Page 38 of Whiskey Shivers

I forced a smile but if it was anything I’d learned? Life just didn’t work that way and there was no predicting the future.

“You girls go on and do whatever hoodoo you do with organizing shit. You point, we’ll follow through,” La Croix said. Alina practically lit up, a soft smile curving her lips at the sound of his voice, even though she just stared off into space.

“You do whatever it is you need to do to fit her clothes in my room. Move my shit however you like,” Hex said, and Alina gave a nod.

“C’mon, let these boys shoot the shit for a minute. This is more our territory anyhow,” Alina said, and she took my good hand to lead me off down the hall.

“Okay.” I let out a nervous little laugh and let Alina tow me into the living room.

She huffed out a breath and said, “Hoo boy! This was more than I was expecting, but that’s all right. We got this.”

“Thank you all for doing this,” I murmured. “It’s been…” I swallowed hard. “It’s been a lot.”

“Hey, it’s no worries. I’m just glad I can pay it forward.”

“Pay it forward?” I asked, as she started separating trash bags by what seemed to be content, bringing the ones laden with clothes toward the mouth of the hall.

“Yeah, a little over a year ago, I was right where you are now. These boys moving me, in a big damn hurry.”

“Oh, wow,” I said. “You mind if I ask what happened?”

“How much time have you got?” she asked with a grin.

I had to smile back. “Well,” I looked around us, “apparently, I’ve got all day.”

She chuckled and we got down to it but she didn’t elaborate on whatever experience had led her into a similar situation as this. At least, not yet. My curiosity was most definitely piqued, but I didn’t press or pry. I mean, we didn’t know each other.

A little while into sorting things and making sure the bags with breakable objects were put up against one wall and were safe and the breakables would be as okay as they could get while we sorted through all the rest, Hex, Saint, La Croix, and a couple of others from the club came into the living room.

“Hey, there she is,” the heaviest of them said. He wasn’t fat, per se; he was just bulkier and had a bit of an extra layer of padding to him if that made sense. His hands were meaty, and he didn’t look like someone you would want to punch you. His blue eyes sparkled, and his blond beard with just a hint of strawberry to it had liberal patches of white in its neat array.

“Chainsaw, meet Corliss. I call her Fable. Fable, meet Chainsaw, Louie, and Bennie.”

“Hi,” I said with a bit of a weak laugh laced with some embarrassment. “I’m sorry we didn’t do proper introductions yesterday...”

“Aw, hell nah,” Chainsaw said genially. “We didn’t expect nothin’ like that.”

“You’ve got a lot going on,” Bennie agreed. “It’s all good.”

“Babe.” La Croix jerked his head and Alina was pulled to her feet as though by invisible strings to go to him. He put his hand to her waist and led her a short distance away to speak with her.

“You boys good with bein’ at my lady’s disposal for a bit?” Hex asked, and I raised my eyes to meet his.

“You’re leaving?” I asked a little nervously, and he smiled like he wasn’t quite happy about it.

“Just for a couple of hours,” he said. “La Croix and I got some business to handle. You be alright?” he asked.

“Ah, yeah,” I said, nodding carefully. “I’ve already imposed so much I—”

“Now stop,” he chided. “None of that. I ain’t do nothing I don’t wanna do, right, fellas?”

There was a chorus of grunting agreements and I had to smile.

“Lemme finish up this breakfast and we’ll get goin’,” he said to La Croix, who nodded imperiously.

I smiled and Alina returned. The rest of the guys pitched in to help sort and carry things off, bringing totes in to help better hold and secure items until they could find their place. They talked about some of the plans that Hex had for the rest of the house over breakfast until it was time for him and La Croix to leave.

“Be back soon,” he said, touching the side of my face and flicking his thumb in a light caress down my cheek. I nodded and then he was gone. I was kept distracted by picking through the sea of my belongings, sorting clothes, books, and photographs into neat little piles.

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