GUNNER, page 8
“I’m not in a sorority and I don’t plan to be. My name is Amanda, please use it.” She turned and set a stack of books on the counter, her back to Ice, tears threatening to spill.
“Hey…hey I’m sorry…shit, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it as an insult. I mean you look like a sorority girl, all beautiful and pure and innocent.”
“Huh, you don’t know much about sorority girls do you?” she said with a sneer.
Okay…pretty girl doesn’t like sororities…noted.
“I’m really sorry and you’re right, I don’t know anything about sorority girls. I went to school online while in the Navy. Coffee?”
“Sure…black, no sugar, one cream.” She’d surprised him once again with her order and he turned to head next door.
“Oh, by the way, my buddy is upstairs as well. His name is Axe…Axel Mains. If you hear footsteps just let him know you’re here.” She nodded and watched as he left the store. A few minutes later he was back with the coffee and a box of pastries. He texted his friend who came down a few minutes later. Amanda couldn’t help but notice how good looking both men were.
Their hair was slightly longer than she liked on a guy, but they were all man. Both had tattoos up and down their arms, one had crystal clear blue eyes, the other deep rich brown eyes, but it was the one named Ice that set her blood on fire.
Slow down girl…one more semester and you’re out of this hell…no distractions.
“Well,” said Ice, “since you’re here now, we’ll head out. Darby should be back this evening. If you run into any problems before then, just give me a call.” He handed a piece of paper with his number on it and smiled at her. She nodded, gracing him with just the hint of a grin, but it was enough for Ice.
As they headed to the barn, Axe grinned at his friend.
“Cute girl,” he said.
“Yea…girl…not woman, girl.”
“Brother, I think you’ve lost your fucking mind. She said she was twenty-one, a senior in college, more than legal and that damned sure was no girl…she was woman all the way.” Ice cursed under his breath…not because he was angry…because he had no reply to that logic.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Darby woke, stretching her body to discover delightful places she was aching. She rolled over to find a cold empty bed, her heart dropping to her stomach. Get it together Darby…you’re in his damned house…he wouldn’t leave his own house. She pushed from the bed, stretching and pulled on a clean pair of shorts and t-shirt. Quickly brushing her teeth, she splashed her face with cold water and opened the bedroom door…then smiled.
The sounds of laughter floated upstairs, her daughters giggles mixed with the smell of coffee and something else. She walked slowly so as not to disturb the moment, taking one step at a time. As she rounded the corner she heard the conversation, tucking herself back around the wall.
“Were you always this big Mister Gunner?” asked Calla.
“Me? No way! I was so little my mom and dad had to give me special food to help me grow.” She could see her daughters’ wide eyes and heard her gasp. “Yep…my older brother was really big and always protected me in school until I got bigger.”
“Wow…you have a brother?” she asked.
“I do. I have two in fact, one older…one younger. Keep stirring,” he said pointing to the bowl.
“What are their names?”
“Hunter and Striker.”
“Uncle Hunter and uncle Striker,” she whispered. Gunner grinned at the little girl and nodded.
“Gunner…I mean Mister Gunner…”
“You can just call me Gunner baby, it’s okay.”
“Ummm…okay…Gunner…did you have a daddy?” she asked. Gunner stopped what he was doing and looked at the little girl perched on his kitchen counter. Her long brown hair was pushed back in a messy ponytail that he’d tried to tie for her. She had dressed herself in her shorts and top, her feet bare, dangling from the counter.
“I do have a daddy, he’s still alive. He was the best dad in the whole world,” he said smiling.
“He…he didn’t hit you or yell at you? Did you get to see him every day?” asked Calla.
“No baby, he didn’t hit me or yell at me. He had rules and we had to follow the rules, but they were to make sure that my brothers and I were safe. He used to take us to baseball games and to the movies…he even took us camping and fishing.” Calla nodded, looking down at her feet.
