Page 86 of Lost Soul

“Mornin’,” I nod at him, sliding a perfectly fried egg onto the plate beside the bacon. “Thought I’d cook you up some breakfast.”

“Nah, I’m good. Got all I need right here.” He reaches up past me into the cupboard and takes out another bottle of vodka. I snatch it out of his hands before he breaks the cap.

“C’mon man. You don’t need that.”

Skid looks like he’s gonna swing for me, but in the state he’s in, he’d be lucky to get a hit.

“Last I checked, your bitch sleeps beside you every night, so what the fuck would you know?” he says taking the bottle back, he unscrews the cap and tosses it over his shoulder.

“You don’t wanna be turning up at church later in a worse state than you're already in,” I remind him that Prez has called a meeting for later.

“Yeah well unless the discussions about how we're gonna find Chop and take turns pissing down his throat, I won’t be going.” He sits down at the table, taking a mouthful of food and chewing it roughly.

“We’re working on it, you know he ain’t gonna get away with what he did. Come on eat up, shower. I got a few more names on Rogue’s list if you wanna hammer someone's head in?” I smile to try and lighten the mood, but he doesn’t respond.

“Garage’s been busy, Rogue’s been doing her best to keep up. I’ve been helping out too where I can, but she needs you. Maybe a focus would do you some good.”

“I have a focus… Killing my cunt of a bitch brother,” he says washing down a mouthful of bacon with a swig of vodka.

“Rogue’s worried about you, at least call in down there see how she’s doin’.” Everyone knows how Skid loves the crazy assed bitch, he sees her as family. If she can’t get him out this cabin there isn't much hope for the rest of us.

“She knows where I am,” he shrugs.

“You know she's never been one for coming up here,” I remind him, Rogue ain’t the family kind. Carly was always inviting her to dinner, we try to include her in club events, but she won’t have any of it. She just likes to work engines.

“We could do with shaping up around here too,” I say looking around the room, there are doors ripped off hinges and busted up furniture.

“Tell me where you keep your tools and drill, and I’ll set to fixing this place out,” I offer. Grimm had cleaned up after Carly’s attack, so all this mess has to be Skid’s handy work.

“I don’t own a fucking drill, that’s what fucking prospects are for ain’t it?” He stares at me blankly as he knocks back the bottle again. I could have sworn Tommy returned a drill he borrowed from Skid the day of the lake party, maybe I’d misheard, or maybe Skid’s head wasn’t thinking straight. It reminds me though that no one has checked in on Tommy since he fucked off that day.

Everyone assumed after he’d gone AWOL, that maybe he’d gotten word that his dad was responsible for what happened to Carly and he was too scared to come back. No one could blame him for that.

But with Tommy, there would always be doubt in my mind. I’ve never liked the kid. But I push those thoughts to the back of my head, right now trying to pull Skid out of the hole that’s swallowing him up is more important.

“Let’s head down and see what’s happening, who knows one of those crazy fucks might have had an idea on how to find him,” I suggest.

I’m surprised when he gets out of the chair and heads towards the bathroom, and I wait for him, staring at the spot where I’d found Carly lying until he reappears. He smells better and has fresh clothes on. I nod him a smile that isn’t reciprocated, but I can live with that because he puts on his cut and we head down to the club on our bikes together.

We pull up outside, and are just about to walk in when he looks over to the garage. The door is already up, meaning that Rogue is in. She’d still been there when I got back last night. Maybe she hadn’t even left.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he tells me, heading in the direction of the garage. I knew he’d have to check in on Rogue, he’s been watching out for her since he caught her trying to steal parts from the garage when she was just a little girl. She’s had him wrapped around her little finger ever since.

She’s turned out to be useful for the club over the years, keeps her ear to the ground outside of the compound and is majorly underestimated by the people she meets outside of the club. If she’d been born with a dick, she’d have been wearing a prospect jacket years ago.

It feels like I’ve accomplished something by getting Skid down here, now all I can do is hope that someone has a plan that will find him that vengeance he fucking needs.

Maddy

I knock on the door but no one answers, and I somehow build up enough courage to let myself in. Hayley’s dad’s kitchen is brighter than I imagined. With a blue gingham tablecloth hung over the table, and whitewashed kitchen cabinets, it’s almost pretty. The fridge is decorated with photographs, mainly ones of Hayley and Jessie pulling silly faces. Jessie looks so happy and unburdened, it makes me wish even more that I could have known them together for longer. There are a few more pictures of Hayley and her dad, but the one that breaks my heart most is the one of her and Carly. It must have been taken at Christmas because there is a huge tree in the background decorated to perfection in the living room I recognize to be Carly and Skid’s.

“You want something?” a rough voice startles me, and I spin around like a caught out school girl, hands behind my back and rocking on my heels.

“I'm sorry, sir, the door was open and I just…”

“I’ve been expecting you.” Hayley’s dad smiles at me sadly. “I've already taken what I want to keep. Help yourself to whatever you want, the rest can be boxed up for now. Maybe you can take it to charity or summit.” He grabs his keys from the worktop and starts to head for the door.

“Grimm said he brought up the chest from Carly and Skid’s and gave it to you. I was thinking maybe whatever Tobias… Chop had come back for might be in there.” I hope he doesn’t think I’m poking my nose in, but I really want to see if I can find something to help track him down.

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