Halligan To My Axe (The Heroes of The Dixie Wardens MC Book 2) (13 page)

“Not even. I didn’t even have a foot onto the dock before she was out of my arms.” I told the other woman.

Baylee giggled. “Does that answer your question?”

“Other than they don’t want you or me carrying things when they could do it, you mean? I think you still have to show me some more examples.”

“Well, I’m sure there’ll be more by the time the night’s over. Your sister’s still on the phone in the den. How much longer do you think she’ll be?” Baylee asked as she leaned her hips against the counter.

“Done,” Viddy declared as she walked into the room, her large white cane in her hand leading the way.

“Are you ready, Viddy?” I asked her.

“Yeah,” Viddy sighed. “He’s driving me nuts.”

Viddy was currently in a relationship with a man doctor. He saw the students at the same school Viddy worked at. He’s also an asshole.

I hadn’t liked him from the moment I’d met him four months ago.

Mostly because he didn’t treat Viddy well, and always liked to add emphasis to the fact that Viddy couldn’t see.

When we’d gone out to eat the first time, Paul had requested a table, because he wasn’t sure Viddy could get into the booth without seeing. Then he told the waitress to bring out water for
Viddy, because she was blind, and probably should stick with water, just in case. Then he’d gone about ordering for her because she couldn’t see the menu, even though Viddy had been to that restaurant so many times that she knew what was on the menu without being asked.

He’d ended the night by requesting Viddy not wear flip-flops ever again. He didn’t want her to fall and break her neck.

I was so used to Viddy’s independence, that to see her treated like she was severely handicapped, really rankled my nerves.

Viddy was anything but handicapped. Sure, she couldn’t drive a car, but she could get to the bus stop. She could go to the mall if she wanted.

She could make herself dinner.

Viddy’s senses were even more heightened due to her lack of vision that she soared over the charts compared to everyone else when it came to hearing, smelling, and perception.

“Your boyfriend?” Baylee asked taking a hold of my sister’s hand and guiding her out the door.

“There’re five steps here, about six inches tall,” Baylee instructed as she walked over to the porch steps.

“Thank you, and yes. My boyfriend. He didn’t want me coming tonight, and he’s upset.” Viddy said going down the stairs effortlessly.

I hung back, grabbed the forgotten bottle on the counter, and thought about how to break it to my sister that I hated her boyfriend.

Actually, hate was too nice of a word. Detested. Disgusted. Those were better.

I’d have to break it to her gently, otherwise it would cause a rift between us, and I hated fighting with my sister.

I wouldn’t know what to do without her.

Thus, I kept my trap shut. Even when she said stupid stuff like what came out of her mouth next.

“He’s coming to pick me up. Maybe he can tag along next time if it’s not too much trouble.”

I closed my eyes, willing my opinions to stay in my mouth.

Except it didn’t work.

I’d tried. I really did.

It was like a countdown in my head.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Blast off.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! We helped you fucking move today. Where was his lazy ass?” I erupted.

“He had a meeting at two. He was...” She started.

“Two?” I laughed humorlessly. “We moved your shit at five! It doesn’t take that long to meet with anyone. He just didn’t want to help you move. He wanted you to move in with him. To punish you, he made up some fictional fucking meeting so he didn’t have to help you. Then, to add the icing to the cake, he refuses to let you hang out with your own sister. What’s one freakin’ night? I haven’t had a night out alone with you in over two months. Doesn’t that bother you even a little bit?”

The whole time I was ranting, I was following Viddy as she walked out the door and waited for the douche to pick her up in his Lexus Convertible.

He didn’t disappoint, either. He drove up in a cloud of dust and gravel, coming to a stop so far away that Viddy had to walk nearly the entire span of the driveway.

A driveway she’d never been to before, and couldn’t see.

But did The Douche get out?

Hell no.

He sat his ass in the car, and then honked when Viddy kept glancing back in hesitation.

Then she tripped and fell.

Well, she would have fallen.

Trance saved her like a knight on a shining Harley.

His hands went down and scooped her up before she could even hit her knees.