Darby gripped her chest, wanting to sob for the loss her daughter was feeling.
“I wish I had a daddy like that,” she said quietly. Gunner lifted the girl from the counter, carrying her to the kitchen table, where he sat her in front of him on top of the table.
“You listen to me sweet Calla. You are the most beautiful, lovable little girl in the whole world. One day…soon I hope…I’m going to ask your mommy to marry me and then I’m going to ask you to be my little girl…”
“Yes! I want to be your little girl,” she cried wrapping her arms around his neck. Gunner chuckled and hugged her back.
“Well, now you have to hear the whole deal okay?” Her little head nodded up and down. “You have to clean your room, make your bed, listen to your mom and me, go to school…”
“I do all that now,” she said excitedly.
“I know baby girl, but you also have to be kind, love others, be sweet to your aunts and uncles, kind to the babies they’re going to have. I also expect that you’ll have to eat your vegetables.” She frowned staring at him.
“I’m allergic to vegetables.” Darby almost burst out laughing.
“Is that the truth or a tale?” asked Gunner seriously. She bit her lower lip and looked down.
“A t-tale…I just don’t like anything green,” she said. He nodded with a stern expression.
“Well…I’ll be honest, I don’t like some of the green stuff either. How about I see if we can make a deal with mom and only have green stuff three times a week.” She held up two fingers and he shook his head. “No can do kiddo…three times.”
“Okay, if I eat my green stuff three times in a week, make my bed, clean my room, and mind the adults…will you be my daddy…will you make sure no one is mean to me ever again?” Gunner swallowed hard, pulling Calla into his big chest.
“Baby, even if for some rotten reason I don’t become your daddy, I will make sure no one is ever mean to you again…I promise,” he said kissing her forehead. Darby couldn’t take it any longer, she turned the corner smiling at the two conspirators.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully.
“Morning beautiful,” he said standing to kiss her. “We’ve been making breakfast.”
“And just so you know mommy…Gunner is gonna be my daddy one day and then you can sleep with him all the time.” Calla hopped down and took off toward the living room, turning on the cartoons once again. Darby could only stand there open-mouthed, then turned to see Gunner grinning.
“She is right baby. Marry me…let me wake up to you every morning…let me make that little girl mine. I know what you’re thinking…I understand what you’re feeling Darby, but I don’t want to live without the two of you. I want to wake up every morning like I did today, with you curled up next to me and that little girl anxiously waiting for me to make breakfast with her.”
“God Gunner,” she said letting out a slow breath. “I…I want this I do…”
“Too fast?” he said smiling at her.
“A little,” she grinned. “Give me a few days to think?” He nodded kissing her.
“Not going anywhere baby, but just so you know, neither are you.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ice and Axe smiled at the other brothers seated across from them, telling them of the three idiots who found themselves on camera last night. Ace was still trying to identify the one that looked up, but they were certain he would be in a database somewhere.
“So the little fuckers thought they’d just walk right in and create mayhem?” asked Tango.
“Guess so,” shrugged Ice. “Once they saw all the cameras and sensors they backed away. We slept in the apartment and didn’t hear a thing until I came down this morning. Nearly scared the shit out of Darby’s part-time help.”
“Damn brother, try not to kill the help,” grinned Tango.
“She was just a scared college kid,” he said brushing it off. He didn’t want to think about the little girl in the book store, although the more he thought about her, the more he recognized she wasn’t a little girl.
“Anybody see the little hotties that came to the barbecue last night?” asked Razor grinning at the group.
“Which ones?” smiled Tango, although the one he wanted to show up hadn’t.
“The four all dressed alike…cut offs so high you could see their ass cheeks, tiny little tank tops with no bra…fuck brother…that was some good looking ass there.”
“Yep,” said Eagle, “tasted good too.”
“You shithead,” said Razor grinning, “Which one did you take to bed?”
“All of ‘em,” said Hawk and Eagle together. Tango looked up at the two men and back at Razor.
