Page 19 of Petty's Crime

I must have lost my mind for missing the challenge and the spark Petty brought.

Cobra’s now taken his shift for two nights so I’m wondering if it’s now become permanent. That wouldn’t surprise me at all. What newly returned wife would want to lose her man to another woman—even if only to provide protection—during the evening hours? Surely that’s when they should be reconnecting, picking up their threads of their life, going to dinner, seeing friends, taking in shows and having fun?

It's not normally within me to be jealous. Previously, if a man showed his preference for somebody else, I’d just move on rather than put off the inevitable. But while Petty’s nothing more to me than a bodyguard, for some unknown reason, I feel envious that he’s spending his time with her and not with me.

It can only be because he’s such a good bodyguard. Of course, I have no other designs on him. Even before I knew he was hitched, I hadn’t harboured such thoughts of him. The very idea makes me laugh. We’re as different as water and oil. We’d never mix and would always butt heads.

So, I come back around to my original question again. Why the hell do I miss him?

“Roller’s here. I’m off,” Sarge yells out.

“See you tonight,” I call back, while continuing to brush my hair and catalogue what I need to do today.

A couple of hours in the gym, a practice session with the band to go over some new material to keep my set fresh, and a shopping trip with Kylie to get new costumes. Roller, though, has become used to my day, and never complains. But I suppose for the money I’m paying his club, he’ll put up with anything.

It’s only Petty who makes his disgust known.

Huffing, I wonder whether that just proves he’s genuine.

I finish putting on my minimal day makeup—just a touch of face powder to take the shine off my skin—a far cry from how I doll myself up in the evenings, and then descend the stairs.

Roller stands to greet me. “Hey, RoseLyn. So what are your plans for today?”

Before I tell him, I wave him to retake his seat. “Nothing that can’t wait.” I sit opposite him. “I was, er, wondering about Petty, and whether he’ll be taking over from Cobra again?”

Sitting forward, Roller’s mouth twists as though he’s got bad news for me. Bracing myself, I prepare for the disappointment to hear I won’t be seeing the taciturn man again. But Roller surprises me.

“I’m sorry, but Prez has told him the club comes first. He’s giving Petty one more day, then he’ll have to return to duty.” He gives me a look of sympathy.

I know Roller and Petty are great friends, but also that Roller’s not blind to the offhand way in which Petty treats me, and expects his news to be disappointing.

His words, though, take the wind out of my sails, as bracing myself for never seeing Petty again was all for nothing. But now I’m getting my desire, I realise it could be the old adage, be careful what you wish for. I frown. Petty’s hardly likely to want to be apart from his wife when he’s only just reconnected with her. He’ll probably be twice as obnoxious as he normally is.

I frown. “Won’t he mind? I wouldn’t object to Cobra continuing.”

Roller chuckles. “I’m sure you wouldn’t, but Cobra’s needed elsewhere.”

While Petty doesn’t talk much, his brothers do. As a way to while away the time, I’ve gotten to know a little bit about Roller. Though I should leave the subject of Petty’s mysterious woman reappearing, something makes me ask, “You served with him, didn’t you? Did you know he was married?”

Again his face twists as if I’ve touched a nerve. “No, I fuckin’ didn’t.”

Hmm. His snapped response shows me it’s a sore subject. It also raises more questions as I know Roller and Petty are tight. Why did Petty keep something so important from his friend? I get a bad taste in my mouth as I think of a reason. Petty’s probably been fooling around with other women, and kept the knowledge of his wedded status to himself so he wouldn’t be criticised for being unfaithful.

Then again, I can’t see bikers being worried about marital loyalty. In their masculine world, a man can do whatever he wants to.

Though I try to bite my tongue, I can’t still my curiosity. “So where’s Petty’s wife been? Did she walk out on him?” That might explain why no one knows anything about her. He might be embarrassed that she left. In which case, why’s he having her back? I didn’t take him as the type to forgive easily.

“She’s been in jail.” Roller’s eyes widen, then he clamps his mouth shut, only opening it a few seconds later to warn with creases lining his brow, “And you didn’t hear that from me.”

But of course, as my mouth opens in an O at his surprising answer, I’ve even more questions now. “What was she in for?”

He shakes his head. “Nope. You’ll get nothing else from me.”

At least that explains why she’s been out of the picture. Sitting back, I do some calculations. I know Petty and Roller have been with the Satan’s Devils for about four years, and before that they served together in the Army. So it must have been years that she’s been locked away, if that’s truly where she’s been for all that time. What the hell was she in for?

And still I pry into something that’s none of my business. But knowing outside influences forced Petty and his wife apart, I feel sorry for them both. “It must be hard for them to reconnect after so long. I would have thought Petty would have liked more time together, instead of coming back to babysit me.”

Roller snorts. “What Petty wants has nothing to do with it. You think any of us were pleased to find he’s kept such a huge fuckin’ secret from us? Prez making him work is part of his penance.”

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