Soothing His Madness (12 page)

Chapter Twenty Two

Taylor glanced at
Crystal. Her big plan to sneak out of the house was hampered by Crystal
deciding she was going to help paint Slade's bathroom with her instead of
taking the offer to use the squeaky bed to go back to sleep for a few hours
after the late night meeting. In ten minutes, Ray would be waiting at the
corner of the block for his money.

Even pretending to
be busy and wanting to paint the room herself, as a surprise for Slade when he
arrived home, only seemed to encourage Crystal to attach herself to Taylor's
hip all morning. She studied the one completely painted wall. To top off her
string of bad luck, the bathroom looked hideous. The half of a gallon of gray
paint she'd mixed together with a quart of warm tan color had morphed into the
color pink.

Not hot Harley
Davidson pink that'd go wonderful with black rugs but a pink, the color of a sun-faded
dyed Easter egg found in the yard from last year.

"Maybe he
won't notice." Crystal held the paintbrush out to her side. "I mean,
it's not that bad."

"We're talking
about Slade, right?" Taylor wrinkled her nose. "If the pinks not on
me, he avoids any shade of the color by walking ten feet around it, just to be
safe. It's his kryptonite."

"We could
always stop painting, and that way you only have to match the old color and
paint over the one wall," Crystal said.

"Absolutely
not." Taylor handed her the bucket. "Keep painting. I'll go search
the garage and maybe I'll get lucky and find another color we can mix in.
Besides, pink is better than not having a good cover on the walls. I don't
think anyone has painted in here for the last fifty years. When I scrubbed
above the sink a few days ago, I took the paint with it. It's not sanitary with
kids."

"Okay, but
it's your craziness you're creating. If Slade asks, I had nothing to do with
the new color." Crystal dipped the brush in the paint.

Taylor stepped to
the door. "Just keep painting. I'll go look for more paint."

She hurried out of
the room, grabbed her purse where she'd stored the money and walked into the
garage. Next to the truck parked inside, she stopped, unable to catch her
breath. She leaned over and forced herself to calm down. Everything was going
okay.

Slade would never have
gotten inside her purse out of respect for her privacy—or fear of touching any
girly products, so he had no idea she'd stuffed a large envelope full of one
hundred dollar bills totally twenty-fucking-grand in the bottom yesterday.
Crystal was painting and fully occupied for the moment. The boys sat next door,
safe and probably watching cartoons, oblivious to what was going on in the
outside world. Los Li hadn't shown up again and as far as she knew, they were
in Seattle.

"Oh my God,
what am I doing?" She hit the palm of her hand on the hood of the truck,
knocking the common sense out of her. "I love him. That's what I'm doing.
I'm keeping everyone happy. The boys want to be with their dad, and Slade needs
his kids."

She straightened,
pushing away all her negative thoughts. Deep down, she was doing this for Slade
and the boys. She unlocked the side garage door and slipped outside. Most of
all, she was doing it for herself. She couldn't lose her new family.

Thankful for the
early hour and it being a Saturday, most of the houses along the street had
their curtains closed. She walked at a brisk pace, eyes straight ahead and
looking for Ray skulking around. She couldn't even remember what kind of car he
drove, but it was probably some beat-up cage with a billowing exhaust.

In front of
Janice's house, she hurried in case the kids' babysitter spotted her through
the window. A block later, she stopped on the corner, surprised when Ray didn't
jump out at her. She checked her phone. She was two minutes early.

"Come on, come
on," she whispered, looking up and down both sides of the street.

A red Pontiac
pulled around the corner and slowed down. She clutched her purse with both
hands. Paranoia ate away at her. She was stupid to carry all her money in her
purse and come alone, but she didn't know Crystal well enough to trust her with
a secret. She'd be loyal to Raul, who would in turn tell Slade, because of the
MC rule.

The car veered over
to the curb and coasted to her. A few seconds later, the passenger side window
went down and she spotted Ray leaning over the seat looking at her.

