MC: Brighton (16 page)

I open my eyes and smile. My face is on Digs’ chest then I remember his back and sit up fast. “Whoa, babe, you’ll hurt yourself.”

He’s half asleep worrying about me? “I didn’t realize I was on you. Are you okay?”

He smiles, pulling me to him for a kiss. “I’m fine and about to be fuckin’ excellent.” I kiss him, then smile. He pulls the tie out of my hair and runs his hands through it. “Love your hair, Pen.”

I smile, but I need it trimmed and I know he likes it long. Since he’s in a good mood, I bring it up. “I need it trimmed,” I say softly.

“Trimmed?” I can’t tell if he’s mad.

I look at him a little nervous. “The layers in it need to be trimmed so it’s not so heavy.”

“You need me to take you? Is it in the city?”

I smile. He’s not mad. “No, I can drive my new car. It’s just downtown.”

His eyebrows draw down. “You were asking? You don’t need fuckin’ permission, Pen. You need your hair trimmed you get it trimmed. I would hate if you cut it all off, but it’s your fuckin’ head carrying it around and dealing with it every day.”

Oh dear! “I didn’t want to make you mad. I just wasn’t sure how you would react.”

He sits up and I move back. “I’m not your fuckin’ father! If I were you, would’ve never gone through what you did. You do what you need to do and don’t have to ask my permission to do it. If I don’t like it, I’ll deal. If I get pissed, you’ll know, but do what makes you happy. Fuck!” He gets up and I know he’s stiff. He has a big bruise around a black circle on his back. “Going in the tub. Geek’s sending work for me while I can’t ride.” He walks to the bathroom and closes the door.

Holy Moses, he’s mad, but at least he didn’t slam the door. I start shaking then growl. No! He’s right. He doesn’t want a kid to make all the decisions for. I told him just a few days ago that I wasn’t a kid and then do this. Darn it all to heck! I growl again, then run to get dressed. I wash and brush my teeth in the other bathroom, then head downstairs. I cut up fruit while I’m talking to the receptionist at the Center. Anita will call me back, so I find the hair cutters app and schedule my appointment for the first one when they open. That wasn’t so hard and I did it without anyone helping me. I call Wendy in to open the store for me today. She’s printing a big church order and would be there anyway. I’m getting excited. I leave the fruit and a note, letting him know where I’ll be, then run out the door with my travel mug.

I drive to the water first and park, pulling my notebook out. I write a list of what I can do and what I should ask about. I want Anita to look at it to make sure I’m not going to drive Digs crazy with my babyish need for his approval. I want to make him happy, but I don’t want to drive him away with neediness. I’m just realizing there is a fine line to those.

When I’m done I put the book down and think about all the decisions I already made and he was happy with them. All the furniture and bedding came yesterday and I showed CJ where I wanted everything. We went and got little things at the store and made it look a little more homey. I decided to wait for Digs to go to Amanda’s to pick art for the walls, but everything else is finished. We even got all the craft boxes emptied. CJ got a Prospect to haul everything away so Digs didn’t have a huge job when he got home. I chose everything and he liked it. He liked that it was all done and that he didn’t have more work, especially since he was in pain. I did that! I nod like I need to convince me, then stop. I need to do more. I think about my list and put it aside until I can see Anita.

The tub should do him good. Tess said he’s going to be sore for a couple of days. She came over to tell me what happened. We watched the news and saw how many kids they saved. My Digs did that on top of stopping a little girl and Ben from being shot. He helped get those kids free. I’m so proud of him. He looked surprised when I told him that, but I am. Jiminy. He was shot but had all the safety equipment like Tess said. It saved him. I’m so glad. What in tarnation would I do without him? I need to try harder.

My phone rings and I make plans to see Anita just before lunch at the Sub Shop. I look at the time and drive to the hair cutters. Its name is Haircuttery, but I call it hair cutters because Lenny always made the appointments and brought me. Maybe I should go somewhere else, I think as I step out. I parked a few inches from the sidewalk. I admire my parking ability because I never park right. I am getting my hair cut my way and I’m doing it with a smile. I parked right, I called Anita for advice, and I’m getting my hair cut just the way I want it. With determination, I walk in.

