Page 34 of Property of Baffle
She laughed it off but only because there was some truth to what I said.“I can admit that I was wrong, but considering everything I was told…”
“I get it.No harm.Listen, I don’t know what your plans are.You said you took off and basically everything you own is here.If you want to stick around, I can hook you up with a job.We have a bar and a gas station you could work at.The club property has a couple RV hookups on it for when we get extended-stay visitors from other clubs.If you’re not comfortable yet, you can stay here for now.When you get to know my brothers, if you decide to stick around, we can hook you up with a spot over there.”
“Aren’t they for members only?”
“Members and family, Angel.”
“And I’m your sister.”Her voice was soft and almost disbelieving.
“You’re my sister,” I agreed.I’d still get proof, either from my own father’s lips or a DNA test.I knew in my heart that she was my blood, though.Considering it painted her other side of the family in a shitty light, she didn’t have to come to me with the the story that shed light into my mother’s death and father’s incarceration.I wasn’t even sure if I was happy to know the added details.Part of me needed more information now and the whole fucking ordeal was something I locked away a long time ago when Crutch and Tilly took me in as their own.
What I needed was my wife.To wrap my arms around her.To promise that shit will never happen between us.And on the other side of that, I needed to know what caused my father to fail in his marriage so spectacularly that it ended with an affair baby and my mother dead.I needed to know what went wrong so that kind of shit wouldn’t ever touch my relationship with my own woman.
18Whore in the Shadows
Nell
I managedto get three consecutive days together in the new studio space.The guys did an amazing job of organizing everything, and apparently I had Grease and Grunt to thank for that.They were both mechanically inclined and it helped because they actually put my space together better than I had it in my old studio.It was easier to get to the things I needed, at any rate.Granted it was also a more compact space but with plenty of room for me to still move.Classic Sin would most likely be as large as I would go on a piece unless it was something I installed in sections on site.I didn’t really want to go that route and have to take equipment to use remotely, though.
“If you keep going at this rate, you’ll finish much sooner than anticipated,” Brady warned me when I popped in that morning.
“If it gets done sooner, it will sit here until the alotted deadline.An artist is never truly finished anyway.I’ll keep toying with the little details until then.”
“Fair enough.”He glanced around ,and when he didn’t find whatever he was looking for, his brows furrowed.“Where is your shadow?”
“There’s supposed to be a prospect on me today, but he seems to be running late.”
“Okay, well, I’ll be here until he gets in.”
“No problem.I’ll be in here most of the time.”I clunked my knuckles down on my welding helmet to indicate what I meant.Brady had learned the hard way that once I put that thing on, it was like I transported into another universe where nothing else existed outside of my art.I tried to get the welds in during the early morning hours while it was still relatively cool.Later in the day, I worked with regular garden variety tools for some basic shaping and a Dremel and other engraving tools for finer, detailed work.It was a system I’d inherited from Russ who didn’t always have the money to keep air condition running in his garage.Considering it got a lot hotter in the summer months in Violence than it did in Flagstaff, I wasn’t going to take any chances with switching up the routine.
“How long will you be around today?”Brady asked as he walked away.
“I’ll probably head back around four to get ready.It’s date night.”I waggled my eyebrows at him.I was downright giddy for a date night with my man.We were getting away from the clubhouse and going somewhere to do something just the two of us.That meant a ride on his motorcycle, which was one of my favorite things.Rick also hinted at us going to dinner at a restaurant, though he wanted to surprise me, and wouldn’t give up any other details.
Brady chuckled.“Baffle on a date night.”He shook his head in disbelief.“Never thought I’d see the day.Then again, also never thought Bigfoot would end up married to my niece, so there’s that.”
I smiled at him as I asked, “Does it bother you?”
“Nah.I give them hell, but I couldn’t have chosen better for Sammy.They fit.”
“They’ll be back tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Rick… Um, Baffle,” I corrected because I noticed people were a little puzzled when I called him Rick around the clubhouse.“My husband keeps telling me that he thinks Sammy would be a good friend for me.Honestly, he’s hyped up our future friendship so much that I’m nervous about meeting her.”
Brady threw his head back and let loose with a cackling laugh.“Sammy will make you her friend whether you’re nervous or not.She doesn’t like socializing with many people, but she throws herself into relationships with the good ones with all her freaking might.You fit the bill, Nell.Nothing to worry about there.”
“Thanks, Brady.I needed to hear that.”
“Anytime.”He hesitated a moment and then tipped his head back toward the RV park portion of the property.“You making friends with Angel?”
“I’ve been trying to give her and Rick space to get to know one another without me interfering.My time will come.”
“You’re a good woman, Nell.”He walked off then and I pulled my helmet on to get to work.
The past few days, while I’ve been working my butt off on Classic Sin, Rick had been gone a lot.From what he’s mentioned, Squeak - who had been in Flagstaff since they went to pack up my original studio space, sent back intel about the Mojave Devils that has been useful.A few of the guys have been heading over to Arizona a good bit to handle some business, and more importantly, to disrupt whatever shit the Devil’s had going on.I wasn’t supposed to know that last bit, but I couldn’t help what I overheard in the clubhouse, especially when I was paying attention when I wasn’t supposed to be.
