Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway Read online

  Stumbling to the bed, she turned and toppled, holding herself upright on the edge with effort.

  From their brief discussions back in the hotel, Marian knew Myrt had invested months of planning in her escape, slowly saving up enough of a sum to get her by. The relationship with Bane meant Myrt had a partner now, someone to help carry that burden. Something he seemed all-in on, his love and affection for Myrt making it clear he’d go to the ends of the earth to keep her.

  I’ve always been a planner.

  It was why the church ladies always asked her to lead their dinners and projects. As long as Marian could get it down on paper, she could make nearly anything happen. For the first time in her own life, everything depended on Marian finding a way forwards, even when starting with nothing.

  Myrt’s pregnancy would mean she’d need help around the house, but that was easily something Vanna or Sharon could do. Of course, Sharon has her own kids, and Vanna’s older. Marian could selectively take on the harder jobs, leaving them to mother Myrt as needed. She’d seen the remains of a largish garden behind Vanna’s house. Dirt work was something Marian was well accustomed to, so contributing to that effort would be something in the positive column.

  Bane’s comment about needing all the help they could get to help prepare the building downtown for the intended purposes danced along the edges of her mind. She didn’t know what a clubhouse was used for, but if it was a mess inside, then there’d be walls and floors to scrub, windows too. All of that was within Marian’s meager skill set. She supposed she could paint. Lifting her head, she glanced around the spare bedroom. It would take time to get things done at the clubhouse. Maybe she could test her hand out here first, gain confidence in picking out colors or whatever was needed for that kind of thing.

  Her childhood home had been styled by a dozen hands, her father along with his many dead wives, their efforts piling on until the walls should have groaned at the weight. The only room that had been bare was hers. Tiny, tucked behind the pantry near the back of the house, it had originally been a mudroom.

  There was a room in this house that was similar.

  Marian froze in place.

  Bane had put his friend on the couch last night because Marian was taking up the main guest bedroom.

  I could make out it was my choice. Say that this room’s too big, too bright.

  The mudroom would suit her fine. Couple of wooden boards and she could make a bedstead. Thad’s bunk bed had an extra mattress on top of it, something that had caused laughter about looking like the princess bed and claiming he needed to watch out for peas.

  Mattress on the floor would be fine to start.

  The more she made herself small, the less likely it was people would notice her. The more she helped, the more they’d appreciate what she could offer. If it never earned her a dollar, it was still worthy, and working for bed and board something she was well acquainted with.

  The trick would be to do all of that without someone realizing how desperate she was to stay. To be around so many people without letting them see the panic inside her. The fear driving her forwards.

  I just have to hide in plain sight.

  Should be easy.

  ***

  Einstein

  “What’d you say to her?” Bane’s question had an edge, and Einstein looked away from the stairs where he’d been watching Marian make her way up them.

  “Me? I didn’t say anything. Woke up and she was starting breakfast. I startled her at first, but explained who I was.” He sipped his coffee. “Set the table while she cooked, helped where I could, but she seemed to have her routine down. She was fine.”

  “She was quiet.” Bane looked down at his plate. “After that bullshit with Horse, the last thing I need is Gunny on my ass about Marian again. I’ll get Myrt to check in with her today, make sure she’s settling in okay.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He realized he was looking at the stairs again and tore his gaze away.

  “You serious about hanging around to help out downtown?” Bane shoveled the last forkful of eggs into his mouth, staring at Einstein.

  “Hell yeah. I got nothin’ goin’ on back in Birmingham. Retro and I had the conversation I needed yesterday, so I can hang around for a few days. I’ve worked construction before, if that’s any help.”

  “Big-time help.” Leaning back in his chair, Bane grabbed the coffee carafe again and topped up his cup, then Einstein’s. “Appreciate the fuck out of it—” Mouth twisting, Bane shook his head. “Okay, that sucks. I don’t do sensitive very well or bother with assumptions. I was about to call you brother, but then stuttered my way out of it because with everything I’ve heard, I don’t know if you’d take it from me.”