I get my hair cut and styled. Since I like it long, I left it long and had layers put in to make it light and the big curls bounce. I love it! It’s a good six inches shorter and I hope Digs likes it, but I love it, and based on what he said earlier, as long as I didn’t cut it all off, he’ll be happy with it. I just make it to the Sub Shop when Anita comes around the corner. “Look at you, child! New car, new hair and, if I’m not mistaken, new clothes. Love looks good on you, baby.”

I laugh. “It feels good too, Anita,” I tell her, grabbing my book and walking in. Evelyn takes our order and tells us to sit. We do and I start right in, telling her what Digs said this morning and what I decided to do about it.

“Child, you don’t need me for this, you know exactly what to do. I’m not giving you answers that you don’t already have. Let me see your list and I’ll tell you if I think you’re on the right path.” I give her the list and wonder if she’s going to tell me if I’m right or not.

“First off, Digs isn’t going to bat an eye if you spend more than a hundred dollars on something. You don’t need to get permission for that. If it was a thousand, I’d say maybe you should talk to him. The other thing is you writing ‘permission’. That’s probably more important than talking to him about money.” She closes the book and looks at me. “Digs doesn’t own you. You do. Once that gets through, you let me know.” She takes our sandwiches from Evelyn and opens hers.

I think about that while she eats. Why is asking permission so bad? If he wanted to do something I hope he talks to me. I even told him that. He bought the house and had the addition put on, then he bought me a car without asking. I didn’t get mad. Why wasn’t I mad about that? He did it because my other car was too big. He was right, but he didn’t ask me and I wasn’t mad. Maybe because it was about me being safe. It hits me. “I don’t own him! That’s why I wasn’t mad about the car. He did what he thought was best for me. Not because he owns me, it’s because he loves me!”

She’s nodding. “Now you got that. Look at your list and cross out what is just stupid.”

I get a pen and take a bite, looking at the list. “You sure I don’t need to talk to him about spending money?”

She rolls her eyes. “You work. I know Digs isn’t counting on your pay to help with bills. Every Officer has more money than God and no bills. They don’t need their women’s money. So you spend your money how you see fit and tell me what you need to talk to him about, child.”

I look at the list and smile up at her. Jiminy! “Not a darn thing!” She laughs.

“Now, don’t get too big for those britches. He’s a Brother and HS to boot. You let him know about girls’ night out and you listen when he tells you what will and won’t happen. That doesn’t mean you don’t do your thing, it means you take what he says into consideration. The Brothers are fair but have their own ideas on right. Kate deals with her men and realizes sometimes it’s reasons she doesn’t have for them going all Neanderthal on her. You need to do the same.”

I nod, agreeing and thinking about Kate, Jess, and Tess. They all work around the men even when they have to change what they do. It just gets done different. Digs says different isn’t bad. I can see that now. I can do this. I don’t need permission for anything. He loves me like I love him. He doesn’t need permission either. Wow, what a freeing thought. I rip the page out of the book and tear it up. “Thanks, Anita. I think I got it now.”

She stands up. “I believe you do, child. Come give me a hug before you fly away.” I do, then pay for our lunch.

I get a cake from the Bakery to celebrate my freedom. I smile all the way home. Walking in, I yell, “It’s just me!” I cut the cake, putting a big piece on a plate and grab two forks.

When I turn Digs is standing there with a smile. “Love your hair.”

I smile back, walking to the table. “Me too!”

He gets coffee for us and sets them on the table, then lifts me up and sits me in his lap. “We celebrating your haircut?”

I giggle. “Nope. We’re celebrating me finally getting it. You don’t own me, you love me.”

“About fuckin’ time,” he says, then kisses me.

*  *  *

Holy fuck, she’s killing me. I was pissed, but she’s got me wrapped. As soon as I saw her note I felt like a dick. I had her running away to figure shit out when I should have helped her. I sat and watched her every time she moved on tracking.

Now she’s looking more beautiful and all I can think about is taking her with my hand holding that hair back. She’s so damn happy as she feeds me a bite of cake. “Good cake.” She moans as she takes a bite. Shit, I want that moan. I let her get a couple of bites in and move the cake and coffee.

She watches me with a confused look until I sit her on the table. Then she smiles. “I like this more than cake,” she says, surprising the shit out of me and my dick. It jumps, telling me I’m not moving fast enough.

