Dar Nights

FOUR

Movement caught my eye and I glanced up from my computer where I was looking up the Stage IV upgrade and Heavy Breather air filter for a Road Glide. I didn't let my annoyance show on my face, but Eric was waiting behind my current customer.

"I'll be with you in a moment, sir," I said, being little Miss Professional.

This morning, after Bryn and I woke, we'd snuggled for a moment before I had to shower, talking in whispers about what we'd said to each other the night before. After sleeping on it, I knew we were being smart to not read too much into our feelings. We needed to wait until our lives returned to normal, until the forced closeness and danger was past, before we made decisions we might later regret. He again made it clear he wanted me, but he'd also made it clear he wanted to be sure of his feelings so he didn't hurt me.

He didn't say it, but I suspected he was also, at least somewhat, concerned that I'd hurt him. He was starting to open himself up to me, but he was still dragging a train load of baggage. Who could blame him? If I'd gone through what he had, I'd be slow to trust people too. The walls around his heart were still there, though they were starting to crumble. I didn't mind. I'd keep chipping away at them as I waited for him to realize I'd never intentionally hurt him. I was prepared to go all in last night, and still was, but Bryn was once again proving how strong and thoughtful he was. Knowing he was taking it slow out of concern for me only made me want him in my life all the more.

When I'd arrived at work today my feet were barely touching the floor and I didn't think anything could bring me down. I was still nearly giddy with excitement and the blooming of new love, but having Eric arrive dulled my mood.

"That'll be 2,639.83, plus tax," I said as I add the Heavy Breather to the parts list.

"Ouch!" the guy standing in front of me said. "That the best you can do?"

"That's it. List is 2,985." I could see him hesitate, so I decided to sweeten the deal a little. "Tell you what, if you buy it today, and have one of our guys install it, I'll take off another fifty bucks."

"How much is installation?"

I looked up the hours and did the math. "1,100."

He hissed through bared teeth. "Can you help me out on the labor?"

I shook my head sadly. "No, sorry. You'll have to take that up with the Service Manager." I then crooked my finger, calling him closer as if to tell him a secret. "But if you buy the kit, have parts in hand, and then tell him you'll have us install it if you can get a good deal, he'll probably work with you... but you didn't hear that from me." I didn't care if talked to John or not. Even after giving him the extra fifty bucks, my department was still making a nice profit.

He straightened, smiled, and nodded. "Okay! Let's do it!"

"Great! I have to order the parts." I glanced at the screen. "They should be here Monday of next week. You can talk to the service advisor to schedule your appointment, and then I'll get with him and get the parts ordered so they'll be ready when you bring the bike in. I'll need fifty percent now, and the balance when the order arrives, but you can bundle the balance into the install if you'd like."

"I pay you?"

I clicked the button to print his receipt and then pointed. "No, sir. You pay Evelyn, right over there." I pulled the paper from the printer. "Your receipt."

"Thanks!"

"Thank you." As the man turned away, I turned my attention to Eric. "May I help you, Mr. Lind?"

"May I take you to lunch?"

"Why?"

"I didn't like the way we left things, and you've stopped answering my calls and messages."

I held his gaze for a moment before I picked up my phone and dialed John's number. "John."

"Can you cover the parts counter for an hour while I run out to lunch?"

"Sure."

"Want me to bring anything back for you?"

"No, I'm good, but thanks."

"Okay." I glanced at the clock. It was 11:53. "Can you cover now?"

"Sure. Go ahead. I'll be there in a minute."

"Thanks, John," I said as I hung up.

"Thank you," Eric said, his kindly grandfather persona in full force.

"I'm not coming back."

"I'm not going to ask you to."

I nodded once. "Let me get my purse."

Purse in hand, he led me to his car where I settled into the sumptuous comfort of his deep red Lincoln Navigator Black Label. We sat in tense silence as he drove us to Coach's, a nearby sports bar and grill. After we'd settled into a booth, I stared across the table at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sorry..." he began before Isla, a busty blonde nearly falling out of her top, stopped at our table. I didn't miss the fact that Eric was keenly interested in the nametag pinned to her shirt.

"Can I get your drink orders?" she asked as she slid two menus in front of us.

"Sweet tea," I responded when Eric gestured to me.

"Same."

"I'll be right back," our waitress replied before turning on her toe and jiggling away.

