The Possibility of Trey (9 page)

"So we'll sit on the front porch."

"The porch?" Our front porch hadn't been used in
years
.

"Yeah, the porch. We'll have a couple of beers and talk for a while. Does that sound okay?"

"Uhm, sure. Yeah. Okay." My breathing was starting to get as weird as my heartbeat and even to my ears it sounded tight and thready.

"Great!"

I stood up on shaky legs and went to the door just as Mr. Kettering was coming back in. "Goodnight, Sheridan."

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Kettering," I offered back and was only three steps away from the door, pointing myself down the hall when I had to stop and take a moment to calm the hell down. As I did so with a hand propped against the wall, I couldn't help but overhear the voices in Trey's office.

"Keep your eyes off that succulent ass, Prez," Mr. Kettering's voice held a hint of laughter.

"Would if I could, amigo. But something that fine just needs to be admired for the sheer beauty of it." Trey chuckled.

"Yeah, but on HC property that fine ass is mine to protect. Even from you, brother."

I felt my cheeks heat and practically ran past the efficient Rita and out the front door.

But all the way home, I kept hearing Trey's voice and how he'd described my ass as beautiful even as I wondered how it would feel to have his hands on it. Touching me the way I'd seen him fondle that other girl.

Trey sat at the bar and glanced at his watch. Only three hours to go until he could see her again. He was surprised at how much he was looking forward to just sitting and talking with her, to get to know her one on one.

Although he still had a lot to do before he left.

Bishop was running a bit late but since he was HMC's resident internet guru he'd been given the last minute task of tracking down who all the players were in what Dallas had seen.

Goddamn! One of the best parts about working with the brothers in the club was the lack of graft and kickbacks that occurred. The building trade was rife with it and had everyone and their brother holding out their hand expecting their cut of whatever action was in play. The suppliers, inspectors and developers knew better than to ask or offer HC and their employees anything, knowing that just the hint of it would bring both them and their businesses down.

And while Greenway was not a Hellion, he still worked for them and was expected to conduct business above the counter. Although crew leaders were not supposed to be conducting any business at all. That was for management to do.

After Silo got finished with him tonight, Greenway would no longer be affiliated with HC and would, most likely, have to find another place for him and his family to live. Going forward, Greenway would be just another ex-employee who had been fired with cause, making him a persona non grata in Missoula. Trey realized it was harsh but the man had known the score when he'd made the decision to accept money from a supplier on the sly.

James, 'but you can call me Jimmy', Parish had been the man Dallas had described at the job site. Parish was nothing but the leg man for Emil Brechot, a bug that had crawled into Missoula five years before and who had tried to bring down both Hellion Construction and the HMC at the same time. And up until recently, the man hadn't had but a small measure of success. But if Greenway was any indication, the underlings were beginning to succumb to lure of easy green and Trey suspected the loss of three major construction contracts in Idaho was Emil's doing as well.

Trey wanted Bishop to find the connection.

Silo was getting the info on exactly when and how much Brechot was handing out.

As Trey moved his pieces into play on the chessboard of his mind, he saw Dare come in. "You get the shithead settled?"

"Yeah. God, he's a stubborn little fuck," Dare said, signaling to Carly with a smile for his tequila. "I think we've slapped him around more than the last three combined."

"He comes from a prideful family. Part of his legacy. How's he doing with the rest?"

Dare shrugged. "He's fucking dragging his feet when doing laundry, can't seem to finish his goddamn schoolwork on time and gives fucking lip when receiving instructions. Tank had to boot his ass out of bed when four hadn't been cleaned to his fucking satisfaction before taking Maisie inside."

"Tank was on first patrol last night, right? So he got in around two in the morning?"

"Yep. And the little shit decided fucking o'dark thirty was no time to be awake and scrubbing a toilet." Dare chuckled. "Tank helped change his goddamn mind."

Trey signaled for a refill as he thought. "Okay. So we've slapped him around and given him extra chores but the little fucker's attitude remains in the asshole category. Let's try something else. Saw he was eyeing Carmi when they were in the kitchen together. Let's see if she'd be willing to throw the kid some candy when he does something right."

"You wanna gift the kid pussy? That's a new twist on behavior modification therapy." Dare was out and out laughing at the idea.

"I didn't say she'd have to fuck him. At his age, I don't think he'd know what to do with it even with both hands and a flashlight. Just give him a taste of some sweet and see if that works in changing his outlook." Trey took a deep drink. He knew how he'd been at seventeen and with someone that looked like Carmi, he would've come in his pants at just a flash of her nipple. Then he would've had bent her over and fucked her raw just for teasing him.

"Might work. Bishop said the kid knows his way around a computer and almost hacked into a porn site the other evening." Dare leaned his elbows on the bar. "I'll have Dee check with Carmi and see if it's a go. If so, I'll tell the kid about his new reward for good behavior."

"We get the results back on Naomi?"

"Yeah. Came back clean but she about busted a gut when she found out her sister Teri was doing blow. Heard tell there was a big ol' bitch fight and Teri's high-tailed it back to Idaho. Naomi said to tell you thanks."

Trey knew that of any of the Honeys, Dee, Naomi and Lily were the three to have the best excuse for finding ways to dull the ache of the loss of their men. But all three had been working through their grief without the aid of street drugs and were instead throwing themselves into the different projects Hellion's Honeys had taken on.

Trey heard the door to the clubhouse open and twisted to see Silo and Brand enter followed by Bishop. He grabbed his drink and did a chin lift as he moved to one of the tables where his men soon followed suit. After a round of fist bumps, they broke off to get drinks before coming back to grab a chair.

