing, but because they’ll know we’ve got a job to do.

I quickly find Hazzard and inwardly groan. Images of his body being put in the ground pop in my head. If he doesn’t get out of here soon that’s exactly what’s gonna happen. Seeing him, arm braced up on the wall, body close to Mercy, he’s asking to get his ass killed.

“Brother, we gotta head out. Ten minutes.”

“Where we goin’?” Hazzard asks, dropping his arm and turning to face me, blocking sight of Mercy.

“Home,” I tell him and go to pass them. I stop long enough to look at Mercy and say, “Good job with the prank on him last night. Heard him shouting through the walls for a while. Mice traps under the bottom sheet. Good one.”

Mercy giggles and shakes her head. “That was April’s idea. You should thank her.”

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