Page 5 of Iron
Like I said, it would be a short run. We’d be back late the following day. As long as everything went according to plan, that was. In this line of work, you just never knew.
A tiny punch to my chest jerked me out of my thoughts.
I looked down at a waking Catherine with a smile on my face. I knew it wouldn’t be long now before she’d be crying for a bottle because that was her routine at this point.
I glanced up to see Dade walking into the room from the back hall.
“Look at that,” I said down to Catherine as she let out a tiny cry that I knew would become louder real quick if I didn’t give her what she demanded. “Uncle Dade has the good stuff.”
He let out a low chuckle as he flopped down on the couch beside me and handed the warmed bottle over to me. I made fast work of getting it to her mouth.
“How’s it goin’, brother?” I asked him.
“Could be better,” he said in a joking tone. “Could be a hell of a lot worse too.” We both laughed at that. “I got the fence taken care of at the container yard. I’m not sure what it was but it had to be big to make a hole that deep.”
“Thanks, man.” I jerked my chin at him.
There were all kinds of critters out there roaming around at all hours of the day and night. Most of the time they didn’t cause problems but something decided it wanted in, and so it dug a hole under the fence we had set up. At first, I was worried that it had been a person trying to get in but there had been a buncha fur caught on the bottom of the chain link.
I knew moving around wasn’t the easiest for him, especially when it came to getting down like that. While he moved a lot better now than when he first got his prosthetic leg, there were still things it took him a minute longer than most people to do. He never complained but that didn’t mean that I didn’t feel like shit.
I should have taken more caution when sending them into that house. We’d lost two prospects that night. Nearly lost Blade, and Dade lost his leg.
“I appreciate ya,” I said to him making sure to look him in the eyes. It seemed to make him uncomfortable because I knew he didn’t do that shit to get praise and thanks.
“Not a big deal,” he said. “Shit needed to get fixed and I wasn’t doing anything.”
“I mean it, Dade,” I said and I didn’t give a fuck if it made him look at me weird. He needed to hear it, needed to know it. Because sometimes it didn’t matter if the unsaid shit was known, sometimes people needed to have it reinforced. And Dade needed to know that I did appreciate not only everything he did for the club, but him as a person as well. “I’m damn glad to call you a brother.”
“Thank you,” he said with a little nod.
I returned the gesture and said nothing more on it. He heard me.
“Your sister in the kitchen?” I asked.
“Yeah. Who the hell do you think got that bottle ready?! I don’t know shit about babies. Seems like she knows what’s going on though. Out of nowhere, she said it was time then started to get it together. I just walked it out to you.”
I laughed.
“She was right on time. I was gettin’ ready to get up and make one when you came walking in,” I told him with a smile.
Abigail came here when Dade was in the hospital. After that, she stayed to help him through his rehabilitation and therapy. And then, she just sort of stayed. We set her up with a room in the back building of the compound. I’d hoped that it was quieter out there but I had a feeling it wasn’t.
She cooked for us pretty much every day even though I’d told her many times she didn’t have to. I got the sense that she not only wanted to be here with her brother, but also didn’t want to go back home. I didn’t know the reasons why and I figured she’d come to me or Dade if it was anything life-threatening or whatnot.
I liked having her here. She was sweet and did a lot for the club. That said, I never wanted her to feel like she had to do any of that shit. I’d have given her a place no matter what.
For the most part, Dade and Abigail got along. Right after everything, Dade kind of fell into a funk. They fought but you could tell they still loved each other. Abigail was more on the shy and quiet side, except when it came to her brother. She wouldn’t hesitate to put him in his place when needed and I could admit that it was funny to see sometimes.
“Abigail need anything?” I asked him. I knew she wouldn’t come right out and say what she wanted, but I had to make sure she was still happy here. “You think she’d like a place of her own? We could set her up with that.”
Dade sighed and shook his head.
“I tried that one. I offered to pay for an apartment in town since it doesn’t seem like she’s leaving any time soon. She told me no. But, hey, if she’s in the way, let me know. I’ll get it handled.”
“No, brother.” I shook my head. “She’s fine right where she is. Just wanted to make sure that she’s still happy here.”
“Yeah,” he said as his eyes looked down the hall in the direction of the kitchen. “I think she likes it here. I don’t know.” He gave a small shrug.