"What's doing?" he asked and let his eyes go around the table. This was his key group of brothers, only missing Huff to complete the circle, and it had been a while since they'd all been together.

"Huff's on his way in," Bishop explained, plopping down into a chair and almost spilling his beer.

"Greenway confirmed it was Parish and it was five large for fucking with the mains. Says he thinks that the plan was to have the plumbing go wonky in the first year would give Brechot an in with the homeowners since HC couldn't be trusted to do it right the first time." Silo looked around the table. "HC don't do no fucking shoddy work. So it might have played out as planned if Sheridan hadn't caught on to it."

"Did Greenway get the message?"

"Loud and clear, Trey." Brand's voice was almost as deep as Trey's when he spoke especially when he was pissed. "Kids were crying but the mother was already pulling out the luggage when we left. Men who make bad decisions that disrupt their family's lives are on my shit list."

"None of us like it, amigo." Trey agreed with Brand. But some fellows were so short-sighted, always looking for an easy out, that they were susceptible to being used.

"Might need to keep an eye on Sheridan, though," Silo advised, looking around the table. "First words out of fuckin' Greenway's mouth when he saw us on the porch was 'bitch blabbed, huh?'"

"You think they'll go after her?" Trey's stomach suddenly felt as if it dropped to his knees. He got nods from every man seated which, by just their agreement, made his balls pull up tight. "Okay. Her house is within Hellion acreage and we'll have the patrols include her place in their sweeps. What about the…"

And Trey was cut off by three short thumps that sounded as if it came from the driveway of the forecourt.

Shots made with a silencer.

Without a blink, all five men were up and out of their chairs, yanking out whatever handgun they had on them. Trey held up a fist and held up two fingers pointing them towards the kitchen and then used those same two fingers to point to the door that led out the back through the supply closet. The other men nodded and peeled away as Trey slowly eased the main door of the clubhouse open.

Huff was on his back, blood pooling underneath one of his shoulders. Trey could see two members on the HC side of the driveway, hugging the shadows as they inched towards the street, their guns in hand. There were three other brothers holding position around the edge of the equipment building in back, keeping a keen eye open on the action in the driveway. He glanced at the kitchen to see the lights were out and the windows open with two barrels peeking just over the edge of the frames.

Holding position, he saw the shadows of Silo and Dare as they came around the front of the building before stepping out onto the sidewalk. They were tucking their weapons to the back of their jeans as they walked up the driveway. Trey was soon surrounded by his men as he called for an ambulance.

"Da fuck?" Bishop yelled. "Did anyone see anything? Were they on a bike or in a car?"

Carly came running out the door of the clubhouse, already crying before her knees hit the pavement next to Huff. They'd been married about three years and to Trey's knowledge, this was the first time Huff had been damaged since they'd been together.

Trey heard the sirens in the still of the night and advised, "it's about to get legal, brothers."

Two of the three men that had been behind the equipment building peeled away, blending into the deepening shadows. "Brand, have Reese and Dee get to the hospital so Carly has her girls with her. Bish, I need you to review the tapes so we have something to show the cops. Si and Dare? You're with me. The rest of you, into the clubhouse and wait. John Law may have questions. If they do, you answer with what you know. Everyone clear?"

There were nods all around as the first units, with their strafing red lights, entered the Hellion property.

.
.
.
.*

My phone gave a chirp to signal an incoming text as I sat at the kitchen table, paperwork spread out around me. I could only hope it wasn't my ass-clown of a brother sending me something after what he'd tried that day.

TM:
Gonna have 2 put off 2nite pretty. 2morrow ok?

Dasher:
Sounds good. Will keep ur part of porch warm.

I had to admit, I liked hearing from Trey even if it was only via text. Especially since I hadn't been able to get him out of my head. Ever since I'd been home, I'd catch myself staring off into space, completely unaware of where I was or what I'd been doing as thoughts of him filled my head. Thoughts I knew I had no business thinking.

You have a crush
, my mind advised.

Bite me
, my heart replied.

I didn't date much and would've been hard pressed to tell you the last time a guy had shown interest in me. But I got it, I understood why. I wasn't the girliest of girls and I came with a lot of baggage.

So Trey's pursuit was kind of…nice.

Surprising.

And, I was starting to realize,
wanted
even if he was of the biker variety.

But I couldn't figure it out.

Why was he pursuing
me
of all people?

I dressed like a boy. True, we were required to wear HC t-shirts on the job, black with gold lettering although in the winter is was a black thermal and a black and gold lined flannel shirt.

I had plentiful T & A, so plentiful I wore a sports bra to smush my girls down in order to keep them out of the way. The fact that it helped eliminate male interest in that particular body part just made it a win-win. I didn't dress to show off my ass (
he called it beautiful
, my mind reminded me) but it was one of the bubble kind so it was kind of hard to miss.

My curly hair seemed to have a life of its own and it wasn't until Bev at the salon cut some layers in it that I had been able to tame it. Now all I had to do was twist up the longest pieces and shove my hardhat on to keep it up and out of the way.

I owned exactly one skirt and one dress but hadn't wore them in so long I couldn't tell if they still fit. I had a couple of pairs of girly jeans with some flash on their back pockets and a couple of feminine tops but no high heels. None. My closet floor held a pair of black chucks, my sparkly flip flops and my steel-toed work boots.

That was it.

I dragged my eyes back down to the paperwork spread out before me.