Page 51 of Rooster

“Yeah, but you know Addison. She can be pretty convincing.”

“Open her up and see.”

He nodded, then reached for the door handle. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a scene of unexpected vulnerability. There, in the midst of all the girls’ pillows and fuzzy blankets, lay Beckett completely naked and motionless on the bed. The room was a wreck. Clothes and empty bottles were strewn all over. And if that wasn’t enough to throw a red flag, he was in one bed, and they were in the other.

We knew then that hurt had gotten the best of him, and the girls had done what they could to help him through it. Torch and I exchanged a concerned glance, then Torch slowly closed the door. “I’ll message Savage and let them know we found him.”

I took out my phone, and after I sent a text to Savage, Torch and I started back out to our bikes. We hadn’t gotten far when I heard Prez call out, “You find him?”

“Yeah, he’s okay.” Torch and I waited as he approached. “He was laid up in Addison’s room.”

“Oh.” Prez cocked his brow and scoffed. “Guess that’s a good sign.”

“I’m not sure about that.” Torch glanced over at me. “Looks like they had quite a night.”

“I can imagine.” Prez looked oddly concerned when he said, “You know, we got that run for Bauco coming up. Are you two still planning to take the lead?”

“Yeah, we’re all set.”

Cotton had his reservations about Bauco. He’d heard stories, and none of them were good. He had Bones look into him but found nothing out of the norm. He brought it up to Grant, and he assured him that Bruton had never had any issues with him. And yet, Cotton’s reservations remained, so he asked that we take extra precautions—which is why I told him, “Chains and Q are coming, too. Maybe Clutch and Diesel, but I haven’t heard the final word from them.”

“Good.” His back stiffened. “Wrath and Two Bit are gonna tag along. They’re going up half an hour earlier to check things out and make sure everything looks good. They’ll wait there until you arrive with the goods and stay until the deal is done.”

You would’ve thought Torch was reading my mind when he asked, “That really necessary?”

“Cotton’s concerned, and that has me concerned.”

“Why? What’s the deal?”

“Bauco is sending runners to pick up the load, and he hasn’t been very forthcoming about who he’s sending. Cotton threatened to cancel the drop, but Bauco assured him that there wouldn’t be any trouble and even offered extra money as security.”

“That sounds pretty shady. You think Wrath and Two Bit are gonna be enough?”

“Should be... Cotton and Grant will be close by just in case you need them.”

“Sounds good.”

Torch and I said our goodbyes, then headed back to the construction site. It was barely nine, and it had already been a hell of a day. I wasn’t exactly surprised. That had become the norm since Bruton’s death. I couldn’t remember a time when the club had so much going on, and it was starting to take its toll. We needed a break, but sadly, there was no reprieve to be had—at least, not anytime soon.

We made our way back to the construction site, and after a quick word with Guardrail, Torch and I headed upstairs and got to work. The familiar sounds of machinery filled the air, and it wasn’t long before my mind drifted to thoughts of Maggie. It had been a couple days since our ‘discussion’ about the club, and while we’d talked on the phone a couple of times, I hadn’t actually seen her.

But one way or another, that was going to change tonight.

I took out my phone and sent her a text.

Me:

I need to see you.

Maggie:

Who is this?

Me:

Don’t play with me, woman.

Maggie:

---