“You two little shits telling me you fucked four women…together last night?” asked Tango. Eagle just shrugged, but it was Hawk that gladly gave them the details.
“Chicks dig twins, brother. They all took their turns with us and each other…some next level freaky shit right there. They all work at some big clothing store in the city. Heard about Club Steel and wanted a taste of a biker.”
“Taste indeed,” said Eagle grinning at his twin. Tango groaned uncomfortably in his chair, fixing his dick as it hardened hearing about the twins and the four girls.
“One of ‘em was even too freaky for me,” said Hawk. “Shit, that little blonde with the curls? That bitch came prepared. She had cuffs, whips, even brought her own dildos. Didn’t want to touch that shit, but she damned sure played with it on her friends.”
“Fuuu…”
“Uncle Tango!”
“Fudge,” he said quickly. “Hi precious…did you sleep good?”
“Yes! I just wanted to make sure you had a good sleep too,” she said smiling. He laughed and pulled her onto his lap.
“I did, thank you. That’s very sweet of you.” She nodded her little head and looked around the room.
“Did you have a good sleep uncle Hawk? Uncle Eagle?” She went down the line and each man looked at her, knowing she was up to something.
“Okay squirt, we all had a good sleep. What’s up with the questions?” asked Tango.
“Well…Gunner said if he and mommy get married and he’s my dad I have to clean my room and make my bed and mind mommy and him, but he also said I have to be nice to everyone…to be sweet to the adults…so I’m tryin’ real hard. But…”
“But what precious?” asked Tango.
“They’re gonna make me eat my green stuff,” she said with a disgusted face. Tango stood with her in his arms looking angry.
“What!? This is outrageous! Where are they?” Calla giggled as Tango took off down the hallway with her in search of her mom and Gunner. Ice could only smile at the sweet interaction, then feeling his phone vibrate, pulled it out of his pocket to see an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Ummm…Ice…I mean…Decker, this is Amanda,” she said in a whisper.
“Hey Amanda, what’s up? Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure…there are two guys in here and they’ve been here for like hours. I keep asking if they need help but they just glare at me and…they’re making me really uncomfortable,” she said quietly.
“Stay where you are sweetheart, we’re on our way…stay on the line,” he said silencing the phone. “Axe? Let’s go…two dudes at the bookstore creeping Amanda out.” Axe nodded as they headed toward their bikes.
“Decker…one of the guys just lifted up some floorboards…what do I do?” she said in a shaky voice.
“Nothing honey, just pretend like you don’t see or hear anything okay…we’re ten minutes away.” He engaged the speaker on his bike and spoke softly to her the entire drive down the mountain. Parking the bikes a few blocks away, they took off in a jog toward the store. Axe took the rear exit, while Ice walked in the front door, casually.
“H-hi,” said Amanda. Ice shook his head slightly and she nodded. “Can I help you find something?”
“Nope, just looking around, thanks.” He said watching her. He waved at her to go out the front door and she nodded, headed out and toward the coffee shop. Ice pulled his Glock and looked down the first row of books, whistling a casual tune, softly as he did. He spotted Axe coming in the back door and nodded in the direction of the noise.
“Put the boards back,” he heard the man whisper.
“Fuck off you put them back,” said the other one. Ice turned the corner, seeing two men hovered over a large opening in the floor.
“I have an idea,” he said pointing the weapon at them, “why don’t you both put the boards back and then tell me what the fuck you’re doing tearing up my friends’ store?”
“Shit.”
“Yea…shit is an accurate description of what you’ve gotten yourself into. Put the boards back.” The two men nodded, replacing the boards. Two minutes later Ice heard the motorcycles out front and looked up to see Ghost, Tango, and Gunner.
Ghost walked in, his six-foot-four frame seemingly larger with his motorcycle boots. His long salt and pepper hair was tied in a top knot, his aviator sunglasses perched on his nose. Both of the men on the floor swallowed, looking up at the group walking in the door.
