Page 30 of Eagle

I smacked the back of his head. “Who the fuck drives for Uber in a classic Trans Am, Scotty? Freeze it on the tag.”

Scotty typed a few more times and then stopped the frame. I took a pic with my phone and sent it to Keys to look up. I wanted to talk to thisUber driverand see what he could tell us. “Thanksfor the help, Scotty. Have you met my friend, Jackal?”

Scotty looked over. “I vaguely remember him from our last meeting,” he said as he sniffed and pushed his fingers through his hair a few times. Jackal was standing not far behind me with his arms crossed. His muscles were huge and standing like that made him look like a beast.

“Well, you may see him again. Be polite,” I said as I waved Jackal to follow me out. “Oh, if you see this car again, let me know.”

Scotty stood and stuttered, “Sh-sh-sure thing Eagle. Anything for DE.”

We headed to our bikes and I checked my phone. Keys replied he was checking it out but it may take a bit since the photo was grainy.

“Keys said it’s gonna be a while to track that down. I got some shit to do tomorrow so why don’t we call it a night and I’ll hit you up when he finds something?”

Jackal mounted his Harley and nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’m running by the bar to check with Red on some shit but I’ll be at the clubhouse later.”

“I’m going to bed.” I secured my helmet and fired up the bike. I was exhausted but already started formulating a plan, so I needed some rest. I couldn’t work on it much until the next day anyway, and if I kept running on empty, I’d probably put my foot in my mouth again.

Chapter 15

Lacy

A sharp pain shot through my back and my head pounded. Blinking my eyes open, my hand flew to my face to shield them from the light. The hard tile floor was cool on my back, so I lay for a few seconds as I slowly moved my fingers from my eyes.

Groaning, I grabbed the side of the tub and pulled myself up, leaning against it. After a heavy sigh, I winced at the rank smell. My breath had to be awful if even I could smell it. Looking over, I was happy that I at least seemed to get it all in the toilet.

My whole body ached and I felt like death. I pulled myself up and hobbled to the sink to brush my teeth. My eyes and lips were puffy and I was all splotchy. I looked like I felt…like absolute shit.

My stomach felt like I hadn’t eaten in days but the thought of food sent a new bout of nausea to my gut. I knew if I didn’t have something and plenty of fluids, though, I’d continue to feel like shit.

As I brushed my teeth, I was wondering what time it waswhen flashes of the events leading to me locking myself in the bathroom popped in my mind. I spit the toothpaste into the sink then took a swig of mouthwash, rolling it around until my eyes burned.

Seeing him was hard enough. It was so surreal. He found me hiding on the floor.How embarrassing. And he was so upset. He seemed genuinely hurt that I had just left without a word. I’d never seen him that way. He was always smiling and lighthearted. But not last night. He was practically shaking, his eyes were red and wild, and maybe I was just really drunk, but he sounded like he was pleading.

I nearly gave in until I found out about him and Jeannie. My body had the visceral reaction that my mind probably would have had if I had been sober. Even in all my many bouts of illness, I had wished for him to be there to hold me or keep my hair back for me. So stupid. I was being sentimental over someone who never gave me a reason to be. But it still hurt. Why did I have to feel so strongly for him?

After splashing some cold water on my face and attempting to fix my mess of hair, I unlocked the bathroom door and peeked into my bedroom. It was empty and the house was quiet.

I shuffled into the kitchen to find a soda or something, not able to handle any coffee, and found a few cold ginger ales in the fridge.

Popping the tab, I took a small sip, then another. I was afraid to drink too quickly. I’d need something with electrolytes too, but the fizzy drink was hitting the spot and helping with my heartburn. There was a small bowl with various snacks on the counter and I found a pack of cheese and peanut butter crackers, so I grabbed them along with some Ibuprofen and headed back to my room.

After having just two crackers and another few sips of ginger ale, I took a long, hot shower and slowly started to at least feel functionable. As the water ran over me, I cursed the fact I didn’t have a phone. I wanted to talk to Daisy but didn’t see a landline and didn’t know if asking Jeannie to use her phone was appropriate. Once I got a few days of work under my belt, I could get some kind of cheap prepaid phone. I’d have to order cabs instead of rideshares for now, but honestly they have better regulations anyway. It would be a pain for a bit, but I could handle it. After the year I’d had, this was a breeze.

I finished up the shower and got dressed in some soft leggings and an oversized shirt, but I was still fighting the hangover, so I didn’t bother with my hair and makeup. The shirt was Eagle’s. Call me a masochist because I liked pain apparently. But I felt like shit and it was cozy. I had a few t-shirts, but none that swallowed me. I may have also swiped one of his hoodies, but I couldn’t bring myself to wear it today. Overindulging always left me feeling hot until I had fully recovered so a sweatshirt was out of the question.

There was a TV in the living room and since I didn’t have any electronics, I needed something to pass the time. At the clubhouse there was a living area with a huge TV, video games, lots of movies, and cable with any channel you could think of. Plus, there was always someone around whether it was Daisy, Mama Hen, or the bunnies. I could always find someone to talk to or something to do like help clean, fix lunches for the guys hanging around, or prep dinner.

I found the remote and arranged the pillows on the couch and got comfy. Only one full episode of Friends had finished when Jeannie came down the hall. Looking at the decorative clock on the wall, it was nearly noon.

Jeannie went straight to the kitchen and made some coffee.I knew we’d have to have a conversation about last night. We could try to pretend none of it happened, but it would only fester. Maybe if I had talked to Eagle I wouldn’t be here now.No. I’m not doing that. This was totally different and he showed me time and again where I stood with him. But Jeannie had been a good friend since I arrived in Georgia and I didn’t want to risk the friendship.

After a few minutes the smell of fresh coffee filled the room and Jeannie came into the living room with an oversized mug and took a seat on the other couch. “How you feeling?”

Shrugging, I said, “Like I got hit by a truck.”

Jeannie gave a tight-lipped smile and her finger ran around the edge of her mug. “Lacy, listen–”

I threw my hand up, wincing at the quick movement. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Jeannie. I need you to know that.”

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