"You better
have the money, or I'll drive on and pull into Slade's driveway. Hell, I'll
take the kids too, considering we'd get them back anyway." Ray's gaze went
from her, the rearview mirror, to the street.

"I've got it,
but this is all I have to my name." She unzipped her purse. "You
don't bother Slade again, and don't talk to the lawyer about the kids
either."

"Yeah, yeah,
just hand over the money." He held his hand out in the opened window.

She stepped forward
and handed him the envelope. "Here. It's all there. Do not turn Slade in
for having his kids."

Ray ripped open the
side of the envelope, thumbed through the bills. "You better hope it's all
there."

"You better
hope Slade never finds out," she said, wanting Ray to know she was serious
and not messing around.

"Nice doing
business with you." Ray shifted the car into drive, and sped away.

Wanting to go back
inside the house and forget she ever sunk to the level of dealing with Ray, she
headed home. Guilt and second guesses dirtied her thoughts. Disgusted and
paranoid, she was halfway home before she realized the neighbors to the left of
Slade's house were pulling out of their driveway. She shook her hair, pulling
it forward, and dipped her chin, hoping her hair would cover her face.

When the car passed
her, she looked up and found herself at the end of the driveway. Her cell phone
rang, and she dug in her pocket. She read the screen and panicked. It was
Slade.

She ran to the
garage, opened the door, and slipped inside as she pushed the talk button.
"Hey, honey."

"Everything
okay at the house?" Slade asked.

"Yeah. I-I'm
out in the garage looking for some paint." She kicked out at the rake
leaning against the wall. The yard tool clattered to the cement floor.

"There's two
buckets under the workbench—he paused—what do you need paint for?"

She forced a laugh.
"Um, just touching up the bathroom."

There was a lengthy
moment of no reply, and then he said, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Absolutely.
How are you?" She swayed back and forth, wanting to throw the phone or
confess her sins, and instead she reached up and fisted her hand in her hair,
ready to pull each strand out by the roots.

"Walking into
the meeting right now. I'll talk to you before we start the ride home."

"Okay."
She inhaled. "Ride safe."

"Right."
Slade lowered his voice and said, "Bye."

"Bye."
She disconnected the call and caught herself before she stumbled on the rake.

The garage door
going into the house opened and Crystal stepped out. "What's taking you so
long?"

She held up her
phone. "Sorry. Slade called, and he kept talking. Then I confessed to us
painting on the bathroom."

"Oh."
Crystal looked around the garage, bringing her gaze back to Taylor. "So,
did you find any more paint?"

She slapped her
hand on her forehead. "No. We'll have to go with pink. Why don't you take
a break, and I'll finish the rest."

Taylor followed
Crystal back into the house. She had to stay busy or go insane. Her
transgressions were piling up and suffocating her. By tonight, she'd know if
Slade suspected a thing, and have her family back under the same roof. All she
had to do is not have a heart attack while she waited.

Chapter Twenty Three

In all of Slade's time
as a Bantorus Motorcycle Club member, he'd never witnessed the type of eschewed
rejection the Lagsturns displayed toward Raul, the former Lagsturns president.
Slade sat at the table in the back of a tavern by the name of Red Shots and
watched the proceedings. Each member of the Bantorus crew that rode today sat
at the table, except for Raul who stood in the corner, his face angled away
from any Lagsturns member.

Surprisingly enough,
Raul accepted the odd shunning and understood that if he acknowledged any
member, Lagsturns would shot him in the back. Slade shifted in his chair,
uncomfortable with the risks. Bantorus rules stated any member leaving the club
would be stripped of their tat and forced to leave the territory or worse,
taken out if the crime for banishment went against the Bantorus MC.

So far, they'd
never had to take someone out. Bantorus members were loyal for life.

"We've voted
and came back split," Duck, the current president of the Lagsturns, said.

