Page 10 of Running Alone

“Dude, thanks so much. Now I know what you were doing last night on your phone. This has to cost some tall bank, you sure you don’t want us to put in our share?”

Knowing how much this little trip is going to run, I don’t want to give Freddy a heart attack so I just shake my head. Before I can say a word, there’s a knock at the door. We look at each other and I shrug.

Making my way to the door, I look through the peephole and see a waiter. Opening, he greets me by my name and welcomes me to the Yoakum. Pushing the cart, he tells me it’s from a friend to welcome us. Then he wheels in a long tray with a ton of stuff on it. He moves to the kitchen and from under the white cloth reaches to pull out something. I hear Freddy laugh out loud at the six packs of beer. Then he uncovers plates with wings, snack-size hamburgers, fries, and onion rings. Finally, he places a carafe of I’m guessing coffee on the island. When he approaches, I grab the ticket, adding a substantial tip which he thanks me for.

By this time Vito and Jude are back and are trying to make sense of what just happened. I get it, so I give them the truth.

“Guys, this is from my assistant, Patti. She’s welcoming us to the Yoakum. So since dinner isn’t for hours, let’s chill, drink some beer, and eat some wings.”

We all walk to the island and start to relax. I’m glad it worked out because it would have sucked if any one of the guys decided to leave or be assholes. I feel my phone vibrate so I take it out and when I see who the text is from, I smile. Ruby is asking if we made it okay.

“Yeah, we did. Maybe one day you and I could come back to this place. I think you’d love it.”

I get nothing back, watching for the dots or anything, so I put the phone down and grab a few wings and onion rings. Suddenlymy phone is bouncing on the counter so I flip it over. Ruby texted me back and when I read it, I almost choke on an onion ring.

“Lachi, maybe. Let’s see how things go. Hope you guys have fun. Let me know when you’re on your way or close. See you soon, be safe.”

“That smile says it all, my friend. You’ve got it bad and if what I’ve heard is right, you haven’t even done this chick, right?”

Damn Jude, sometimes—no, most of the time—he can get on my last nerve.

“Jude, last time, I’m not like you. Don’t need to, as you so like to say, ‘bang’ every chick I see. Trying to see if there is a way to work stuff out with Ruby. And if and what we do is never going to be any of your business. So before I throw these wings at you, shut it, brother.”

He just grins at me with barbecue sauce on his face. Vito and Freddy snicker as they continue to stuff food in their mouths. Yeah, this is going to be an adventure, for sure.

EIGHT

‘KITTY’

RUBY

The photos Lachi keeps sending me has me feeling a bit jealous of his friends. Wherever they are is beyond gorgeous. They’ve been horseback riding and did some fishing in, I think, a stocked creek on the property. He’s sent me pics of the, I guess, house they are staying at and each meal he’s eaten.

This is how I remember it with him. Easygoing as we started to get to know each other. I can’t figure out what happened that set my anxiety to first make an appearance then hit the top and go nuts. Something did though, and I started second-guessing myself on why such a great guy would want to be with me. That’s when I started to pull away, ignoring his calls and texts. Something scared me. Or maybe I heard someone talking about us and that freaked me out. I’ve not shared about Lachi with any of my club sisters, except Wildcat, and Squirt knows more than any of the rest. Not sure if it’s because we’re both prospects and around the same age. Well, not true, I’m older but I believe she’s seen more of what the world is really about. What her biological dad did to her was beyond horrific and that she turned out to be the sweet loving young woman she is, a total miracle, for sure.

Today has been average, nothing too bad. I didn’t have to go to the Wooden Spirits but took Addie to Devil’s on WheelsTrucking Company to show her the ropes there. For some reason she seems more comfortable at this business than the bar and grill. Never one to be nosy, I just casually throw that thought out there to see if I get a response. And I totally do, which gives me some insight into our newest prospect.

“Yeah, Kitty, kind of like this one better. Quieter and by myself, well yeah, you too, but not a ton of strangers googling me, trying to get in my head. Just from the looks on some of those people’s faces, I know they have an idea of where I was, which terrifies me. What if some of those really bad people are amongst them? Could they take me again and this time move away from here? Sell me to some sick pervert, say in Texas or Seattle or, shit, California or Maine. I don’t know and that’s why I prefer staying at the ranch. Yeah, some strangers come but mostly it’s the club’s family and friends. My level of anxiety isn’t as high there as it is as soon as I leave the ranch.”

“Addie, you suffer with anxiety too? Not sure you heard, but I’ve been trying to hide it since I got here, but lately it’s showing its ugly head. I might have messed up the beginnings of a good relationship by being stupid and stuck in my head.”

“Well, Kitty, you didn’t fool me. Guess us head cases can see each other some way.”

We both chuckle as I show her around the building of Devil’s on Wheels. This is not only a real trucking firm, but also where we house some of our vehicles used to crack down on the circuits. Tink, once again, has invested a ton of her inheritance to make sure we have what we need. There’s even a truck that’s been tricked out and turned into a kind of bus that carries humans, though it still looks like the mix of a dump truck and tractor truckers use. Pussy usually drives it but has been training and letting one of the Intruders newer prospects be available since him and his ol’ lady now have three kids. Yeah, thinking that brings a smile to my face. Pussy with kids of his own. Gottalove it, I sure do. When I first started with the club, his ol’ lady was pregnant with his first. If I’m not mistaken, he’s one of the main reasons that Chains from the Grimm Wolves club was found. Damn, Pussy sure does give me some hope. At first, I was afraid to talk to him but once you get to know him, he’s—and this sounds stupid—but a gentle pussy cat.

Addie and I spend a good couple of hours going over all that needs to be done as far as cleaning. I explain that we don’t touch any of the computers or trucks. Those are not cleaned by us. She asks some good questions and adds a few things that might work better while cleaning. I share with her that Tink wants to expand this building so maybe, if down the road, we have drivers who need somewhere to stay, they could bunk down here. Addie asks why not at the bunkhouses at the ranch, and I explain most of the victims we bring back after we bust a trafficking circuit are mainly women and children. We promise to protect them during their healing processes. Most of the women are petrified of men in general, so having a bunch of truckers around the ranch and bunkhouses is not a good idea. The only men the victims generally see in the beginning of their reintroduction into society are Noodles, Panther, and Avalanche. Oh, and some of the Intruders like Tank, Enforcer, and Yoggie, since they are usually part of the mission in one way or another.

Addie goes to dump the water down the toilet from mopping the offices, so I walk into the kitchen and grab some waters. When she comes back, I tell her to have a seat and take a break.Place never looked so good; I think to myself.

“Hey, Addie, would you rather just clean this building and skip the bar and grill? Since I’m in charge of all the cleaning, I can schedule you here and maybe at the gym, and keep the Wooden Spirits off your list. Does that work for you?”

Before I know it, the poor girl is crying, looking at me. What the hell?

“Hey, what’s wrong? Come on, it’s just you and me, tell me. Did I say something to hurt your feelings?”

“Nope, the exact opposite. Kitty, I’ve never had anyone worry about me or my feelings. You blew me away, sorry I started to cry like a baby.”

I look at Addie and it hits me; she’s so very young. I know she’s at least eighteen because our club won’t let anyone prospect before that. She worked on getting her GED before she could wear that prospect kutte.

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