Page 31 of Coal
“You coming?” Tinman asks. It’s then that I realise I’m still standing in the same spot that I’d been in when I first questioned him.
“I’m coming,” I assure him, hurrying toward the door he held open for me and clambering in. Turning to look over my shoulder at Shea, I have to smile when I see how many toys are dangling on one of those hoops that attached to the window for her to play with.
“Right, let’s go show you this barn. I think it will do for now until we get yours built. The roof is watertight, and it’s solid. It’s further back on the property, and you can’t see it from the house or the road. Although it isn’t soundproof, so we’ll need to think of something to do about that.”
Shrugging, I say, “I can use silencers for now. It’s not the best because it’s a pain to keep changing them out, but it will do for now.”
“How did you get into building guns and bombs?” Tinman asks. I hesitate to answer, so used to keeping what I did a secret. This was my family now, though, and Tinman wasn’t asking out of curiosity. He was genuinely interested.
“My mam,” I answer. “She was his go-to for weapons, and when he realised she was not just selling them but also designing and buildingthem, he used his charm to coerce her onto his property, then basically kept her prisoner in the same cottage I was living in when Coal and the brothers came. He never married her. I was eight when he killed her, but by then I’d been working with her and learning probably more than I should have. I don’t think he meant to kill her. She was his golden goose, but he lost his temper when she mouthed off at him, and he shot her.” My voice softens until I fall silent as I remember seeing my mam fall to the ground and the blood spreading in a pool around her.
“You were there?” Tinman says, taking my hand. He squeezes it before letting it go. “I’m sorry, honey.”
I blink to stop the tears that rise at his kindness. “Thank you. I was there, but nobody knows that. Her death was swept under the carpet, and I was moved into the big house. It wasn’t long before Aiden and his mam arrived. She didn’t last long either. Kara and Maeve’s mother lasted the longest.
“Anyway, when I was in my early teens, I found my mam’s notebooks with all her designs and taught myself. It wasn’t too hard. I’d learned more than I thought I had while I’d been with her. I perfected some of her designs and addedmy own. I’m good at what I do, and he knew that, which is why he kept me out of sight and off the record. I went by my mam’s name for my identification. The only people who knew I was related to my da were the ones that he wanted to know.”
We’d pulled up in front of the building they thought would work for me by the time I’d finished speaking.
We were silent for a minute, and I was just about to get out of the vehicle when Tinman spoke again. “I’m sorry your dad was such a dick, Thea, and didn’t appreciate the beautiful gems he’d been given. But in a way, I’m glad because it brought you to us, and if ever there was a woman perfectly suited to Coal, it’s you. I’m going to say something as his dad now, not as his brother.”
Surprised, I turn towards him so that I can see his face as he continues, “Being the President of an MC can be hard and lonely at times. Coal is going to need a strong woman who will stand next to him when needed and be the person he bounces ideas or thoughts off when he has to. I know that most think that the men in an MC keep their women out of it and most do.
“But there are some who are stronger for theirOld Ladies knowing what is going on. Red used to keep his Old Lady in the know, and I know Maestro does the same with Stacey. I’d tell Maggie information that I thought she should know, even when it used to piss my best friend Chains off. She’s my partner in everything, and if I thought it would keep her and the children safe, I’d tell her whatever I thought she needed to hear.
“You’ll be in a unique position anyway, as you’ll be far more involved than you otherwise would be. Anyway, other than my approving of you for Coal, I also wanted to say that from my and Maggie’s side, we are beyond happy that Coal married you because not only did we gain another daughter, you brought us a grandbaby to boot, and I’m fucking thrilled to spoil another little girl.” He grins at me with those last words, and I can tell he means every word. “Now,” he slaps his hands down on the steering wheel, “let’s get you into the building so you can see if it will work.”
“Okay,” I agree with a smile, opening my door and walking around to the driver's side. He’s already got Shea in his arms by the time I make it around, which has me shaking my head. Spoilt little baggage.
The first thing that I know will need changing is the wooden doors—they need to be solid steel. Even if this is only temporary, I need to know my creations are safe when I leave here. I don’t want them getting into the wrong hands. Tinman opens the doors, and I’m surprised when we walk in to see that it’s not only clean but dry and bigger than I expected, with high windows that allow light in but are too high for someone to look in. I turn around in a circle so that I can take it all in.
“It can work,” I say with a nod.
“There’s no bathroom, though,” he warns.
“Aye, that would be a problem if I was here long term, but I’m only here until they’ve built the new place for me. I can manage for a few months. How far am I from our house or yours?”
“You’re actually closer to yours from here than ours. If you’re happy with this, I’ll drive you to where they’re cutting the road, and you can see how close we are. Coming along the main road and then past our place and the orchard adds a lot of mileage on.”
“Okay, show me where the new road will be?” I tell Tinman. I hold my hands out to take Shea, but she pushes me away, wrapping her armsaround Tinman, nearly throttling him, making me laugh, especially when she tells me loud and clear, “No.”
Tinman snickers and presses her head to his chest with a laugh, “Come on, baby girl, let’s go see your dad.”
She lifts her head, demanding, “Da.”
Amused at my little girl and how she’s taken to all the Tin men and how she has them wrapped around her little finger. Leading the way out of the barn, I wait for Tinman to close up the doors, but with Shea not wanting to let go of him, I end up locking the doors for him. He’s already got Shea in her car seat and waiting for me by the time I’m done faffing with the lock. A digital lock is going to be a must. I didn’t have the patience to mess around with keys and trying to lock the doors when my hands would be full.
Handing him the keys, I climb into the vehicle, thanking him for getting my door. That was another thing that I’d had to get used to. It seemed like I’d ended up in a club where the men liked to do things for their women. I can’t lie; I loved it. After years of being overlooked, except by my siblings, it was nice to be spoilt a little. Whichever women ended up with the brothers would be lucky women.
Tinman’s right. Five minutes later, we reach the men clearing the trees. And man, what a sight it is. The day’s warm, warmer than your average spring day; a few of the brothers have taken their shirts off and are bare-chested, sweat gleaming against chiselled abs and muscular arms.
I’m a woman, so of course, I notice them all. But the man that has my attention is the one who has my name tattooed on his finger. The same man who brought every mountain man's fantasy to life with every swing of his axe. My heated gaze travels up my Old Man’s body from his dirty and scarred boots, up his muscular thighs that bunch with every swing he takes, to his naked back. I may or may not have licked my lips when his muscles rippled as he brought the axe above his head and down onto the log he’s chopping.
His checked shirt is tucked into his back pocket, which only adds to the sexiness. Conscious that the man’s father is sitting next to me, I bite my lip to hold back my husky moan. I wonder what it would cost me to have him dress like that in our bedroom. I’m not sure where this hunger’s coming from, but if it isn’t for the company, I’d be stripping that man and riding him until Icouldn’t ride him anymore.
‘Jesus, I need to get a grip,’I think to myself as Coal looks up as we drive closer and park. Not that I can see his eyes through the dark glasses he’s wearing, but something must have shown on my face because his eyebrows rise and then he smirks at me before he turns and brings the axe down one more time, finishing up the log he’s been chopping.
“Show off,” Tinman chuckles before he slants a laughing look my way. “Yep, the best thing ever to happen to him.”
