Page 13 of Trouble

CHAPTER 8

SECRETS DON’T STAY BURIED

TROUBLE

When I sawHollywood tear off through the clubhouse, I knew something was wrong and followed him immediately. He didn’t go for his Harley, and instead ran for his truck, so I jumped in the passenger seat.

“What are you doing? Get out.”

“Coming with you moron.”

“You don’t even know what’s going on.” While he argued with me, he started the truck and took off. I didn’t think there was any need for further discussion, but then he asked again. “Why are you tagging along?”

“When my brother hits a dead run leaving the clubhouse, I’m with him. Questions can come later. I figured you might need backup.”

He scoffed at that. “Not unless ghosts are real,” he muttered.

“What was that?”

“Trent’s mom passed away this morning and Trinity is home alone with her body right now.”

“Fuck,” I hissed as we both continued the rest of the ride to her house in silence. I’d been to their house a few times the year before Trent left for the Army. His mother was always niceenough if she was around, but according to Trent, she was more concerned with getting a new lease on her social life after her husband left her than she was in being there for the kids. He was a senior in high school then, so her absence didn’t mean much, but it was clear he worried for his little sister. The same girl I had a lust-hate relationship with since she finally became an adult.

By the time we got there, it was clear that the funeral home had already sent someone to collect the body. Whitney Anderson, Natalie’s older sister, showed up at the same time we did. “What are you doing here?” I asked as we got out of the truck.

“The funeral home has me on call for situations like this. Ms. Markham didn’t have an at-home nurse, so they need someone to pronounce her.”

“And you can do that?” I asked. She nodded as Hollywood took off for the front door.

“I’m a Nurse Practitioner, so we’re allowed.” She glanced at the door and frowned. “I’m going to wait out here for them to bring her through.” I remembered then that Trent dated Whitney before he left for the Army. They had broken up because she was headed to college and he was off to go serve his country in the Army. Neither of them had been confident that they could withstand a long-distance relationship. I nodded my agreement with her. It would probably be tough to go back to the home Trent grew up in.

I ran to catch up to Hollywood just as he entered the house and we both heard a crash from the other room. When he took off to see what the fuck the assholes had knocked down, I pulled Trinity into my arms and guided her over to the couch. The girl looked like she was two seconds from collapsing there on the floor. Shock must have caught up to her, maybe grief. I held her as she unloaded whatever she had been holding back and it felt like a kick in the gut to know that this must have been the reasonshe had finally come back home. She had only been here to take care of her mother who was dying. Who the hell did that leave her with for family now? Her father disappeared ages ago, her brother died, and now her mom was gone too. Maybe, Bishop and Hollywood were the closest family she had left. I wondered if that meant she would stay.

By the time they removed the body and left, we managed to find one of Trent’s old stashes of whiskey and got a couple shots into Trinity before she looked as though she would tip over at any moment. “I’m going to put her to bed and stay with her for a bit.”

“Anything I can do?”

“Nah, man. I’ve got this. I’ll get in touch with Bishop, if I can. He and my mom went on a fucking cruise, so I doubt he’ll be able to make it back in time for the funeral.”

“I’ll be there. We can invite the whole club to be there too, if you think it will help,” I suggested.

“Why do you care?”

“Trent was my friend too. There might be a little bad blood between Trinity and me, but I’m not a complete asshole.”

“Soon, brother. You’re going to tell me exactly what that bad blood is because I’m not sure she knows. She knows what you did to her, but not what she supposedly did to you.”

“Carson?” Trinity called out from the bedroom. We both glanced down the hall and then Hollywood tipped his head at me as he put the keys to his truck in the palm of my hand. “Get back to the clubhouse, let them know to be on standby in case they’re needed. Not sure if she had everything paid for, or what, but I know she’s been struggling with finances here. Get them on it and see if Sweet can get in touch with Bishop. He won’t ignore a Chapter President the way he might ignore his girlfriend’s son.”

I chuckled at that. “Are you saying he’s used to you trying to cock block him?”

“Fuck you, asshole. My mom doesn’t have sex. They’re too old for that shit. Get out of here before I have to break your nose.”

I laughed all the way out of the house. Then I remembered why I’d been there and hoped like hell Trinity hadn’t heard me. She may have had a bout of somewhat insane laughter after her crying jag, but that didn’t mean it was okay for everyone else to sound happy in the home where her mother’s body had been removed less than an hour before.

I stood off on the periphery and watched as Hollywood, his mom, Bishop, and Trinity all stood beside Evelyn Markham’s grave and listened to the reverend wax poetic about the life of the woman who hadn’t drawn a bigger crowd. Another woman stood off to the side a bit, though I wasn’t sure who she was. That was the extent of the turnout for Evelyn’s send off into the great beyond. I was downhill, closer to the lake, standing by one of the few trees when someone stepped up beside me. It fucked with my head a bit when I turned to see an older version of Trent standing there. “What the fuck?” I questioned.

“Keep it down. I don’t want her to know I’ve been here.”

---