The Biker's Fate Chapter 246

Hatch

SUNDAY AFTERNOON, CRICKET walked into the kitchen with a case of beer and a box of cupcakes. I grinned, taking the beer from her and setting it in the fridge. "Just a case, huh?"

"Well, since you blew up my job prospects, I can no longer afford more than that," she quipped.

"Nice, sis." Cade grinned, pulling her in for a hug. Cade was thirty-nine, divorced with one kid, and an Army vet. As soon as he'd turned eighteen, he'd headed for war… it was a hell of a lot calmer than home at the time. He and Cullen worked construction, helping out at my shop when the weather was bad. "How's my favorite sister?"

"I'm jobless."

"Yeah, we get it, Cricket," I ground out. "Not gonna change, so off the subject."

"So, you didn't think more about the Blush thing," she accused.

"Thought about it, the answer's still 'no.' Like it was last week."

"Kinda harsh," Cullen said. Cullen was thirty-five and had married his high-school sweetheart as soon as she turned eighteen. She'd died two years later.

"His jaw's tickin', Cull," Cameron pointed out. "Maybe drop the subject." Cameron was thirty and fucked anything with a skirt. The only problem with that was Cam wasn't good at figuring out sane pussy from crazy, and I was pretty sure crazy was acomin'. 

"Maybe you three could back me up once in a while," Cricket countered.

"Maybe we don't like your ex beatin' the shit out of you." Cameron hugged her gently, ending it with a noogie, which, in turn, earned him a punch to the gut. "Fuck, Cricket! Did ya have to hit me that hard?"

"Next time, I'll aim for your junk, big brother." Cricket fixed her hair.

Cullen slapped the back of Cameron's head. "I can't believe you're still pulling that high-school bullshit, Cam."

Cameron went to retaliate with a jab, only he missed because Cullen dodged, causing Cameron to fall against the refrigerator.

"Enough!" I bellowed. "Get the fuck out."

"Where's Devon?" Cricket asked, ignoring my order to leave the kitchen.

Cade nodded toward the family room. "Call of Duty."

Cade's ex, Diana, was off on her honeymoon with her third husband, so Devon was staying with them for the next few months. I had a feeling shit was going down, however, considering Diana was a bitch and only wanted Devon for leverage (and child support). Cade was getting fed up with this arrangement, and now that he'd landed somewhere permanent, he had more of a chance of getting his son full-time.

"So, what's up with this English chick?" Cricket asked.

My body locked. Fuckin' Kim.

My brothers turned to me, all eyes focused and alert, waiting for an answer.

"What English chick?" Cameron demanded.

"Connor helped her with her car," Cricket provided. "Kim says she's gorgeous and her name's Maisie. Isn't that so sweet?"

"She's no one," I said, grabbing the plate of steaks and heading for the deck. My family followed.

Cricket greeted Devon as she walked past the sofa and out onto the deck with me, handing me the tongs. "Con met up with her and her daughter at Vincenzo's after Cassidy's dance thing."

"Shut the hell up, Cricket," I snapped.

"Hold up," Cullen said. "She's got a kid and you still met up with her?"

I scowled, but didn't comment as I threw the steaks on the grill.

Cricket nodded. "Kim said—"

"Kim needs to mind her own fuckin' business," I ground out. "I'm done with this conversation."

"She's got money," Cricket continued. "Top of the line Mercedes. Wears Louboutin heels, carries a Louis Vuitton handbag, probably wears Perla."

"What's Perla?" Cameron asked.

"Panties that cost like a grand," Cricket said.

Cameron scowled. "Damn, Cricket. Don't wanna be talkin' about panties with my sister."

She grinned in triumph. "Payback's a bitch."

"I thought the punch to the gut was payback."

"That's because you're an idiot." Cricket focused on me again. "Are you gonna call her?"

"Swear to Christ, sis, you don't drop it, you're leavin'," I warned.

She threw her hands up in the air. "Is it so bad that I want my big brother to be happy?"

I took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Go grab the corn for me."

She studied me for a few seconds before dropping the subject and heading back into the house. Lucky for me, I only had one sister, and my brothers were smart enough to know that if the subject was closed, it was closed, so they backed off.

The rest of family night went without incident.

Cricket headed home around ten, Cameron had a date or a hook-up or whatever, and Cade was takin' Devon to a movie, so Cullen and I headed down to the basement for beer and a game of pool.

"Maisie, huh?" Cullen asked as he racked. "You really not gonna call her?"

"Already called her."

Cullen raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And, we went out," I said. "Then she ghosted me."

"Fuck, seriously?" Cullen asked.

I nodded and took a swig of beer.

"You don't get ghosted."

I chuckled without mirth. "Yeah, well, now I do."

"Shit, you like her."

"Don't know her, Cull." I shook my head. "Pretty sure she's high-maintenance if she's buyin' thousand-dollar panties."

"You know her enough to like her though, brother." Cullen leaned against his pool cue. "I get you think I'm a dreamer and I'm an idiot because I don't want anyone since I lost Elizabeth. But you're a good guy, Con, and she obviously made an impression, so if she's ghostin' you, I'm sorry. That can't feel good, especially if you put yourself out there after Jana. Even a little."

I stuffed down the emotion with a nod of my head. Cullen knew me, and he was the only one I would ever admit my true feelings to, because Cullen would take anything I shared to the grave, but that didn't mean I was willing to share right now. "Let's play, yeah?"

Cullen smiled. "Okay, big brother. Let's play."

Two weeks later, I sat at my desk well past ten, entering a parts order into the computer when my cell phone pealed.

Sunshine calling.

What the fuck? I ignored the call and went back to my task. However, my phone rang again and it was Maisie again.

I debated on whether or not to answer, but I'd missed her, so I gave in. "Hatch here." All I could hear was sobbing and my heart stopped in my chest. "Maisie?"

"No. It's Poppy. I can't wake Mum."

I stood and grabbed my keys, heading out to my truck. "Okay, baby girl, where are you?"

"I… I don't know. The car made this weird noise and then Mum said something was wrong with the brakes and then we were driving through the guardrail. Mummy banged her head on the steering wheel and her arm looks funny. She's got blood all over her face and I can't get her to wake up."

"Did you call 9-1-1?" I asked.

"No."

"Why the hell not?" I snapped.

She sniffled. "Please don't yell at me."

Fuck! I took a deep breath and dragged a hand through my hair. "Baby girl, I need you to call 9-1-1, okay? But don't hang up. Do you have your cell phone?"

"Huh-uh. But Mummy has the emergency button in her car. That's what I was trying to say. The lady said they're coming, and I told her to send an ambulance, but I don't know if they'll find us. We're off the road. I thought because you're a mechanic you could figure out… I don't know… something. I don't really know why I called you. I just thought you could help Mummy."

She started sobbing again, so I put her on speaker and texted Booker to trace Maisie's phone and get him to send Ace with a tow truck.

"Are you still there?" she rasped.

"Yeah, baby girl, I'm here," I said. "Did your airbags go off?"

"No," she sobbed. "I hit my head too, but I'm okay."

"I'm gonna come get you, okay? Where were you going?"

"We were coming from Ali's. We're near the zoo I think."

"Okay, were you on 26?"

"I think so. I saw the exit for the zoo. I think. It's really dark."