The Run (The Hell's Disciples MC Book 4) (6 page)

“Didn’t say that.”

“Jesus!”

Chair legs scrape against the floor. Lennon is up out of her seat, walking out of the room and disappearing down the hall. Well, not even twenty-four hours in and I’ve already managed to piss her off.

I eat my breakfast alone and in silence for all of four minutes before she’s back with fire in her eyes. Stomping back into the kitchen, she tosses a little piece of plastic onto the table, although I think she was aiming for my head.

“So what’s my name?” she scoffs, nodding down at the license in my hand.

“Don’t trust anyone,” I tell her, looking over the little piece of plastic. It’s the truth. I only trust a handful of people, and Lennon’s not one of them.

“You don’t say.” She jerks the license back from me before I can read the whole thing. What I was able to see was that her name is Lennon and her face is on the license, but that’s it.

Plopping back down with a huff, she goes back to eating, ignoring me.

We eat and neither of us has shit to say after the name game. Breakfast is damn good, but so goddamn uncomfortable. Women are a delicate bunch, and I just don’t have the touch because the second Lennon’s food is gone, so is she.

I cleaned up the kitchen. Been a while since I’d washed a dish. She’s been doing God knows what in the bathroom for the last hour or so. I gave up on getting in there and threw on a pair of jeans, a clean T-shirt, boots, and my cut.

“I’m outta here,” I say through the bathroom door, but I get nothing in response. I take it as my cue that she could care less. Good, I’ve got work to do. She’s a big girl.  I’m sure she can fend for herself.

It’s Friday so we had church. I drank two beers, talked with Dan and Big Ben, and now I’m out back, getting some work done.

A few years ago I worked twelve-hour days, seven days a week—putting in time, building a clientele, making a name for myself. I worked on everything from lawn mowers, bikes, cars, and boat motors. I spent a long damn time working way too fucking hard to have a good business.

I built my business up and now I only take on projects worth my time, things that interest me. I call myself a mechanic most of the time, but sometimes, I swear to fuck, I’m a damn engineer with the broken down pieces of shit some of these clients bring me. I work my magic, charge the big bucks, and work a few hours a day a couple days a week. It’s a good fucking life.

Knuckles deep in a cherry Twin Cam, I feel someone walk up behind me and linger. Tightening a bolt, I pull myself away and look over at Poncho who’s hanging back, rocking on his heels, looking like he’s got something to say.

“Yeah?” What the fuck does this asshole want?

“How’s it goin’?” he asks, smiling.

“It’s goin’. What the fuck you doin’, man?” I ask him, scratching at my beard, trying to think of a reason he’d be over here bothering me. Is he hard up for some cash?

“Lennon, huh?” He hints.

Fuck. I should’ve known it was only a matter of time before someone asked. Figured I’d get at least a few days before the questions started.

“Lennon, what? You got something to say or ask, get on with it.” I don’t have time for games with this dipshit.

“You smash it yet?” He wiggles his eyebrows at me and everyone in the shop erupts into laughter. Here we go.

Leaning back against the toolbox, I wait for his smartass comments. Standing in the shop down at the bar, I look at him, wondering if I heard him right. Smash that? What, are we in high school? It’s been one fucking night. Was I supposed to jump on the broad the second she was inside my house?

“Nope.” Is all I give him. The motherfucker is digging for dirt, but he’s about to find himself with a face full of fist if he doesn’t mind his own goddamn business.

“What do you mean, nope?” Tyler hollers over at me, pulling his head out from under a hood.

“You got pussy in your bed ‘n you’re tellin’ me you ain’t even sampled it?” Rock adds. Fuck, I’m not an animal. I can control myself around women.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” I ask Rock.

“No.”

“So you sample it, puss bag?”

“Sample it?” I never noticed how fucking stupid these assholes sound sometimes until they start pointing there stupid in my direction.

“Ya know, dabble ‘n shit.” No, I don’t know and I’m not trying to find out. I fuck, plain and simple. No frills, no fuss, and no muss. I don’t fucking ‘dabble.’

“Shut the fuck up.”

Mossy, Tyler, Rock, and Poncho start laughing and carrying on about dabbling in pussy; who does what, and how good they do it. They’re all full of shit. If they spent half as much time working as they do yapping about pussy, we’d get a lot more shit done.

“I’ll dabble it for ya,” Mossy offers, cupping his cock. Nasty fucker.

I’ve got to get the fuck out of here and away from all this stupid.

“The fuck you will.” Lennon is not here for the picking. She’s not free game, and she isn’t hopping from bed to bed. These motherfuckers can find what they want somewhere else.

“Oh, someone’s a little sensitive about the bitch,” Tyler laughs. Picking up a wrench, I hurl it at him in hopes of knocking him upside his head. Ducking the wrench, he flips me the bird and keeps laughing.

“You got a crush, my man,” Rock adds, sitting down on a stool five feet in front of me.

I’ve known her less than twenty-four hours. I can’t form an opinion on a broad I hardly know. Lennon is hot as fuck, but that’s all I know.

“The only thing I’ll be crushing is your face if you don’t shut the fuck up and get back to work.” The four of them laugh again and I leave. I’m not dealing with this for the rest of the day. I can think of a few things I’d rather be doing, and this isn’t one of them.

“I’m out, motherfuckers. Have fun dabblin’ with each other.”

Lennon

Walking out of the bathroom this morning, I found the house empty. Buck took off, leaving me alone up here in the middle of nowhere. Buck’s TV has a set of bunny ears on top of it. He gets, like, six channels, and there isn’t a computer in sight. Not that I’m really bothered by the lack of technology. I’m pretty goddamn good at entertaining myself.