  Einstein laughed, straight from his gut, because the expression on Bane’s face said this not knowing hurt him somehow, and the idea was ridiculous. “That’s okay, man. I’d take it. Stories I heard from Blackie—who my president trusts with his life—is more than enough to set you on a different stage from what might have been.” He pointedly glanced at the ceiling, then back to Bane, one eyebrow up. A quick headshake in response told him everything he needed to know. Myrt must not be aware of Bane’s family, not the gritty details at least. “No worries, brother. Ain’t no big. You be you, and I’ll do me. I suspect we’ll get on well enough that way.”

  Footsteps sounded overhead, a loud clomping that couldn’t be Marian. Einstein turned to the stairs in time to see two boys making their way down. One was early teens, the other slightly younger, and both wore cautious expressions. The brothers. He had seen them at a distance yesterday, trailing around with the donkey in tow a couple of times. As they approached the kitchen, from up close he saw a resemblance with Myrt, but not so much Marian. Wonder why?

  “Luke, Thad—ready to have some breakfast?” Bane stood with his arms out, and both boys arrowed directly to him and ran into his embrace. He liked that Bane didn’t hold back his affection, giving each boy a close hug and leaning near to say quietly to both of them, “Marian made pancakes and bacon. Eggs are all gone, but you snooze, you lose.” He grimaced as he released the boys. “Myrt had to head back upstairs, but I don’t think she’ll be ready to eat for a while.” Bane moved the empty plates to the far end of the counter, as if they were offensive. “She’d already puked once this morning, so I didn’t think about it as we came down.”

  Morning sickness? There’d been a couple of comments yesterday that weren’t quite specific enough to point to a pregnancy, but Bane’s statements didn’t leave much room to question. They’d only known each other for a handful of weeks. Einstein frowned and looked at Bane. If she’d gotten pregnant right away, she still wouldn’t be experiencing morning sickness.

  As if feeling Einstein’s scrutiny, Bane turned to face him. Taking in Einstein’s expression, Bane mouthed, “Later.”

  Good enough for me. Even if there was a story here, it wasn’t his to get involved with anyway.

  “I can get a scramble going.” Moving with the familiarity working alongside Marian had provided, he retrieved the eggs and set the previously used skillet on a burner. Listening to the boys and Bane chatting while he scrambled up and served another batch of eggs had him gritting his teeth. They seemed oblivious to their missing sisters upstairs, going on about the people they’d met over the past few days, Bane chiming in with little details that turned each name into a fuller version of a person.

  He deliberately pushed aside his annoyance, focused instead on taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity for information gathering.

  “Horse is one tough son-of-a-gun.” Bane’s chuckle told volumes about his respect and brotherly love for the man Gunny’d been ready to go to pound-town on last night. “Back when I was trying to join the Freed Riders, they initially didn’t want me.”

  “Why didn’t they want you, Bane?” Thad’s question was asked through a mouthful of eggs and bacon. The boy had foregone the pancakes, leaving them for Luke, who was plowing throu
gh syrup-soggy bites rapidly. Thad swallowed as he shook his head. “They were crazy. You’re awesome.”

  “Well, thanks for that.” Bane reached out and gripped the boy’s shoulder in a quick gesture, pulling back to give Luke’s arm a squeeze too. “I don’t blame them one bit. I was kind of a mess back then. Looking for something and finding everything except the one thing you want will do that for you.”

  “What were you looking for?” Luke reached for another slice of bacon, shoving it into his mouth in one go.

  “Something better than I had. I grew up in a dysfunctional family, afraid every day that I’d somehow manage to catch their brand of crazy.” He shrugged and glanced at Einstein, the direct look telegraphing Bane knew he was listening. “I’d just about run the breadth of the country looking. Found a variety of people I’d connect with, but there’d always be something not right. Something missing. I’d heard about Blackie and his crew, and the stories sounded too good to be true. Then I got there and found out everything I’d heard was right. They felt right. Like a family. A true one.”