Behind Ghost was Tango – whose six-foot-three was nearly as big as Ghost, but Gunner’s thick arms and broad chest made both of them sit back a bit.
“You little fuckers!” yelled Gunner. “Did you think you could tear up my womans’ shop and get away with it?”
“Gunner? Let us handle this,” said Tango quietly. “Where’s the girl?”
“Sent her next door,” said Ice. “I’ll go sit with her and get whatever info she has.” Tango nodded and then turned to the two men.
“Really shit the bed on this one boys. Why are you here?” he asked. Both men said nothing, still seated on the floor, their arms resting on their knees. Tango waited a few seconds, as patiently as he was able, then swung his long leg in a sweeping motion kicking both men in the side of the head.
“Let’s start again…why…the fuck…are you here?”
“We don’t know,” said one of them rubbing the side of his face. “We were told to find a box that belonged to some old dude, that’s all.”
“What old dude?” asked Gunner.
“I don’t know…seriously man…we don’t know.”
“Who do you call if you find the box?” asked Tango. He waited patiently as the men looked at one another and then back at the circle of giants standing in front of them. “I’m only going to ask my questions once asshole.”
“We…we call this guy…Javier. If we find the shit, we call him and he comes and takes it from us.”
“Call him,” said Tango.
“Wh-what?” he stammered. “No…no fucking way man…the old dude will kill us.”
“I’m going to kill you either way, but this way you get to choose whether it’s fast or slow. Call the mother-fucker now!” yelled Tango.
Gunner stood back wanting to take a piece of their hide, but knew it was someone much bigger they really wanted. He could tell the two men were mulling over in their minds the best option.
“I’ll call.”
“We’re dead if you do,” said the other man.
“Shut up…you heard him…we’re dead either way. Shit’s not worth it to me.” He looked up at Gunner and Tango. “My phone is in my back pocket.”
“Stand up,” said Gunner. The man stood and Gunner slammed him hard against the wall, his nose cracking, blood trailing down his face. “Ooops, sorry about that.” He let the man pull out his phone hitting the number. Gunner grabbed it, setting it on speaker.
“Yea.”
“We have the box,” he said.
“What’s wrong with your voice?” asked the other man.
“Allergies, fucking dust everywhere in this place.”
“Whatever…I’m out of pocket until Tuesday. Hold it somewhere safe. Don’t call anyone else, just wait for a call from me…you understand Corey?” The man rolled his eyes, fucking hell he’d just given them his name.
“Yea Javier, I understand.” He ended the call and Gunner pocketed his phone.
“Javier…what’s his last name?” asked Tango.
“Ascencio…Javier Ascencio. That’s all I know man.” Gunner nodded at Tango and Razor as they pulled the two men out the back door of the building.
“Don’t worry brother, we’ll find out what the shit is happening here,” said Ghost. Gunner nodded looking at the hole in the floor. “What?”
“He said they had the ‘box’….they’re looking for a box of some sort. What if we found it first? I can see if Darby will let us close down the store for a few days, we could search everything, use some of our equipment to see if anything is in the walls.” Ghost nodded.
“Do it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ice walked into the coffee shop and immediately noticed Amanda seated in the corner, her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee.
“Hey,” he said sitting across from her, “you okay?” She nodded, then shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “Its okay honey…everything is going to be okay. You did the right thing calling me.”
“I was so scared Decker…so scared. I’m tired of being scared…tired of always looking over my shoulder,” she said wiping her tears away. Ice looked at her with concern on his face. What the fuck was she looking over her shoulder for? Who was she afraid of?
“No shame in being afraid honey, we all are sometimes.”
“Even you?” she asked with a grin.
“Even me. If you aren’t scared, you’re not paying attention. It’s a scary world, there’s always something out there to be afraid of.” She nodded, biting her lower lip. He was going to get to her fear in a minute, but first he had some questions.