His strong arms went around her waist, and he cradled my sister to his chest as if she was the finest piece of spun glass that would break if he held her too hard.

Speaking of strong arms, my own pair of strong arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me against a strong, firm chest.

“Your sister’s man is a major douche.” Kettle observed lightly, watching as the douche in question got out of his car and stormed over to Trance, who still held Viddy against his chest.

Trance bent down until his face was pressed against the side of her ear, and he said something very softly before he released Viddy and took a step back just as Paul reached them and yanked her forward.

I hadn’t been aware that I was moving until I stood in front of Paul and pushed him. “Don’t yank my sister around. You damn well know her balance is shit. Treat her like she should be treated or I’ll...”

Kettle’s hand went over my mouth as his other arm snaked around my middle as he physically restrained me from advancing on the stupid man.

Paul’s
face was a twisted mask of disgust as he stared at me, Kettle and Trance. My hate-filled eyes were annoyed as he hustled Viddy over to the car, not even bothering to open the door for her.

Once Paul sped out of the driveway, I whirled out of Kettle’s arms and pointed an accusing finger at Trance. “You!”

Trance’s eyes rose. “Me what?”

“Get her away from him. You’ve been charged with your duties. Now make it happen.”

I hadn’t missed the desire that had flared through Trance’s eyes every time he saw my sister. I also hoped that Viddy pulled her head out of her ass long enough to see what was right in front of her.

“Now,” I said stomping away. “Take me to this stupid place on the lake. I hope they make strong margaritas. ‘Cause I’m gonna need one when I get there. If we don’t die on the boat ride over.”

Masculine chuckles followed in my wake.

In fact, I didn’t actually die in the water. Sebastian drove slowly, and I actually enjoyed the boat ride.

I didn’t see any alligators, or any Loch Ness Monsters.

After a fifteen-minute boat ride, they pulled up at the quaint little restaurant called
Cypress Hideaway Bar and Grill
. I’d never visited here in all my time of living in this area, even though it was the main attraction in the small town.

Kettle and I walked arm and arm down the dock and into the restaurant.

The décor was cute, in a rustic kind of way.

Huge painted catfish and largemouth bass dominated the walls. Trophies. Lake records. Old tackle. One spot had a flat bottom boat hanging from the rafters.

All the tables were wooden and made out of old timber. The chairs out of wicker.

It wasn’t until we were sitting down, after having ordered our drinks that I started to look around at all the patrons. That was when I saw the glaring Detective Hernandez staring at me with barely concealed hatred.

“What’s wrong?” Baylee asked me.

I looked towards Baylee, finally breaking eye contact with the blatant hate Detective Hernandez was emitting before answering.

“Kettle’s ex-girlfriend is trying to kill me with her eyes.”

I didn’t ask how Baylee knew I was in a stare down with someone who was very clearly pissed off that I was sitting next to her ex-boyfriend. Must’ve been the look on my face, but she knew.

I’d seen plenty of jealousy in my time as a high school teacher. Teenagers, high school girls in particular, were notorious for being petty and vindictive about boys that they liked. I’d seen the looks other girls would get when the boy they liked was hugging someone else.

“Yeah,” Baylee sighed. “Kettle went out with her all of three times. But she couldn’t handle the club or the bitches who like to flaunt the fact that they’ve fucked our men.”

I wasn’t stupid. I knew Kettle hadn’t been a virgin when we’d gotten together. I also knew the biker lifestyle, regardless of how much my father had tried to hide it. I knew what club whores were. I also knew they were at every club, regardless.

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting those women yet.” I said dryly.

Kettle’s arm tightened around my neck, and he gave me a lazy kiss on the mouth that tasted like the Foster’s beer he’d been sipping on for the last twenty minutes.

“You’ll get to meet those lovely ladies this weekend when you go on the Toys for Tots run with us.” Kettle said, before going back to his conversation with Trance, Loki, and Sebastian about the City of Benton’s benefits for fallen firefighters and police officers.

“You’re going with us?” Baylee asked excitedly.

“Apparently,” I laughed.