  “Did your daddy beat you too?” Luke’s low question had Einstein’s breath stuttering in his chest. The matter-of-fact way the boy had opened the door on his treatment at home was devastating. Glancing at Bane, he saw evidence of the same dismay. “If he did, then I wish you’d had a sister like Marian. She’d stop him every time she caught him doing that to either of us.” He gestured towards Thad, whose fork was frozen midway between plate and mouth. “Didn’t matter she’d get it worse for not knowing her place. You shoulda had a sister like Marian.”

  Bane cleared his throat, Einstein following suit, glad the boy hadn’t asked him a question.

  “Not my daddy, but my grandpa. And my brother. I didn’t have a sister like that, but I got real good at running and hiding.” Bane’s hand curled around Luke’s neck, and he pulled him close. “Found out early that there’s no shame in turning tail if it’ll save me gettin’ my ass whipped for no reason. That’s what was different about Blackie’s crew.” He paused, throat visibly working. “Found something worth fighting for in them. And now, I’ve found the same with you four. You guys, your sisters—it’s my honor to have you be part of my family.”

  “Not everyone had someone to step in and keep them safe. Myrtie didn’t.” Thad’s fork clattered against the edge of his plate, ringing out a staccato beat of bad memories.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Bane’s words trembled with an ill-suppressed rage, bringing both boys’ attention back to him, and Einstein watched as Luke’s face softened while Thad’s developed hard lines. From what he’d seen so far, that reaction typified the boys—Luke the empathetic one and Thad everyone’s protector. “I’d give anything to turn back the clock.”

  “You had your own row to hoe.” Thad’s headshake looked older than his years, a reluctant acceptance of things he couldn’t change. “You want to turn back the clock? I want to turn it forwards so I could have been old enough to save Myrtie.”

  Luke’s bottom lip dropped, and he turned his face, burying it again against Bane’s chest. The silence around the table grew, elongating until it was heavy in the air. Einstein needed to change the subject before one of the boys innocently asked about his family.

  That frantic fear drove him, and his… “Bane, what kind of plans do you have for the clubhouse today?” might have been louder than normal, but he needed to be sure his topic change would stick.

  The grateful expression on Bane’s face said he welcomed the question, and he rattled off a dozen tasks he deemed most pressing. Their conversation flowed naturally. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Luke pulled away, and the boys slowly went back to eating, finishing their meals without prompting. He gathered the empty dishes from the counter as Bane continued, rinsing and placing them in the dishwasher while asking clarifying questions about details.

  Walking around the end of the island, he paused with his back to the room as he listed various suggestions. It was clear Bane hadn’t worked construction, making Einstein glad he was here before they started tearing down and building back. He finished with, “We’ll need to map out the load-bearing walls and beams, and ensure they’re left intact, even as we open up the bottom floor as much as possible like you want. There’s a lot of planning into that part, but we can do a good portion while we’re clearing out the trash. No big.”

  “I want to help.” He turned to see Marian had come back downstairs and was nervously rubbing her palms against the sides of her thighs. She’d changed pants, and wore boots now, hair scraped back from her face. Her glance at him was pleading, but it was Bane she spoke to. “Myrt needs to rest and shouldn’t be around the chemicals anyway. I can clean while you do the other stuff.”

  “Not turning down offers of help.” Bane’s easy response surprised Einstein. “But don’t feel like you have to. Nobody’s asking that of you.”

  “I know.” Her smile was fleeting. “There’s not much to do here. I’m used to keeping busy.”

  They all turned at the sound of the front door opening, and Einstein watched the man from the bonfire last night, Horse, walk inside. Not my house, not my place to ask why he’s here. Gunny’s words resonated through his head, turning his instant on-guard a match for Gunny’s wariness. Last night Einstein hadn’t yet met Marian, didn’t know how fucking terrified she was, hadn’t understood the threads of people-pleasing warring with a bone-deep anxiety inside her. An hour working alongside her don’t make me an expert, but she’s a woman who’ll need careful handling. If Horse was aiming at an old lady, he’d have an uphill battle to fight by picking Marian. And she’s going to need to want it.