I pull her hair back, noticing it’s as soft as it looks and kiss her again. When I straighten I feel my back telling me no. I stand her up and pull her pants down. She’s smiling, so I keep going and slide mine down some. When she moves to straddle me I stop her and turn her around so she’s facing away, then pull her down on me. She’s wet and slides right on. Fuck if she doesn’t feel like home. “Move for me, babe.” She does. I slide my hands to her tits, pushing her bra up and squeezing her nipples. This time I get the moan. “Fuckin’ beautiful.” When she starts missing the rhythm she had going I help her keep pace until I’m ready to explode. Fuck. I move one hand to her pussy and the other to her sensitive nipple. “Going fuckin’ off, babe, come with me.” She’s ready and off before I go. Thank fuck! She falls back on me while I’m holding her waist down. Holy shit, I come forever. I kiss her head, then her neck. She moans, making me smile. I want all of them. Fuckin’ crazy ass Brother I’m turning into, jealous over a bite of cake. “Love you, Pen.”

“Hmmm. Love you too, Digs,” she says and I know she’s smiling. “Better than cake.”

I laugh. Fuckin’ Penny.

“I got some information on the doctor you asked about. He’s a fuckin’ piece of work,” I say, walking into Geek’s office. He looks at me and I see Darren sitting. He follows Geek’s eyes and looks at me, throwing chin. “I can come back.”

“No, stay, this has to do with CK too.” I hand him the file and move the chair so Darren can see both of us. I sign what he missed. He nods. “You got video?” Geek asks.

“I got one, but there has to be more. This guy was too sure in his movements to be new at this,” I say and sign.

He looks at Darren. “Pull Kate’s training records and find me more. This is important. It’s for one of ours.”

Fuck! I was afraid of that. “Who?”

He looks at me for a minute. “Jake. I don’t want there to be problems with this.”

I wave him off and sign. “There’s no problem. I’ll get what I can, but the old feeds are probably in storage.” He nods.

“Get with little Ben. Let him know what’s going on and get me the feeds however you can. Set Jessie on it if you have to,” Geek says and signs.

Darren nods. ‘Got it. Anything else?’ He talks while he signs, but it’s hard to understand sometimes. Geek shakes his head no. He signs, ‘later.’

Geek looks at me. “This isn’t a problem for you?”

“Not at all. I’ll start when I leave here. How’s Jake handling this?” He seems surprised, but Penny’s with me, so I don’t get why.

“He’s fuckin’ pissed. Your girl gets raped repeatedly, you’re pissed. It happened long before he met her but that doesn’t register.”

I think about Penny and all she went through. “Yeah.” I get it. I wish I could kill the fucker again.

“HS will be gearing up for some major shit. I’d appreciate if you could work with the Little Brothers when you can. They’ll be taken in CK training because of what’s going on with the MC and the Baxters, but I don’t want it to get buried. Jake’s girl is like the old ladies. No matter what the dick did to her, she kept fighting to get to good.”

I throw chin. “I’ll get with little Ben about a contact and hours when we meet later today. Will he have all this by then?” Now I’m itching to get started.

He laughs. “You’re typing without the keyboard. Danny was right. Darren was going to meet with him at Security when he left. Danny’s on a building site, so you’re free to get with him earlier for a plan to get this done and, Brother, I’m glad it’s a priority for you.” I throw him chin and walk out quickly.

At Security I get to work hacking the college employee records. “Geek said you were working it, but I thought he meant on your downtime.” Little Ben pulls a chair and sits.

“Your uncle is on a site, so this is my downtime,” I tell him, still typing. When I finish the code for the query I want run I stop and look at him.

“Jake’s woman is deaf. The pussy was her advisor. We don’t have enough to shut him down, but we’ll get it,” he says, watching for my reaction.

Fuckin’ deaf woman working to be a doctor and he raped her, repeatedly according to Geek. I clench my jaw so I don’t say what I’m thinking, but I want to hit him and she’s not even my woman. Little Ben nods. “Pretty much sums up what the rest of us feel.” I wonder how he knows what I’m thinking but stay silent. “This means something to Jake, but Darren is determined to take the bastard down.”

“Yeah.” He knows about overcoming the obstacles his deafness puts in front of him. He fought for his license, then his bike and his position in the MC. He would fight for a woman being used because of her deafness. Penny flashes in my head and I think this woman must be something else if she’s still fighting.

“So, I need you to send everything to Ricky. He’ll be heading this for the Club Kids to train with. We’ve got shit coming at us starting tomorrow, according to Christian. It won’t be quick, but we will get it done.” He stands and I throw him chin, wondering what’s going on. When he walks over to Security Rich comes in. He’s at Sticks’ console, gearing up for something. He looks over at me, then gets to work.