Duck's firm mouth
and stiff body language disappointed Slade. He'd hoped the Lagsturns would ride
with Bantorus for their fight against Los Li. A split vote put too many men out
on the road with their own plan and independent opinion, and he couldn't trust
any of them. Bantorus needed one-hundred percent solidarity for this run.

"What happens
when Los Li tries to route through Northern Cali? Are you giving them
permission to poach on your turf? Are you going to let them take your women?
Hurt your families?" Rain leaned back in the chair. His vest and colors
clearly marked which side he represented.

"I didn't say
that." Duck looked down the left side of the table to his men.
"Members have agreed I can make the final decision in the chance of a
split vote. We've lost two men in the last six weeks to Los Li. Our members got
greedy and stupid. I don't sit back and let shit happen to my club or let my
men fuck up."

Slade straightened
in his chair. He respected Duck's stance. Club comes first. Decisions came out
of respect for the MC community and loyalty, or the brotherhood fell apart
faster than road rash healed.

"Understood,"
Rain said. "Bantorus MC will accept whatever you decide."

Duck studied every
man at the table, blatantly ignoring Raul in the room. "We'll ride with Bantorus…for
the brotherhood."

"Only rule,
you don't bring the powder into my town. No dope." Rain thumped two fingers
against the table. "Don't touch the women."

"Even your
bitches?" Duck asked.

Rain nodded. "Every
single one of our women, and the female citizens in Pitnam too."

"That's a damn
cold ride, brother. My members are going to need something to see them through
their stay. We don't know how long this ride will take." Duck looked at
his men before gazing at Rain again, and asked, "Weed?"

Rain shrugged.
"It's Washington. Grass is legal."

"Okay then. We
ride." Duck's lips softened and he leaned across the table, shook Rain's
hand, and then motioned for his men to leave the room.

Slade stood and
Rain motioned him to sit back down. He returned to his seat.
"Problems?"

"Only the ones
that came with sharing our colors with the Lagsturns." Rain leaned against
the armrest. "I want you to escort Raul out, watch his back. I don't trust
them, and I won't have them trying to take him out, just to avoid working with
him as they merge with Bantorus."

"Then your ass
is coming with me." Slade remained seated. "I won't leave you
unprotected."

"If you're not
feeling good about the agreement, speak now." Rain watched Duck and the
other men congregate to the other side of the room, opposite of Raul. "Are
you picking up anything I'm missing from the meeting?"

"It's a necessary
move, I just don't like it. The sooner we can get out of here and prepare
everyone back in Pitnam, the better," Slade said.

Together, Rain and
Slade escorted Raul outside. Slade watched for any sign that Raul seemed
bothered by the Lagsturns treatment, and came up empty. Raul stood relaxed and
free of tension.

Most of Raul's
calmness came naturally. Trained to keep his cool and know when to play his
hand, the former FBI agent had balls of steel. He wasn't totally behind Raul's
dedication to club life. A man who leaves his club already had a black mark
against him. Nevertheless, Raul's actions were earning his respect.

So far, the rumors
of him still being FBI had gone unclaimed. Slade didn't care one way or
another, because right now, they needed Raul's connection to the Lagsturns.

"Ronny and
Jedman will stay behind and set up a plan. We'll use our formula of protecting
the town. Double up first riders, seconds, and thirds amongst both clubs. The
rest are on standby. I'll put the call out to let the other clubs know that
Bantorus and Lagsturns ride together for the foreseeable future." Rain
walked to his bike.

Slade followed him,
letting his president have his thoughts and time to swallow the bitter reality.
Times were changing, and not for the good. He never thought he'd see the day a
territorial motorcycle club would park their bike beside a one-percenter. The
upheaval left an ugly taste in his mouth.

Slade rolled out,
falling behind Rain. For the next five hours, they rode in conformed lines, a
mile long. The lack of other MC's along their route and no sign of Los Li
disturbed him. They were out there somewhere, and they never stayed quiet for
long.

After seeing his
president off at Cactus Cove, Slade rode toward home alone. He leaned heavy on
the throttle, hoping his worries that a clear road didn't mean shit happened in
his absence to interrupt his family's peace.