I wandered the house for about thirty minutes before I realized Buck has to have the most boring house on Earth. I guess I have to go outside to entertain myself.

I walk Buck’s property, or at least part of it, until I find a spot I like. I’m not sure how much land he has, but the rolling hills and green trees go on for miles in each direction.

At the far end of the property, a ways away from the house near a river, I find what looks like a foundation and the start of a house. A concrete slab, some framed walls, a staircase to nowhere, and a few big piles of lumber, covered in tarps, sit in the middle of a bunch of overgrown grass. I’m not sure if it belongs to Buck, but it’s a wonderful piece of property with an incredible view of a valley and a mountain range off in the distance. I sure hope someday someone uses it. It would be a heartbreaking waste not to.

I keep going, wandering even farther until I find a small creek and a grassy clearing to call home for a few hours.

Breathing in deeply, I fill my lungs with fresh air, and it’s heavenly. Falling back onto my back, I stare up at the blue sky above. It’s been years since I’ve taken a moment to enjoy the outdoors, something I love dearly.

Buck’s place really is paradise. Miles and miles of uninterrupted wilderness, and green as far as the eye can see. My skin is warm from the sun and my toes sink into the soft, thick grass as I lay back and soak it all in.

I stare into the crystal clear water of the river that cuts through Bucks backyard. I watch the sun dance off of the soft waves and the small fish dart around in the surf. Heaven. There’s no other way to describe it.

Getting back up, I walk down to the water and dip my toes into the cool waves and pick some flowers along the shoreline. I debate if I should wade into the water when a crash and a crack jar me back to Earth. Jumping up, I spin around to see a mess of brown fur, flying towards me out of some bushes. Instantly my heart takes off in my chest. Throwing my hands in front of my face, I brace for the pain. I’m about to be eaten by a fucking bear. Of course, this would be my fuckin’ luck.

“Shit!”

I stumble back a step, only to see a giant hound come to a skidding stop directly in front of me. His tongue’s hanging from his big mouth, tail going a mile a minute, and it’s floppy ears droop down to his shoulders. He’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen with those big, puppy dog eyes.

“Oh ... hey boy.” The moment I speak, the beast starts to dance around, shuffling his fury ass from side to side, while his tail beats the ground wildly.

“Where the hell did you come from?” I ask, like he can understand me. Has he been here this whole time?

He’s fucking adorable with his scruffy tan and black fur. The biggest ears known to man and the droopiest face I’ve ever seen on a dog.

Reaching a hand out, I pat his big pointy head. With a slap of his tongue, my hand is covered in slobber and I couldn’t be happier. Looks like I have a friend out here after all.

“Come on, buddy, let’s go sunbathe.” Right on my heels, the giant beast follows me and makes himself right at home, next to me on the grass. Stretching out, he yawns before laying his head onto his monstrous paws. “I think you and me are gonna be good friends,” I tell him around my own yawn. I let my eyes close and fall into dreamland.

“What the fuck are you doing?” A voice demands. A dark shadow falls over my face, blocking out my rays of sunshine. “Lennon?”

Cracking an eye open, I stare up and Buck, who’s staring down at me. His sunglasses are firmly in place and his eyebrows are sternly drawn down. He looks confused.

“Relaxing,” I tell him, shifting onto my elbows. What does it look like I’m doing, ice skating?

“Why?” Ugh, is he joking? It’s a beautiful day, the sun’s out, and ther’s a cool breeze. I can’t imagine being anywhere else right now.

“Because it’s nice out here, that’s why.” He seems baffled by the idea. All this space and he doesn’t enjoy it?

“Join me?” I ask him, patting the ground next to me. If he’s going to hover, he might as well sit and take a load off.

“Yeah, okay.” Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.

Reaching behind his back, he pulls out a gun from his waist and flops it on the grass by my head, like it’s nothing. I stare cautiously at it, and at him.

“Um ...” I’m not scared of guns, but I’m also not an enthusiast either.

“Just trying to get comfortable,” he explains.

“Putting it by my face though?” I mean, he could have set it anywhere else.

“Just a gun, so relax,” he chuckles, but he scoots it over, away from me. “Wouldn’t shoot ya with it. Not today, anyways.” I’m glad he thinks he’s funny.

“That’s so nice of you,” I reply sarcastically. I’m not pro-gun and I’m not anti-gun. I’m pretty neutral, as long as the owner is safe about it and it’s not being pointed at me.

Scooting up onto my ass, I cross my legs and get comfortable, leaning my back into Buck’s sturdy shoulder. Buck’s sitting next to me, booted feet flat on the ground, tattooed arms resting on his propped up knees. Staring ahead, he watches the water with me. It’s nice. 

“Buck?”

“Yeah?”

“Take your glasses off.” I like it so much better when I can see his face and eyes. “I like you better without them.”

For a moment he looks at me. I can see him mulling my request over, but after a beat, he removes them. “I can do that.”

We watch the water ripple and flow. The fish swim and the birds soar. Buck lets me lean on him, holding my weight.

“So, you have a dog?” Looking from me to the lazy beast next to me, he nods.

“Looks like it, don’t it.”

“Fucking smartass,” I laugh. “What’s his name?” Patting the dog on his head, he shrugs and says, “Bill.” Bill? What kind of stupid name is that for a dog?

“Bill?”

“Yep.”

Reaching out, he snatches my little craft right out of my hands. “What the fuck’s this?” He’s manhandling the delicate little headband I had made earlier. Well, there go the little yellow buttercups. Squeezing a little yellow flower between his thumb and finger, he flattens it.