I think about Penny. Since she decided I didn’t own her, she’s been more than I ever thought she’d be. She’s funny and more vocal in deciding what she wants. I can’t even describe what a turn on that’s become. I shake my head and look at my screen. I hope Jake gets that too. I hit enter and watch the results pop up one by one. I start looking at employees on the day of the rape report.

“Digs!” I look back at the door. Rich is standing there. “Meeting.” I nod, closing everything down and jogging to the meeting room. I put my thumb on the pad and walk in. I’m surprised to see Tiny here. I throw chin and sit.

Danny and Bob walk in and VP starts. “Need everyone ready twenty-four seven. You get the text, you show dressed.” We nod. “Little Ben says it starts tomorrow. I think it’s already started, just haven’t caught it yet.”

“Do we know what we’re looking at?” Danny asks.

VP shakes his head no. “Just be ready. You’re not on a job, you’re here.” He looks at me. “Need you on IT when you’re not on a job. Know you moved, but Sticks ain’t you when shit goes down.”

“Wherever you need me,” I tell him.

He looks at Bob. “Need Security to double cover women.” Bob nods. “Danny, get covered, you’re HS till this is done. Tiny, need Brothers alerted and ready.”

“On it, VP,” they say at the same time.

“Need to watch women and Pres. He’ll shit a brick but need him covered out of the backyard,” he says, looking at Rich. He gets a nod and walks out.

We get our assignments in more detail from Rich and head out. Bob stops me as he’s walking around the table. “Penny needs tracking on her at all times. I’ll get someone on her today, but we need more than that without her on the compound.”

“I got it in all her jewelry, phone, purses, and car. She’s tracked.” After last time I explained it and gave her everything I had tracking in, then I spent a night building and putting tracking in everything I could think of. For Bob to be worried, my brain is working double time.

“Relax, Brother. I’m just being prepared. I don’t want to relive past mistakes.” He slaps my shoulder and keeps walking.

“She’s an old lady now. He picked her up when you went all in,” Tiny says from behind me.

“She doesn’t wear my cut,” I tell him, wondering why I haven’t gotten it for her.

“You being a dumbass doesn’t have anything to do with what the Brothers already know,” he says. Danny and Driscoll laugh.

I walk out thinking I need to get my cut on her. I spin around. “You can order that for me, right?”

“‘Bout fuckin’ time you get your head out of your ass,” VP says from behind me. Danny and Driscoll laugh again, but Tiny throws me chin.

I go to HS and send what I have to Rickey, then head over to the jewelers. Rich and Bob pull in on the side of me. I give them a questioning look. “Don’t want you fuckin’ it up.”

“I follow the list and haven’t fucked up yet,” I tell them.

Rich laughs. “This ain’t on the list.”

I can’t argue with that. “Okay. I need a ring.”

He laughs and slaps my shoulder. “Got that, Brother, let’s go find one.”

I walk in and the guy greets them like they’re his long lost relatives. I look around while they’re talking. I find a ring with a purple stone and know it’s the one. Bob comes over and agrees it’s the one. Rich has the guy bring wedding bands over and I pick a set that I like. “No, she’ll have one made for you, they all do. You pick one for her,” Rich tells me. The jeweler puts the purple ring near the others and I pick one that it fits in. It looks delicate but the leaf that will cradle the purple stone is thick and will hold up in time, the guy explains. That sounds like Penny. She looks delicate, but she’s strong.

“Perfect,” I tell him.

“What size?” he asks and I have no clue.

Rich calls Nancy and she tells him. “You can take the engagement ring, but I’ll have to resize the band.”

“How long?” He says a couple of days and I hand him my card.

While he’s getting paid, I look to see what Bob and Rich are looking at. Bob gets Amanda a necklace with a blue stone and Rich gets Tess a tennis bracelet. It’s nice, so I get one for Penny. I get them laughing again when I tell the guy it costs too much to play tennis in. I don’t get it, but they move on and pay.

“You need to find out what she wants big and make that happen for her,” Bob says.

“Big?”

“Amanda wanted the flowers, CJ the party, Kate the honeymoon, Jess the cake. Find out what she wants big.” I get it and nod. Now I’m wondering what she wants big. I don’t think she’ll want anything big but how the fuck would I know.

