The Winter of Regrets (13 page)

“Thanks, Kima. She’s determined to make money even though Nailz is off the will. I’ll feel better if she’s with you. At least I know she’ll be safe. Dancing isn’t an option for Tears, anyway; she couldn’t take the pressure.” Both Thorn and Jack broke out laughing.

Kima puckered up her lips. “I guess I better go up and take Josie off Veiko’s hands. I’m not telling him about the peacocks … yet. Thanks for handling the coop.”

She moved into the mudroom to change when Veiko popped his head around and looked at her.

“I gotta run, babe. I’ll tell Nailz and your dad about today. Behave yourself. We’ll talk about this tonight, alright?”

He smiled that crooked smile of his, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice. Kima blew him a kiss and smiled back. She’d make an animal-lover out of her ol’ man. It might take time, but he’d learn to like the peacocks. In truth, they were a great and reliable alarm system.     

V
eiko approached Nailz during his smoke break. He was going to laugh like hell when he told him about Jo being hit with horse shit, but he wasn’t sure how Nailz would take it.

Nailz watched him as he walked over, a grin on his face because he was happy to have company. Veiko had coffee and he needed some badly.

“Got here late today, Veiko. Lazing around in bed?” Nailz inhaled some nicotine.

Handing the coffee over, V grinned back. “Nope. I watched my ol’ lady hit your ol’ lady with horse shit, then saw my sister get her face pushed into a fresh steaming mound of it. I never saw a fight quite like the one I just saw.”

Nailz choked on his coffee. As soon as he could speak, he asked V to repeat himself.

“Jo was screeching at Kima,” V explained. “Called her a bad mother. Kima said some nasty things back, then hit her with horse shit. Katri came outside to defend Jo and she got smashed face-first into a pile of horse shit.” Veiko tried not to laugh, wiping tears out of the corners of his eyes.

Nailz sat down on his log and shook his head. “Jo started it?”

“Nah, I think
I
did when I hung up on Jean this morning. Every fucking morning she calls Kima and ruins her day. I’d had enough of it, so I told her to knock it off. Seems she called Jo to bitch about me, and when Kima was riding, she went outside to confront her. I was cleaning up the cup Kima threw at me so I saw it all go down. Jack and Thorn did, too. I left them to deal with Kima. I’ve got to talk to John now.” Veiko sipped his coffee and looked around. “It’s starting to come together. Looks good, far enough off the road. You’re still doing the fences with barbed wire?”

“Yeah,” said Nailz, still recovering from what he’d just been told. “Not investing all this money to have anyone fuck with the machines. Did you know there was a one-room cabin over here? I didn’t remember that. I might be living in it.” He laughed a bit harshly.

“I thought you’d just tear that down. Is it worth saving? Let’s check it out.” Veiko stood up, abandoning his coffee by the log.

They walked down the short path to an ivy-covered cabin. It had a metal roof and looked in fair shape except for the vines. Nailz pushed open the door, stunned to find Thrash sitting on one of the few chairs near a window. He looked as shocked as Nailz and Veiko to see them there. Veiko pushed Nailz behind him.

“What the fuck, Thrash? You scoping Nailz out?” Veiko roared.

Thrash rose slowly, his face twisted in rage. “Little brother, get out of the way. Me and that bastard got something to settle. Hitting Elena? You think I’ll let that go? Now, she won’t even talk to me at all. I owe you, motherfucker!” His eyes were shooting sparks at Nailz.

Nailz tried to move toward Thrash, but V wasn’t letting him; he’d had enough confrontations for a day.

Finally, he lost his temper and roared, “Nobody is hitting anyone over Elena getting a slap! It was an honest mistake. You want to bring dirt up, Thrash? I’ll bring up yours. Nailz, Jersey, and I covered your ass over China stealing from the club. Did we ever mention it to you?”

Thrash sat back down in the chair, his face turning red. He thought he’d covered that up well.

Veiko stared at him, furious. “We used to cover each other’s backs without question. You would have lost your colors. Tramp saw what Nailz did and he called it. Do you see Nailz scared of you?” V looked hard at his older brother. “I don’t hear him asking when he’s getting them back. Tramp is pissed off and he’s handling it. I got to see Kima hit Jo with shit, hear my ol’ lady is a bad mother, and our little sister finally got to eat shit. How’d you like a morning like that?”

Thrash finally smiled. “Kima went off on Jo and Katri?”

Nailz finally spoke. “Jo deserved it. She is pushing everyone’s buttons. I tried to get her to see the doctor, but she refuses. I started drinking to deal with her bullshit. Jean keeps calling it ‘the baby blues’. Some fucking bullshit that Jo is depressed over getting pregnant so fast after the boys were born. My parents say she needs a fucking shrink. Try telling that to Jo,” he said miserably. “Nothing makes her happy. I don’t know where the chick I married went.”

Thrash looked at him. “You should’ve told us shit was that bad, Nailz. Just like I should’ve told you all more about China. I’m sorry, man. I really am.” He put his hand out and Nailz grabbed it, pulling him in for a hug.

Veiko looked happier finally; one less thing he had to stress over.

“So, think this would make a decent office?” V moved over to the kitchen area to check it out.

“It has running water, a bathroom, and the electric works,” answered Thrash. “Needs some updating, but I’ve been hanging out here. The roof doesn’t leak.”

Just then, they noticed his sleeping bag on the old wood floor. All of them laughed at the sight of it.

Veiko had a bit more on his mind and needed to talk about it. “Holidays are coming,” he began. “We had our toy run, but I don’t see any point in trying to do more than that this year, not with the ol’ ladies all fighting. I figure Ocean Cove can do it this year and we just give the toys to the local fire department. You all good with that?”

