Page 57 of Lost Soul

“What time is it?” I yawn.

“Just past eleven. You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Come with me, we can raid Jessie and Troj’s cupboards, see if I can fix you something up.” She reaches out offering me her hand, and I take it. She leads me out of the room, down the stairs, and into the foyer where Skid is waiting for us. He tips his chin at me, and I manage a smile in response.

“What's gonna happen to my mom?” I ask them both as we walk outside to the yard. I don’t like the way the two of them look at each other.

“Jessie will bring her back here. Talk with her about her involvement with the Bastards, then you can see her in the morning,” Skid assures me, climbing on to his bike and kissing Carly before she carries on moving us towards a white Mercedes.

“Jump in,” she calls over the roof, opening her door and ducking inside.

“I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I’m Carly, Skid’s old lady.” She sounds so full of pride as she introduces herself as Skid’s.

“Old lady?” I almost laugh, Carly is far from old. Late twenties at most. Small and petit, her cute pixie-like features are complimented by a neat bob of black hair. She’s a complete contradiction to Skid who is built like a three-story building.

“I figured. Hayley told me about you.” I feel it again, that awful pain in my chest that comes whenever I speak her name. Carly places her hand on top of mine and squeezes, before she slides it away and uses it to shift in to drive. Pulling away from the yard, she drives us up a dirt track, with Skid following close behind on his bike.

“Few things you should know now you’re gonna be sticking around,” she starts. I’m gripping the handle of the door, because for someone so small and sweet looking, the woman drives like she belongs in the wacky races.

“First off, keep out of anything that involves the club. The likelihood is you’re not gonna want to know. Second, avoid the clubhouse after dark, the girls that hang around there at night make themselves available, if you know what I mean.” I don’t, but I nod back at her all the same. “The last thing you want is the guys getting the wrong idea about why you’re here.” She gives me an awkward smile. “Thirdly, and most important, stay away from Squealer, he’s merciless.” She chuckles to herself.

“Squealer? I think I’ve met him before. The night of the party.” Who could forget him? Solid body covered in tattoos, cheeky grin, and eyes full of mischief. I remember thinking he was kinda hot, but by then it was too late, Jessie had already ruined any other guy for me.

“Yeah, you’d have met him.” She rolls her eyes, continuing to drive the track. Eventually she veers right into a clearing, and I see the cabins in front of us as we approach them. Most of them have bikes parked outside, some have cars or trucks too. She pulls up beside two bikes outside a cabin that has no lights on.

“Me and Skid are just there.” Climbing out of the car, Carly points to a cabin three doors down. Their cabin looks different from all the others. Their porch light shines bright, showing the pretty hanging baskets and pots outside. Skid holds up his hand as he steps inside and I wave him goodnight, grateful for the kindness he’s shown me today.

Carly steps on to the porch of the cabin that I assume belongs to Jessie, and I follow her to the door. She opens it up and stepping inside feels around the wall for the light switch.

“Here we are, home sweet ho…ly shit,” she gasps looking around the room. “My god, they live like animals.” Quickly she starts to pick the clothes up off the floor. Sniffing them and turning up her nose before she pushes them straight inside the washing machine.

“Sorry about this,” she says, looking embarrassed as she gathers up all the empty beer bottles and tosses them into the trash. “Here, take a seat.” She moves a damp towel off the sofa, clearing a space for me to sit down. “I’ll go check the bathroom.” She leaves me with a worried look on her face as she walks towards a room at the back. I take a look around the room. There’s a TV on the wall, a sofa, and chair in the living area. In the open plan kitchen I can’t see the surfaces because it’s covered in dirty dishes and crap, and there’s a table in the middle of the room complete with four chairs, although I doubt from all the food wrappers on the couch that it’s ever used.

I walk to the back of the cabin and open the large French doors, an automatic light clicks to life, and illuminates the beautiful scene in front of me. The cabin has a decked balcony that overlooks a large lake, moonlight reflecting brightly on its surface, and I take it all in with shock. It’s such a peaceful, hidden treasure, the last thing I would expect to find in the confines of an MC club compound. I look either side of the deck, the cabins horseshoe around the lake, all having the same decked area and splendid view. I spot Skid and Carly’s right away. Lit up prettily with twinkling lights, and a swing chair set in the center. Windchimes gently move in the evening breeze. Jessie has a rusty table, and two outdoor chairs, one with the seat torn through, and the small outdoor grill is filled with old cigarette ends. I turn around to go back inside to find Carly watching me from the door, a sad smile on her face.

“You’re gonna be okay, hon.” She holds out her arms, and I go to her because right now she’s the only person I can go to. “They ain't all that bad you know, and if it gets too much, you can always come find me.” She leans back. “I found a box of mac and cheese. Come inside, I’ll rustle it up for you.” She does her best to make boxed mac and cheese sound appealing, and my stomach growls like it would be grateful to receive anything.

I follow her inside, leaving the door open behind me, figuring some fresh air isn’t gonna do this place any harm.

Carly sets to making the food, while I make a start on the massive stack of washing up. We work around each other, chatting as if my best friend hadn’t been shot in front of me just hours ago. I’m grateful for that. I can’t let myself go back there, I’m not ready to deal with that grief just yet.

I finish up the bowl of mac and cheese quickly, then set straight back to making the place habitable. Carly finds me a mop and bucket, and I clean the floors while she takes out the trash and throws some bleach around in the bathroom. We turn the cushions on the sofa, finding some questionable stains, and then flip them right back around again.

Carly has just suggested that we stop for a break when we both hear a truck pull up outside. The engine stops. Footsteps follow, crunching along the gravel at first and then patting across the wood on the porch. My heart beats fast as the front door opens, and Jessie walks in carrying a bag over his shoulders, I cross my fingers that Mom will burst in behind him. Instead, He’s followed by the tall, long-haired guy who’d tried consoling him back at the warehouse.

“What the fuck happened in here? What's that smell?” Long-haired guy, who just so happens to be hot as hell, sniffs at the air.

“It’s what clean smells like, Troj.” Carly places her hands on her hips like a scolding mother. “Seriously guys, this place was a dump.”

“Well ain’t all of us as lucky as Skid, havin’ a hot ass wifey takin’ care of us.” The guy gives her a killer smile, and I can tell by her eye roll that she couldn’t stay mad at him even if she wanted to. “I’m just getting some gear then I’m heading off, gonna be staying in cabin 6 for a while.”

“You get the keys off Prez?” she asks.

“Yeah,” he says, fishing them from his pocket and dangling them out in front of him.

“Toss them here, I’ll go make you up a bed and open it up. Last people to sleep in there were Sasquatch and Bricker. I’ll bet it smells worse in there than this place did.”

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