I take my card and bag and head home, wondering how to ask her to marry me and what she’ll say to that. She says she loves me, but is it enough to marry me? This is the first time I wished we lived farther away. I don’t have it all worked out yet. I leave the ring in my lower cargo pocket and carry the bag in. I go right to the computer room and stuff it in my drawer, thinking I need to get tracking on it too. I just bought her a car and she didn’t bitch about it. I need to give the bracelet to her when the car isn’t so fresh.

I start looking for her. Her car is here, but she didn’t come down when I pulled in. Climbing the stairs, I hear her up there moving around and follow the noise to her craft room. She’s cutting cloth on the table with buds in her ears. This is why she didn’t hear me pull in. I take in the room and can’t believe all the shit she does. I’m glad we got her all the cabinets and the big table. By the look of her newest project, she needed the bigger table. There are folded squares of cloth, taking up half of it. I step in and she looks up, then smiles.

Dropping the scissors, she walks to me. “I’m glad you’re home.” She stands on her tiptoes to kiss me. I bend and put my arms around her lifting her up, feeling her shirt is thick. She’s wearing a corset.

“You’re yelling.”

She turns red and pulls a bud out. “Sorry.”

I kiss her, hating that word on her lips, hoping she loses it soon. Her legs wrap around me and she moans. She’s always ready for anything. I set her down on the table and pull away. “What do you want for dinner?”

She looks at her cloth, then back at me. “I didn’t take anything out. I’ve been busy all day. Do you want me to make something quick?”

I’m glad she didn’t say sorry. “I can throw something together, then I need to get some work done for Geek. I’ll bring it up so you can get this finished.”

She’s smiling. “Thank you. I need to have it done for our next meeting. The Little sisters are learning to sew. We’ve found it helps to have it already cut out.” I nod. That’s a big group. No wonder she has so many piles.

I kiss her nose. “I’ll bring your dinner up.”

In the kitchen I search out something to cook and don’t like any of the choices, so I call for Chinese. I guess I’m not asking her tonight. She’s busy and I need to look into security at the college. I’m into the college feeds when I hear a car pull in. I make it to the door before the delivery guy rings the bell. I pay and carry the bag to the kitchen, hoping to surprise my girl as I set up a tray with our food and water and bring it up. She stops cutting and with a big smile pulls two chairs over. “This is perfect. Thanks.”

I lean over and kiss her. “I didn’t feel like any of the choices we have.”

“There’s still some pizzas in the freezer.” She’s serious.

“Babe, decorated cardboard isn’t food.” I don’t know how she can eat that shit and stay skinny. She laughs and we talk about everything not related to the processed almost plastic she calls food. Tess told her about the extra Security and long hours I may be working. I’m glad they’re friends. It helps when shit’s happening for Tess to explain it. She does it better than I can.

I put our empty cartons back on the tray and kiss her on the way out. I hear her laughing as I head down the stairs. I clean the tray and put it back, then go into the computer room.

Before I’m sitting, I notice my fingers moving and shake my hands. Shit, I need to stop that. I put my hands on the keyboard and relax into my chair. Something about the computer work relaxes me to the point that I get lost in code and everything around me disappears.

Something about the video bothers me, so I watch it from beginning end. It’s Security. He rolls his eyes as the woman is signing. The woman doctor doesn’t see it because she’s interpreting for Jake’s woman. What the fuck? I look for him in the feeds and follow where he’s been for the shift. He stays in the office for most of the time. Once he shows at Emergency and watches a patient that is rowdy, then he’s back in the office. What the hell kind of security is that? He shows again walking to a nurse’s station on the second floor where he talks for almost thirty minutes, then he’s called for Jake’s woman. I go back and see this is the third time she’s made a rape report. The PD doesn’t show. No counselor is brought in. The woman doctor brings Jake’s woman to a room and does a rape kit. It won’t be admissible, but she at least does something.

I send everything to Ricky and close my windows out. I wish I could talk to Jake and tell him, but there’s still a lot of shit to get through before he’s told. If this is a pattern of behavior, he’ll need that information too. There are too many unanswered questions, but I’d want to know shit like that. Jake’s the head of Baxters Security, but he asked for MC help. Maybe he knows and asked MC, knowing we can get the information that Baxters wouldn’t break the law for. I shake my head. I don’t really have anything in the big picture. I need to wait for Jessie to get the videos. Knowing Jessie, he’ll have the video this week. He doesn’t play around when he has a job.