He pulled a joint out of his cigarette pack and lit it up. Nobody mentioned Nailz had no say because he didn’t have his colors. Veiko and Thrash had been his brothers for so long that the colors didn’t matter to them. Nailz was Bound for Hell MC and always would be.

Nailz, however, had one question. “Is the fucking charmer okay with it? He loves Christmas. He used to spoil Tears like mad.”

Thrash kicked the chair over to him and told him to sit. “You okay, Nailz? Your color isn’t too good. You laying off the drinking?”

“Yeah. Not drinking, just sticking to smoking and pot.” He sighed. “I was thinking maybe I’d give up cigarettes. Can’t smoke in the house anyway. I was thinking of how much I fucked up with Tears and Thorn. I miss her, y’know? I didn’t mind Thorn as a son-in-law. Fucking Jo never stopped bitching about them both. I can’t reach out to them,” he said with a sad tinge to his voice. “Tramp said to let it go for now.”

Thrash remembered something. “I have a letter for Thorn from Hunter. I think I should give it to him now. Nailz, Thorn made the best move for himself. Would you want to be in the same club as your father-in-law and me and Veiko? Hell if I would be! I always understood why Jack and JJ didn’t join us.”

Veiko didn’t like the way Nailz looked and he thought of Hunter. “Bro, you’re getting checked out. If you won’t see a doctor willingly, I’ll have Tramp hold your colors until you do. We’re not losing another brother like Hunter.”

The three men went silent thinking of Hunter. Everyone missed him and Nailz finally nodded yes. “I’ll make an appointment. Wanna come?”

It was Thrash who answered. “I’ll go. It stays with the three of us.”

“Agreed,” Nailz grunted back. The others nodded.

“Now, any idea of how I can get Elena back?” asked Thrash. “Hunter gave me his blessing, and I love her and Rhiannon.”

Nailz grinned, looking a lot better already. “Yup. Use the club charmer Jersey. He’s on her good side and his ideas seem to work. Jersey always has some idea or another. I’d let Elena have some space, honestly. Thrash, you’ve got a new tat shop. Put yourself to work and let Elena come to you. Chasing her didn’t seem to work, did it?”

Thrash rolled his eyes. “I hired guys for both shops. I could help you work on this place instead. Maybe if she sees us getting along or hears we are, she will talk to me at least.” He looked around the cabin. “I could do some cool shit in here. You know I fix up all my shops myself. You want some help working this into a decent office?”

Nailz looked around himself. He didn’t see anything special about this place, but it did have high ceilings. If Thrash thought he could make it look good, he’d take the help. “Do you think we could put a child-safe loft up there with maybe a sleeping area? In case Jo wants me to take the boys when they’re older, I’d have a place they could play … and a place to crash if she gets crazier.”

Thrash looked up at the peaks. “I think there was one up there long ago. I don’t see why not. We need to get rid of the ivy and update the electric. You got the money to do this?” He was curious how Nailz could afford all he was doing. He’d never wanted money from his parents before.

“It’s all taken care of,” Nailz insisted. “My father’s a silent partner in the equipment part. We’re going there for Thanksgiving too. I didn’t want to wreck the Regan’s holiday. Jean wasn’t too happy, but my mom called her and it’s all worked out. We have to take Katri, though.”

Veiko had shit to do and decided it was time for him to leave. “You staying or going, Thrash? I need to talk to John, and I think I should set Jean straight. Guess this day is wasted so … I may as well take care of business. Don’t forget to get your shit outta here.” He shook hands with the men and left them standing in the old cabin making their plans.

V
eiko pulled into his father-in-law’s driveway and saw Jack’s truck there. Good, backup was present. He wondered how many cars Jack had. Jack was never hurting for money and he was running some of the old man’s businesses.
Must be nice to have a rich father
, he thought. Hell, he couldn’t complain; they treated him well and Kima had money. He’d make his own way in the world. He always had, and he wanted it that way, but he’d be a fool if he hadn’t taken John’s offer of help.

He went in through the kitchen and found John and Jack at the table having a beer. He walked over to the fridge and grabbed himself one.

Jack smiled widely. Even John was grinning.

Veiko took a swallow before he spoke. “You came over and told your parents about Kima and Jo’s fight?” He looked at Jack.

“Sure did, and I gotta warn you, Kima has peacocks now.” He choked with laughter at the expression on V’s face. “They’re going to guard her against Jo and Katri.”

“Fucking peacocks?? Where did she get them from, and why would she want them?” Veiko’s day was spiraling downward again.

John tried to smother his laugh. “Peacocks will keep people off your property. Great guard birds, too. Jack says you’re the proud owner of twelve of them. For God’s sake, don’t try to pick one up, they’ll rip you apart. Kima’s always wanted a few. Never could have them here; they screech and shit too much. She had ducks as a kid. My daughter loves all animals, so you better get used to it.”

V rocked back in his chair and looked at the two men as if they were crazy. “I’m supposed to like having birds that shit and screech? Has she lost her mind, too?”

John offered him a cigarette. “Actually, it’s a great idea. Nobody will get on the farm and Jo is scared of them. Kima knew damn well what she was doing. Jean’s upstairs, mad at me. I told her it was time to end the bullshit. I won’t have her putting Jo over Kima anymore. She has three daughters and a daughter-in-law, and all are to be treated equally. I told her to plan the wedding and mind her own business. If I have to speak to Jo—and Jean knows I will—it won’t be pretty.” He ran his hand through his black hair that was just starting to go silver at the temples. “Jean had a miscarriage before she had Kima. She’s replaced Jo with losing that baby. Kima is our baby, though, and Jo’s tearing the family apart with this nonsense. Either she gets help or Nailz steps in and handles her bullshit. Jean is not going to keep pampering her. She has a wedding coming up and I’m tired of hearing about Jo.” He looked up. “Get a lot done today?”