He pulled into the
driveway and parked his Harley. He glanced next door at Janice's house. Everything
appeared normal, the drapes were open, porch light off, and the window on the
side where the kitchen was located was lit up like a beacon, twenty-four/seven.
He knocked on the front door of his house, while putting his key in the lock.
His bike would've warned Taylor and Crystal he was home, but both girls were
armed, and he'd be stupid to walk in unannounced.

He found the living
room empty. "Taylor!"

"Back
here." She called from the other end of the house. "In the
bathroom."

He grinned, heading
in her direction. He'd forgotten that she was painting this morning. She should
be done by now.

At the door to the
bathroom, his good mood over being home fled. "What the hell?"

All four walls were
pink. Not peach or even purple, which he could've handled—but the most putrid
pink, almost the color of beer and pizza coming up after a bender. He stepped
back in the hallway and dragged his gaze away from the walls to Taylor.
"Really?"

Taylor's solemn
expression turned to Crystal and three seconds later, she laughed. And she kept
on laughing. Crystal joined her, until both girls were holding on to each other
to keep from falling over. He shook his head and strolled back into the living
room, letting them have their fun. First chance he had, he'd visit the hardware
store and pick up a real color, like white or brown. Yeah, brown was a kickin'
ass color for a bathroom and take less cleaning.

He settled into his
recliner as Taylor and Crystal stumbled into the room, trying to hide their
laughter and failing. He pulled the lever on the side of the chair and stared
up at the ceiling in amusement. Doesn't matter how old he became, he'd never
figure out women and what entertained them.

Taylor came over
and sat on the arm of the chair. He pulled her down and kissed her thoroughly,
enjoying her lips on his mouth, her sweet taste, and her warmth. He was bone
tired from putting all the miles on his bike today, and only wanted to sit here
and have his hands on his woman.

"Sorry,
honey." Taylor snuggled down on his chest. "We just got the second
coat on, and when it dries it'll be sealed up nice and strong. In a couple of
days, I'll repaint it a color you like."

"Brown."
He sighed, and looked over at Crystal on the couch. "Raul will be here any
minute. He wanted to drive by your guys' house first and then he'll swing by
for you."

Crystal nodded.
"Is he…okay?"

He'd watched
Crystal destroy Rain and Tori's life, then come back to make amends. Whatever
her and Raul had together seemed to work, despite Slade not understanding how
they could forget about each other's past. Betrayal and lies were something he
wouldn't put up with from a woman.

"Yeah,
sweetheart, no problems with the Lagsturns or Raul." Slade heaved him and
Taylor into a sitting position.

"Good."
Crystal slumped against the couch. "Will the Lagsturns be coming to
Pitnam?"

Slade softened his
words. "You'll have to talk to Raul. That's club business."

Crystal nodded and
then her attention went to the door. The sound of a Harley growing closer
distracted her from asking any more questions he couldn't answer. He lifted
Taylor off his lap, stood her on her feet, and got up to let Crystal out.

Taylor said a quick
goodbye to Crystal, and Slade shut the door after she and Raul rode away.
"I'll walk over and get the boys."

"Hang on a
sec." She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her
head went to his chest, and he slid his fingers into her hair, holding her
against him. His upper body warmed, and his lower body pulsed. Damn, it felt
good to be home.

Her body trembled
on a sigh. He tilted her face up to look in her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah."
She smiled, but dropped her gaze to her hand, which was smoothing his vest.
"Just glad you're home and everyone is okay. Now you can get the boys, and
everything will be perfect. I'll go start dinner. I bet you're hungry."

She moved away, and
he pulled her back. "Baby girl…"

She smiled
brighter. "I'm okay. Really."

He cocked his head
and watched her hurry into the other room. Going through the stress of the club
was hard on her. She needed time and attention. Once shit slowed down, he'd make
sure she understood where she belonged in his life. Maybe then, she'd settle
down and relax.