He watched her a moment before he returned his attention to me. "As I was going to say, I'm sorry how things went down." His lips thinned. "After you left..." he shook his head. "What a bunch of pussies, and I told them so." I started to speak, but before I could get a word out, he continued. "You have every right to be mad, and I don't blame you for walking away. I thought about doing the same."

I snorted. "It's your club."

He shook his head slowly. "No... that's not my club. My club would have stepped up." He paused and drew a pattern on the table with his finger as Isla placed our drinks in front of us, giving Eric a good view, before turning away. "They don't know what being a Dark Knight means... or at least what I want it to mean."

"Which is what?"

"What I've been saying all along... that we're a family and we take care of each other. With my daughter and her husband living way the hell off in Colorado, the Knights are the only family I have close. "He looked up at me, his eyes slightly sad, and fuck me if I didn't feel a little sorry for him. "I feel like I've, the club, have let you and Bryn down."

"You have."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. I won't ask you to come back, but I want you to know if you, if either of you, change your mind and want to come back, you'll be welcome."

"I don't see that happening."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's the answer I expected." He picked up his giant tea glass and took a sip. "If you can find it in your heart, I'd like you to talk to Bryn, tell him what I've said, and ask him if he'll do one last thing for the club. Purely business."

"You need the shipping documents for the next load of bikes," I guessed. I'd already done what I needed to do before I'd told the Knights to fuck themselves, but without Bryn's help, they couldn't ship them. "That's why you wanted to take me to lunch."

He nodded. "It's not the only reason, but yeah. I hate to ask, but if you could talk to him, and have him give me a price..." He trailed off and stared at the table, clearly unhappy about having to ask for our help. "After this, I won't bother either of you again." He looked up, his eyes still sad. "No matter what you decide, my offer to cover the damage to his car, and to cover your expenses, stands. You may not feel the same, but I still think of you and Bryn as family, and I feel it's the least the club can do."

I thought for a moment. "I'll tell him what you've said, but honestly, I don't expect him to do it. You know what he told me when I went to him for help? He told me how he felt the club needed him but didn't really want him around. He's right. None of you respected him, or me either for that matter. So tell me again why either of us should care what happens to the Knights?"

He nodded slowly. "I know. I should have put a stop to that shit in the beginning, and that was my mistake." His lips thinned. "That's part of what really pissed me off. Even after I made it clear how important you and Bryn were to the club, when you really needed our help, we didn't step up." He looked at the table again before he brought his gaze back to mine. "I wouldn't blame Bryn a bit if he told us to go fuck ourselves. You can tell him I said that too."

"I'll tell him, but I'm not going to pressure him to help. He wanted to walk away after the first time and I talked him into giving you another chance," I said as I picked up my menu, silently ending the conversation.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know." He said nothing until I looked over the top of the menu at him. "You and Bryn are the best of us. The thing I'm most sorry about is it took me this long to realize it."

I said nothing, hiding my tiny smile behind the menu. Eric was acting like a dad after his kids had disappointed him. I'd always like Eric, and I did feel a little sorry for him, but not sorry enough to consider going back. I'd let Eric buy my lunch, and I'd tell Bryn what he'd said, but if Bryn wanted to wash his hands of the whole mess, and leave the Knights holding a half-million dollars' worth of motorcycles, that was fine by me.

-oOo-

I'd just finished laying out what Eric said. Bryn watched me for a moment before he picked up his phone. "Are you going to do it?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said as he typed at his phone, and the returned it to the table.

"I'm surprised."

He shrugged. "It's already done. All I have to do is get the shipping information and send it in... and I can use the money."

"Are you going to take him up on the offer to fix your car?"

"No. This is purely business." A tiny smile touched his lips. "We'll see if he still wants me to do it after he sees my price."

"How much?" I asked with a smile.

"Five grand."

My smile spread slightly. "Good. Fuck 'em."

He tucked his phone away as our food was placed in front of us. "I'd rather not, if that's okay with you."

He'd just picked up his fork when his phone buzzed. He typed and swiped and then smiled. "He said he'd have Mike send me the shipping information as soon as he gets it. He also said to tell you thank you and that's he's sorry." He glanced up at me. "You think he means it?"

"What? That he's sorry?" Bryn nodded. "Yeah. He was really down in the dumps at lunch. I remember seeing that look on my Dad's face when I disappointed him."

