Page 7 of Unveiled Wishes

Meredith held the swinging door open for Aunt E, who shuffled past. As soon as Aunt E was through, Meredith turned and flicked her middle finger at the back of Dead’s head. There was still some life in her.

I had to fix this so when word got around, this would all be a funny story. Meredith had too many people counting her out, and I didn’t need my patch at risk.

I sat next to Dead, but I didn’t know how to start this. He wasn’t making it easier on me by watching what was on the TV. “I…”

“Save it, brother.”

The hairs on my neck immediately stood up. “What the fuck? I am still your VP.” Maybe I was going to have to throw some punches.

“It’s easy to see why you go to bat for her,” he said, not bothering to look at me. “She’s a spicy version of Flo, and if she wasn’t so consumed in her own head, it’d be a healthy relationship. Killing Pulse wasn’t on her, but until she comes to terms with it, the rest of the bullshit won’t heal. Put your pride away and ask for the club’s help.” He stood from the couch and walked away.

No sooner was Dead gone than Pretty sat next to me.

“Don’t fuck with me, dude,” I warned him. I could barely handle him every day. Today wasn’t a good day.

“While you were heart-to-hearting, I snuck into the kitchen.” He ate a chip and crunched it loudly. “Figured you would want to know what’s going on.”

“Yeah, what’s up?” I asked, leaning my head back against the top cushion of the couch.

“Aunt E had a therapy appointment today, and Grace drove by that hall. You know the one? Scrub and I used to sneak into the back and pretend to be waiters to grab snacks.”

I let a dry chuckle escape my lips. “Yeah, and they called your dad one night and tried to charge him for the missing food.”

“That’s the place. He told them to fuck off because the four of us were in church, and how dare they accuse God’s angels of stealing.” Pretty smiled.

“The punishment was definitely not worth the crime. He dumped cold water on our heads and made us wash the brother’s bikes with toothbrushes.”

“Good times,” Pretty said. “Yeah, it’s for sale, and it looks like Grace did some basic research. They roped Meredith into helping them. She’s drawing out potential layouts that the venue could hold. I didn’t know she was an interior designer. She’s really in her element, and her face is doing weird things.”

“Is she alright? Do I need to go in there?” I was panicking. My palms were clammy, but I couldn’t feel my hands. They were numb as I sat forward, cupping my knees. I could feel the sweat dripping from my forehead, but I was hot. At least Pretty was sitting next to me in case I passed the fuck out.

“She’s smiling.”

“She’s smiling?” I asked, unsure if he was pulling my leg.

“Yeah, I saw some teeth. There’s still some snark, but Grace and Aunt E are overlooking it. They’re just glad to have her.”

Pretty wasn’t a brother that I would normally be vulnerable with, but I had to know if I was holding onto false hope.

“Do you think I am a fool?” I asked him, watching as his face went completely serious.

“I think Dead has some good points. You need to reach out for help within the club. However, this is Sabre’s first Christmaswith his family. If I were you, I wouldn’t make any big decisions until the beginning of the year.” He smacked my shoulder. “Maybe I’ll go share my chips with her. She’s lost a lot of weight, and her ass needs fattening up.” He laughed and hurried away.

Maybe he was right. I’d just have to fake it through Christmas.

Chapter 4

Heart Shapes Beat As One

Zook

“That’s it for the club’s businesses. Count and I have started the year-end paperwork, so if managers get a call, you’re not in trouble.” Sabre addressed the room. There was a light chuckle that floated around the table. “Just bring your books and come to the principal’s office. Count?”

“I got nothing. Like you said, we’re working on the year-end books, so once I know more about the numbers, I’ll bring them to church. I am pretty sure there’s going to be an extra payment for each brother, but I have no clue how much it is. We also need more businesses, if anyone has any ideas. I am running out of places to put the money.” Count’s spikes shook with excitement. Money made the dude hard, which was why no one questioned him as treasurer.

He had said the magic words, and the brothers were speculating how much that extra payment could be, but I didn’t join in. I liked money as much as the next person, but I hadn’t grown up with any. My father had been a steel mill worker. His way of relaxing after work had been to get blackout drunk everynight, leaving us to fend for ourselves. My mother had done the best she could with what she stole from his wallet. It had been little, and I had tried to help as much as I could. When I had joined the Marines, I had hoarded everything that I earned and made sure that I was never in that position again. I lived in the clubhouse for free. I ate whatever Chef made for dinner. There wasn’t much need for money, except gas for my bike.

“Any club business before we move on?” Sabre brought the meeting back to order.

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