  “Hello the house,” Horse called, an easy smile on his lips. His eyes darted from Bane to Marian and stuck there. Einstein watched as warm color slowly tinted Marian’s cheeks, her gaze pinned to the toes of her shoes.

  “Hey man,” Bane returned easily, reminding Einstein that these men were patch brothers and had known each other for years. He thought about the stories circulating of how Bane had reacted to Marian’s plight, the way he’d dealt with her and Myrtle’s father—and Einstein relaxed a hair.

  “Thought you might need an extra pair of hands today.” Horse continued walking until he stood near the table, gaze swinging back to Bane. Even without his scrutiny on her, the blush Marian wore deepened.

  Her hands are trembling. Anxiety or excitement, it was hard to tell which from the few clues she’d provided. He scooted farther around the counter, moving towards Marian as he made space for Horse, blocking the man’s view of her. Close enough to hear her take a heavier breath in followed by a slow exhale, he leaned his forearms on the edge of the island and stretched a leg back, tapping her ankle with the toe of his boot. Another slow breath in and out, and a brief pressure appeared against his foot.

  Maybe she just needs to know someone’s in her corner.

  “Gunny’s gonna be there.” The warning look Bane leveled at Horse spoke to his memory of the near altercation at the fire last night, too.

  “Already talked to him this morning. Cleared the air.” Horse scoffed. “Man’s got a hero complex, big as a barn.”

  “He’s my SAA, brother.” The tone of Bane’s voice had changed subtly, dropping an octave as it became an admonition. “Don’t need no shit.” He stood, and Einstein matched his movement, shuffling a half step towards Marian. If Bane was expecting to throw down with his patch brother, Einstein wouldn’t be in the middle of it, but he’d make sure the woman was well clear.

  “What’s SAA?” Luke’s question broke the silence, and when Einstein looked at the boys, he found Thad standing in front of his brother. The similarity to his positioning with Marian was striking.

  No surprise there.

  “Means he stands at my back. Helps keep me and our brothers safe.” Bane’s explanation didn’t encompass the full duties of a SAA but was close enough. The implication that Gunny might have to protect Bane against Horse was interesting, but m
aybe Einstein was the only one who took the words that way.

  “Against threats outside the club, or from inside if needed.” Maybe not. Horse’s response said he’d understood Bane the same as Einstein. The rigidness of his shoulders spoke to how the warning had been received. “Which won’t happen, because brothers have each other’s backs, too.”

  “How about you, Einstein? Where do you stand on the topic of brothers having other brothers’ backs? Hmm?” Bane’s gaze didn’t budge from where he had Horse pinned, and Einstein wasn’t certain what motivation was behind trying to drag him into their argument.

  Not playing your games. “My take on it is narrowed to the reality within the Bama Bastards. I try not to think about other examples I might have experienced. With the BBMC, hell yeah, we have each other’s backs, come hell or high water. Other clubs?” He shrugged, and Bane turned to look at him, eyes wide and brows lifted. “Some, not so much. In my experience, it is entirely dependent on the leadership. Knowing Blackie as I do from the stories about the man, I’d expect him to cultivate a supportive atmosphere. Good men do that.” Can’t forget who his family is. Lifting his chin, he stared at Bane, shifting into a more aggressive stance. “Bad men, not so much.”

  They remained like that, silent shouts rocketing between them as Einstein tried not to shove it into Bane’s face that he knew where the man had come from. That wouldn’t do any good, nor would fixating on what that history had done to Einstein. And my girls.

  “I’m going to go and get Myrt settled in upstairs. Crackers and clear soda will help her past this morning’s tummy issues.” Marian’s quiet voice broke the oppressive silence, and her arm brushed Einstein as she moved past him, her fingers trailing across the back of his hand in a supportive move. Bane turned his back on the room to look out the kitchen window. Marian reminded him, “I’ll be back down in a minute, Bane. I still want to help.”