"Oh, like when?" he asked, his voice teasing.

"Telling him I wasn't going to college, for one thing. Getting a ticket while racing his car didn't make him very happy either. Buying a motorcycle was another."

"What kind of car?"

"And old Mustang he was fixing up while I was in high school."

"Did you win?"

I snickered. "No," I drawled.

"It must be nice to have someone who actually cares what you do, though."

My smile became slightly sad. Kevin was always the good son, at least when Mom and Dad were around, and I'd always given them such trouble. At least I never got pregnant or became involved with drug. Hearing the slight sadness in Bryn's voice made me realize how much I'd taken their love for granted. I truly was being made a better person simply by his presence.

"I didn't realize it then, but yeah. At the time I thought they were trying to run my life, but looking back... I realize they were just trying to guide me." I paused for a moment. "I should call them."

"When was the last time you saw them?"

A blanket of guilt settled over me. "Months. Not since before this shit started."

"Where do they live?"

"Here."

"In Savannah?"

"Richmond Hill." Though he looked away, I could see the disapproval in his eyes, and my guilt settled more heavily over me.

"When then is over, you should go see them."

"I know," I replied, my voice soft.

"What do they do?"

"Dad worked for Hobart as the plant manager until they closed. Now he works for Savannah Tank and Equipment as one of their custom fabrication project managers. Mom owns a little Deli, McKenna's, in downtown Richmond Hill. She was also a test kitchen for Hobart until they closed."

"Maybe I'll give the place a try sometime."

I smiled. "Maybe we will."

I wasn't ready to do the whole 'introduce Bryn to my parents' thing, but I had little doubt that Mom and Dad, once they got past the fact he rode a motorcycle and got to know him, would completely approve of him. Even after almost ten years they still didn't think I should be riding a bike, as it was unladylike, and with the exception of myself and Kevin, they viewed anyone who did with a certain amount of suspicion. They had no idea what Kevin and I did on the side, and if they ever found out we were intentionally breaking the law, I was certain that we'd receive that disapproving look again. I smiled to myself as I took a bite of my food. Maybe it was just as well Bryn and I were getting out of the Knights and leaving all that behind. That way, if Mom and Dad did find out, maybe for once I could be the good daughter and Kevin could be the one in the shit house.

-oOo-

Bryn and I were preparing to leave to deliver the bill of lading to Eric for the bikes. The rest of the export paperwork had already been filed electronically with Customs, so after Bryn got his money, we were done with the Knights forever.

Good riddance,

my mind sneered.

It'd been a little over a week since Eric had taken me to lunch, and things couldn't be better. After much discussion, we'd decided to take the chance and move out of the motel into my house. The first night, a Friday, we'd spent all night fucking because neither of us could sleep, and jumping at every little noise got real tiresome real fast. Riding Bryn's cock all night not only relaxed me, but it was a terrific distraction as well.

Saturday we retrieved our bikes from the shop, the tires installed and the cosmetic damage fully repaired. I'd ordered new keys for Bryn's FXDR and put a rush on them. Despite losing everything in the fire, Bryn had the VIN's for both his car and motorcycle on his computer, which made ordering the keys a snap. They'd arrived the day before. Bryn dropped me at work that morning, and then took an Uber to join me, arriving just as parts and service was closing. We'd ridden the bikes home. I didn't see any Rollers on the ride, but it wasn't for the lack of me watching the rear-view mirrors, and worrying that we were going to get jumped, which took all the fun out of the ride.

After jumping through some hoops, Bryn also had two new keys for his Subaru, and the cut tire had been replaced. While waiting on his keys to arrive, I'd also replaced the destroyed key to my Harley and Honda, just in case. I only had a one car garage, so his Subaru had to sit in the drive, but his FXDR was locked in my bike garage with my 883. With two bikes in the garage, there wasn't room to work on one without pushing the other outside first, but that was a small price to pay to have the bikes secured... not to mention Bryn in my bed.

We hadn't seen Hayden or any of his goons since the fire, and I was hoping that Bryn had bloodied the High Rollers often enough that Hayden had decided to call it quits. Hayden may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even he would learn if he got kicked in the nuts enough times. Though we hadn't seen any of the Rollers lurking about, neither of us was prepared risk riding our bikes anywhere, and because his car was in the drive blocking in my Honda, we decided to take his.

