Page 61 of Gunner
Jacob had a three-day weekend from school, and I wanted to surprise him and Sadie with a weekend away. Skid told me he was knee-deep in something for Callahan and he couldn’t join us, so I booked a hotel room in Pierce Bluff, a little lake community about an hour east of Portstill. It was a beautiful town that I could see us living in one day. The town had everything you could want, and when we pulled into the parking lot at the lake, I noticed two five-story condo towers were being built across the street. It appeared there were two units per floor, from the look of the balconies, and I imagined us living in one, looking out at the sun setting on the lake as we grew old together.
It was too cold to enjoy the lake, but the three of us spent time on the newly paved walk path that skirted along the water’s edge. At the end of one side was an iron gate that ran deep into the woods, separating the Pierce family land from the public parts. The other end of the path stopped at a small cluster of luxury cabins.
We enjoyed homemade Italian food at a place called Papa Dough’s. Jacob became a fan of tiramisu, ordering two pieces for dessert and giving Sadie sad eyes until she agreed to get a piece to go. He was growing fast, and I remembered the insatiable appetite I had for years.
“Can we go to the arcade before we leave?” Jacob asked the last day we were there, and the three of us spent over fifty dollars playing arcade games and winning tickets for prizes.
I hadn’t laughed that much in years and being away from the stress of the MC was nice. I was driving Sadie’s car on the way back to Portstill when my phone chimed from my pocket. I reached in to see it was a message from Skid, and I pulled over at the rest stop halfway between the cities and checked his message.
Skid:Heads up. There was an explosion in the Flats last night. A house was leveled to the ground, and they found two bodies inside. Twelve-year-old girl was the only survivor.
“Damn,” I muttered, and Sadie leaned over to read the text.
She held her hand over her mouth and gasped. “That’s horrible.”
Me:Accident?
Skid:Doesn’t look that way but the police have ruled it a gas leak.
Me:We’ll be home in thirty.
I closed my phone and looked at Sadie, who had tears in her eyes. Linking my hand with hers, I brought it to my lips and placed a soft kiss on the back. Jacob gagged from the back seat, and I turned my head over my shoulder to see him shaking his head at us.
As I pulled back onto the road, I asked, “What’s with the gagging noises, little man?”
“You two are always making kissy faces at each other again. It’s gross,” he replied and twisted his face.
I looked into the rearview mirror and remarked, “One day, you’re going to find a girl you want to make kissy faces at, and I’m going to remind you of this.”
“Girls are gross,” he returned.
Sadie and I laughed from the front seat at his response, and as I drive the rest of the way home, she keeps her hand linked with mine. I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand, and she smiled at me. I could tell the weekend away did her good and I vowed to take us all on a real vacation soon. Maybe Orlando, and we could make a week out of all the theme parks. Or the beach. Jacob had never seen the ocean.
We pulled into her driveway, and Skid stepped out onto the front porch. He waved into the air as Jacob opened his door. Sadie went to exit the vehicle, but I tugged her hand, encouraging her to stay. She lifted a finger through the window to Skid, and he nodded before taking Jacob inside. Turning her attention to me, she waited for me to speak.
I leaned over and kissed her deeply, caressing her cheek as I lost myself in her. She pulled back and smiled as I whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We grabbed the suitcases from her trunk, and I carried them inside while she walked in front of me, her firm ass swaying with each step. We shared a room with Jacob during our getaway, so we couldn’t explore any intimacy, and I needed to be buried inside her, feeling her fall apart as we touch the edge of heaven.
The house smelled delicious when we walked inside, and Bear greeted us at the door. Skid watched him for the weekend since our hotel wasn’t pet-friendly, and I missed my furry friend while we were gone. He had stayed with the club when I was in rehab, and I was afraid he had forgotten me when I returned. The barked greeting he gave me, not only then but now, was heartwarming.
“What smells so good?” Sadie asked, and Skid wiggled his eyebrows as he nodded to the kitchen.
I set the suitcase in the living room and followed her into the kitchen to find he had grilled steaks and baked potatoes for dinner. The meat was resting, and when the oven chimed, he opened it to reveal French bread. I was shocked, and he turned to me with a smirk as Sadie smiled brightly at him.
“Didn’t know I was a master chef, huh?” he asked, and I shook my head. “Sadie taught me to cook when I was growing up. I know how to cook meat and potatoes,” he remarked, and she pushed to her tiptoes.
He leaned over, and she pecked him on the cheek before she replied, “He’s better than I am in the kitchen. Don’t let him fool you.”
He winked at her and shooed her away from the kitchen. “Go unpack and get Jacob settled while I set the table.”
She left us alone, and I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice as I asked, “What’s going on?”
“Skeeter will be delivering a shipment on Friday at six in the morning. I think it’s time we introduced ourselves.” Skid’s words were menacing and deadly.
My heart raced, thinking we were finally going to deal with the raping piece of shit. If there was blowback on the club, I was prepared to take the fall if it meant Sadie could sleep in peace, never knowing one of her attackers was still walking free. If we were careful, Skeeter’s body would be at the bottom of the lake on the property, and no one would ever be the wiser.