That was the first I had heard about any ‘run’ and I had to admit that I was pretty excited about going for a ride longer than a few minutes here and there.

I hadn’t been on a long ride since my father had taken me to the ocean, one weekend, before his accident.

To say I was a little excited now would be an understatement.

I only wished my sister could experience it again with me.

“So, what do you do, Adeline?” Baylee asked as she took a huge dip of salsa onto her chip and shoved it into her mouth.

I took a dip of my own salsa before answering. “I’m a high school chemistry teacher at Benton High.”

“I’ll bet you’re the star of all the high school boys’ fantasies. It’s always the quiet ones that get the most attention.” Baylee teased.

Kettle’s arm tightened around my neck, drawing my attention away from Baylee.

His blue eyes looked eerily bright with the neon blues and greens from the beer signs shining all around us.

“You let me know if you have any admirers. I’ll come for another visit.” Kettle told me before returning back to his conversation.

Baylee stood awkwardly with Blaise in her arms. “Alright, I have to go change this girl. She’s got an ass like her daddy.”

Sebastian snorted but didn’t bother to comment.

“I’ll go with you. I need to visit the lady’s room as well. I’ve been holding my bladder for the last fifteen minutes.” I said and stood.

Surprisingly enough, there wasn’t a line, and I was able to get my potty break in just as Baylee was finishing with Blaise’s diaper and snapping the tiny snaps on her onesie.

“She’s just the cutest thing in the world,” I said as I washed my hands and watched her through the mirror.

Baylee smiled. “Yeah, she looks a lot like her daddy. All that pretty hair and big feet.” She said, scooping the tiny girl up to her chest. “Will you hold her while I use the bathroom?”

I accepted gratefully and settled Blaise on my shoulder. She made the cutest little sounds that started the little clock to ticking away double-time inside of me.

“He’ll never give you kids, you know.” A nasty voice said from the doorway.

I looked up from Blaise’s cute little face to see Detective Hernandez just inside the bathroom door, glaring daggers at me.

The little voice inside my head told me to not say anything, but then she sneered at Blaise with a look of contempt. “He’s fucked every woman in the county, and then some. He’s never going to settle down. Even if he does stay with you, you’ll never be the only woman. He cheated on me openly while we were dating. You’ll always be that stupid woman who sits at home and waits for her man to come back while he’s out fucking every woman at his stupid little club.”

I was surprised at the intensity in the other woman’s voice, and knew whatever I said now wouldn’t take away the hurt that the other woman had experienced, so I kept quiet.

Baylee, however, didn’t. She came out of that stall as if she’d be been ejected from a jet in a tailspin.

“You bi-witch! Do you have any idea how much your blasé attitude and general butch-ness turned Kettle off? He dated you at first because you were pretty. Then you had to go and whip out your dick to show him that yours was bigger than his. On top of that, you refused to even be around his friends and family. We’re not murderers and rapists. We all work for a living, just like you. I’m sorry you couldn’t handle that, but that’s no reason to take it out on his new girl that he’s head over heels in love with. Go take your bad attitude and suck it.”

“Oh, you think he’s actually going to keep it in his pants? I had it for a month, and the entire time he was fucking someone else. I’ve got friends, too. They wouldn’t lie to me.” She sneered.

“I think it’s time to grow up.” I said quietly. “You have a responsibility as an officer of the law to act properly in public, and cursing and snarling at me when I have a young child in my arms is not the way to go about it. Maybe, if you want to do this some other time where it’s not public, we can do that. Right now, however, you need to leave.”

Detective Hernandez glared at Baylee, and then me before turning and stalking out of the bathroom.

Baylee was still pissed, and she followed the woman, stomping and glaring at her back the entire way.

I followed more slowly behind the two since I had to grab the diaper bag Baylee had left behind, making sure to stay back just in case the detective decided to start something.

Kettle clocked us as soon as we’d exited the hallway that led to the bathrooms, scooting his chair back and standing.

Kettle was a big, intimidating man, and when someone like him stands up, and is pissed off on top of that, it draws attention.