We were backing out of the drive when my phone rang. I fished it out of my purse and glanced at the screen. "It's Eric."

Bryn rolled his eyes. "Jesus, we're on our way already. He just gave me the shipping information yesterday."

I stabbed the button to answer the call. "What?" I asked. I still hadn't forgiven him or the club for how they treated us, and I was in no mood for any shit or to engage in idle chit-chat.

"Change of plan. Meet us at Reggie's as soon as you can," he said, his voice tight and hard.

"Us? Who's going to be there?" The original plan was to meet Eric at his house.

"Everyone."

"No. We just want to give you the bill of lading, get our money, and go. We don't want to have anything else to do with the Knights."

"It's important."

"I don't care."

"Fine. You want the money, you have to come to Reggie's to get it," he growled before he hung up.

I stared at the phone a moment. "Something's happened. He wants us to meet the club at Reggie's."

We rolled to a stop at the stop sign and Bryn looked at me. "I don't give a shit about anything the Knights have to say."

"Me either, but he said if you wanted to get paid, you had to come to Reggie's to get the money." I paused as he continued to watch my face. "Your call. I'll back whatever decision you make."

"Dammit," he muttered as we pulled away from the sign. "I hate these stupid fucking games."

"Yeah, me too, but Eric sounded really stressed."

"Like I give a shit."

I shrugged. "Me either. We'll go in, give him the paperwork, take the cash, and get out of there. Whatever problem he's got, it's not ours anymore."

Bryn drove us to Reggie's in relative silence, both of us alone with our thoughts. I couldn't help but wonder what had caused such a change in Eric's demeanor. When we'd met for lunch, he was the kindly grandfather, and seemed to truly regret what had happened between us and club, but on the phone his voice was full of steel.

When we pulled into Reggie's parking lot, it appeared we were the first to arrive as there wasn't a single bike in the reserved motorcycle parking. Bryn pulled into a parking space and killed the engine.

"What do you want to do? Go inside or wait in the car?" I asked.

"Let's go inside. It's too hot to wait in the car, then, when Eric gets here, we can take care of business and go. He's usually the first to arrive, so maybe we can still..."

I bobbed my head once in agreement as I opened the car's door. His right hand holding my left, he led me to the door. As we entered, I turned toward the Knights' normal table but stopped when I noticed the Knights sitting in the booth. As Bryn stepped around me, I realized Mike was missing. Setting my jaw, I followed in Bryn's wake. As I trailed along behind him, I glanced out of the windows facing the parking lot, confirming I hadn't overlooked their bikes. For the first time I noticed Kevin and Eric's cars in the parking lot.

Bryn stopped at the table and held the bill of lading out, saying nothing. Kevin took it and passed it to Eric.

"Will you please sit down?" Eric asked. "Both of you?"

"I just want to get paid so we can go," Bryn said, his voice pleasant but firm.

Eric placed an envelope on the table and slid it across. Kevin picked it up but held it as he turned to Eric. "This is a mistake. If we let him rip us—"

"Give him the money," Eric growled.

"Eric, I'm telling you—"

"I said give him the fucking money!" Eric snapped, his face and eyes hard, far from the kindly grandfather I'd seen less than a week ago.

Kevin flushed, but extended the envelope to Bryan. "You'll get yours someday," he sneered.

"You want to try give it to me?" Bryn growled in return as he took the money. "We can step outside."

Kevin glared but said nothing until we began to turn away. "Mike's in the hospital because of you."

"Don't care," Bryn replied, as he began to walk away.

"Not you. Her!"

I should have followed Bryn. I should have let it roll of my shoulders like he did, but I couldn't. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything."

"Please, sit down, both of you. The club needs you, Bryn, now more than ever," Eric said as Kevin opened his mouth to say something.

Bryn paused a step away, apparently waiting on me. "Don't care about that either. Where was the club when I needed it?"

"We were wrong," Eric said. "All of us. I said I wouldn't ask you stay... and I'm sorry... but I'm asking you now. Both of you. The club is better for having you as members. Give us a chance to make things right. Later, if we can't show you how important you are to us, and you decide to walk away, I'll walk away with you. If Knights can't make our bothers... and sister... feel welcomed and needed, this isn't the club I envisioned, and I'll wash my hands of it."