Page 14 of Hunter (Hell's Bastards MC)

Harlow had seen them over Christmas, butshe was more than happy to look at those precious angels. Raven wasalso cute in how shetalked about them. Harlow heard the love in her voice. There was nodisappointment or upset. Just love. That was all she felt for herkids.

It must be nice to have a mom like that.

Customers came into the shop and Harlow gotstraight to serving them, forcing a smile to her lips as she didso.

She happened to chance a glance out theshop window, and she spotted her mother across the street. Harlowkept the smile on her face, serving up as Raven stood, moving tothe main window and looking out. She was pretty sure she could see her mother’sdisapproval all the way from here. With the last customers leaving,they were about to enter that lull.

“You know that old woman over there?” Ravenasked.

“Yep.”

“Who is it?”

“That would be my mom,” she said, steppinginto the back. If Raven was going to stick around the shop, thenshe would take advantage of her presence as she got some of thefreshly baked goods packaged up.

“Your mom? What is she doing standing acrossthe street?” Raven asked.

Her voice carried because when Harlow turned around, Ravenwasn’t in the back.

She packaged up multiple bags of cookies.“I don’tknow.”

“You don’t know?”

“Mom and I … it’s been a few months since I last talked to her.”She’d not been anywhere near her parents’ house during Christmas.When her mother had called to ask why, she told her she’d beenbusy. It was the first time she’d ever told her mother she was toobusy to spend Christmas with her.

Big Dick had saved her ass that day byinviting her along to the Hell’s Bastards MC clubhouse. All her mother did was criticizeeverything about her and what she was doing. There was nothing shecould do right, and there was no point being around her. Not duringthis festive period. Hopefully at the next one, it would all bebetter, but she failed to see how. There were still several familyevents she had to consider between now and then.

“You don’t get along with your mom?” Ravenasked.

Harlow walked through to the main part ofthe shop, carrying the bags of cookies she’d just set up.

“Not really. I’m not what she wanted in adaughter, and in truth, she hasn’t been what I wanted in a mother.We’ve both been disappointments to each other. It iswhat it is.” She finishedreplenishing the packaged cookies, and took the tray in theback.

“Do you want to go out there and say hello?”Raven asked.

“Nope.” Harlow sliced up a cake withchocolate frosting, and carried that through to the main shop. “Whydon’t we stop talking about my personal life and focus on whyyou’re all of asuddenhanging out at the shop like a bodyguard?” She didn’t have anyintention of bringing her question up, but one look at Raven andshe saw that she had surprised her.

“No reason.”

“Please, Raven, what gives?” Harlow asked.“Do I need to startworrying about being stabbed? What about the customers?What about Ava? How can I help protect this place and one of mybest friends? Also, you’re one of my best friends, and I need towatch your back as well.”

“Watch my back?”

“Yeah. You know, what best friendsdo and all that?” She shrugged.“Or we could pretend to care about why my mom was staring acrossthe street.” Her mother was already gone.

Raven glanced behind her shoulder. “Aren’tyou curious about her?”

Harlow shook her head. “One, no. Two, shewill never come into this shop because she doesn’t agree with theMC in any shape or form. Three, stop changing the subject. What isthe threat and how can I help?”

“It’s doesn’t concern you.”

“I have a scar that says anything thatconcerns Ava andthisshop does concern me. Don’t be a pain in the ass. Come on, Raven,tell me.”

Raven shook her head. “You don’t need toknow.”

“Ah, so what that actually meansis Smokey has given you theorder and only when you call Smokey and ask him if you can tell me,can you tell me?”

Silence.

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