Page 71 of Has-Been
“Pretty spartan digs then, huh? I mean, you saw the compound. This is pretty shit by comparison. You guys are gonna owe me big for this.”
I shrugged, because that really wasn’t my problem, right? It was above my paygrade as they say.
“Take it up with Reacher and Stitch. I appreciate what you’re doing here, man, and I’ll back your play, but right now I need to be with my girl, okay? You can make my apologies downstairs, but they know we’re kinda inseparable right now.”
“You deflowered her already, I assume?”
I turned and shoved Tesio, making him stagger back a few paces, catching his foot on the leg of the bed. He didn’t fall, but he got my point, and lifted his hands in a placating gesture.
“Sorry… been practicing being an asshole for my uh ‘role’ here at the club. That was too far?”
“Damn right it was too fucking far. If you’d said that in front of Stitch, you’d probably be on the floor right now. Be glad I’m in too much pain from yesterday, because I’d have knocked you on your ass if I wasn’t.”
He looked serious now, digging around in his pack for a tablet, which he powered on and started fussing with.
“Yeah, I was briefed on that. Four of you were affected, yeah? I’ve got you, Torch, Ryder, and Micro?”
I nodded, really not wanting a reminder of that day at all. None of it.
“Yeah, but we discovered today that seven other bikes were tampered with, including those belonging to Reacher and Stitch. This is serious shit.” Tesio looked suitably concerned, tapping away at his screen, maybe adding notes or something.
“Go get with your girl, man. I’ll lock my shit in here, and go drink with your boys for a while.”
Elise
Has-Beenreturnedsolatein the evening that I was beginning to think he wasn’t coming back. That was dumb, because he’d pretty much proposed earlier, but I was still relieved to hear him banging on the door, and calling out to me. I unfastened the locks and pulled the door open to let him in, and realised there was a strange guy coming up behind him. I gasped, and pointed.
“Behind you!”
Has spun around, and let out a curse.
“Fuck’s sake, man. You said you were done.” Oh, he clearly knew the guy. He was Italian looking, wearing a cut, but without the club patch on the front. I had a feeling he was the mafia guy joining the club undercover, but I could hardly ask that, right?
“Who’s this?” I ducked behind the door, because I was wearing my sleep shorts and a vest, and I knew Has would go nuts if this guy saw me like that. I mean, the last time he saw me like this, he’d propelled me back into my room in a temper, and we weren’t even together yet.
“Babe, this is Grease. He’s a nomad from up in the Midlands. I met him… Jesus, man, how many years ago now?”
The guy shrugged. “Too many, that’s why you’ve got those crinkly lines around your eyes.” He pointed as he spoke, and Has slapped his hand away.
I couldn’t hold back my giggle, and after they ragged on each other some more, the guy nodded at me, and wandered away again. I waited until the door was locked securely, biting my lip as Has turned to look at me, and his eyes started wandering.
“Fuck… if he’d seen you, babe… I’d have had to kill him.”
I grinned and pulled him away from the door, and over to the kitchen so I could put the kettle on.
“That’s him? The uh… guy you mentioned?”
He nodded. “Tesio. He’s okay, but even so, I don’t want you letting him in. He’s still a stranger, okay?”
He looked exhausted, so I made him a drink and told him to sit and relax, while I cooked something for him. He countered that suggestion with dragging me onto his lap as he sat down, and then he cursed out loud and lifted us both back up.
“This is fucking frustrating as hell. I can’t even sit down and hold my girl. That fucker did more than fuck with my bike, or my club. He fucked with my relationship too. He hurt you, and he tried to take you from me. He risked so many fucking lives! How many times is he gonna get away with this shit?”
I reached for him and he shook my hand away.
“Just give me a minute, babe. I’m so riled up, I don’t wanna have you too close right now.” His fists were clenched, and I understood, I really did. He wanted me to stay back so he couldn’t accidentally hurt me, but his pain was hurting me too.
“I’ll get your pills.”
