Page 48 of Faking it with the Bad Boy Bikers

“You could get us all pie.” He smiled. “Please?”

“Fine. I’ll get us all pie.” I untangled myself just as Waylan ran into the room, cursing in creative ways I didn’t think I’d even mastered yet. “Way!”

She slid to a stop and then yelped when Papa Jack pounced on her back and took her down. Papa Jack sat on her back while shestruggled to move and slowly licked his paw while looking up at me.

“Help! He’s going to flatten me! I won’t like being a pancake!” She flailed her limbs like she was making a snow angel but she couldn’t budge under his weight. “We feed him too much, Mom! He needs a diet.”

As if he understood her, he reached out and slapped the back of her head.

Seth stood up and lifted the cat. “Both of you need to be nicer to each other.”

Waylan reached into the front pocket of her shorts after standing up and pulled out a pickle. She waved it at Papa Jack and he screeched and tried to climb Seth’s head.

I made an executive decision and slowly backed out of the room. I was going to let them handle it. They’d been undercover agents; surely they could handle one little girl and one giant cat.

I bumped into Ms. Vivian in the hallway on my way out and blushed at being caught. I turned to go back to the living room, feeling guilty under the gaze of another person.

“Get out of here, honey. I’ll make sure no one gets seriously maimed.” She shooed me with the kitchen towel she held. “Bring me back some pie, too.”

I hugged her quickly and then left. I didn’t let myself think about how she’d heard about the pie and how easily she seemed to eavesdrop on every conversation. As soon as I shut the front door, the ruckus faded. It was a welcome relief.

Devil’s Den on the weekend was at its busiest. It was like every person in town went out and about to find something new to gossip about. I passed Sugar just as she was walking out of Steve’s, her hair messy. She didn’t see me so I tucked that tidbit of gossip away for later.

The diner was busy, every booth filled. Mary was behind the counter, looking nothing like the relaxed woman she normallywas. As soon as she spotted me, her eyes widened and she pointed at me. “I need you!”

I hurried over. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been taking meals over to the jail for the guy stuck there but I’m alone on the floor right now, Nellie. If I give you the keys, can you take the food over for me just this once? I know it’s my job but I can’t leave this place right now.”

I swallowed. Taking food to Hammer hadn’t been on any of my goal lists. I couldn’t leave Mary in the lurch, though. “Of course.”

“Thank you, Nellie. Let me put in your order now while I can.” She took my order for a whole pie and then shoved a bag and keys at me. “The utensils are in the top drawer of the desk in the office. They’re paper or something so the prisoner can’t escape, I guess.”

“Great!” I pasted on a fake smile and slowly walked out. I just had to give Hammer food and then leave. I could deal with his nastiness for a few minutes.

CHAPTER 38

Nellie

I unlocked the door and let myself into the station, feeling like I was breaking the law. I stepped in quickly and closed the door behind me. As soon as I turned to face inside, I locked gazes with Hammer. He was in his cell, on the other side of the station, but he had a direct view of me. I bit back a groan and stopped at the front desk to grab utensils for his dinner.

“Things must be bad with your little boyfriends if they sent you to do this.” Hammer’s raised voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Are they already done pretending with you?”

I picked up the Styrofoam tray and walked toward him. “This must be the best jail food you’ve ever eaten.”

He sneered at me when I entered the back half of the station. “I know something you don’t know, Nellie.”

“How to build a pipe bomb out of a Mountain Dew bottle and your nail clippings?” I had a hard time forcing myself closer.

“Cute. I know something your boyfriends are keeping from you.” He smiled and it was a cruel one. “I know you and your type. You wouldn’t let a man fuck you where another man can hear when you don’t have feelings for them. You really care about those pigs, don’t you?”

“Shut up, Hammer.” My stomach twisted but I forced myself close enough to hold the tray out for him.

He didn’t take it. “You know I met your brothers? They came in here a while back.”

“Take the tray, asshole.”

“I overheard their conversation with your boyfriends and I’ve gotta say, your boyfriends and I have more in common than I thought. They might be pigs but they still think like a bunch of dickheads. Taking a job and getting a fuck out of it? That’s good.”

---