Page 6 of Bones

“You don’t know anything about me or what I’ve been through!” I appreciated the fact that they were trying to help, but I was proud and scared. I feared their kind of help would have me tossed into foster care, and I’d spent the last six months doing everything I could to make sure that didn’t happen. Hoping that they’d finally get the hint, I rolled my eyes, then started to storm off. “Just leave me alone.”

I didn’t get far when another biker stepped in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks. He was just as big and threatening as the other two, but he was older, and there was an unexpected kindness in his eyes—one that made me feel like he was genuinely concerned when he asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” I snapped. “I was just leaving.”

Not buying my response, he immediately turned to the other two men, and they were quick to tell him, “We just found her going through the dumpster.”

“I already told both of them...” I whipped back around, “I was looking for my keys.”

“Oh?” He studied me for a moment, then asked, “And how did they end up there?”

I didn’t answer.

I couldn’t.

There wasn’t an answer to give—at least, not one that made any sense, so I dropped my head and stared at the ground. Seconds later, he asked, “You got a place to go, kid?”

“Why do you care?” These were badass bikers who didn’t know me from Adam. I couldn’t understand why they were so interested in me and my crappy circumstances. “Why do any of you care?”

“Cause it’s thirty degrees out here, and you got no coat,” the quiet one clipped. “We’re not leaving you out here alone.”

“Please just leave it.” Tears filled my eyes I told them, “I just gotta make it a couple more months.”

“What happens then?”

“I’ll be eighteen,” I confessed. “I won’t have to be put in the system and end up in some place I don’t wanna be.”

“The way I see it, you got two choices.” The older man crossed his arms with determination. “You can either come with us, or we’re calling the cops.”

“Why would I come with you?”

“We’ll get you cleaned up and some real food in your belly.” His expression softened as he told me, “And a warm place to lay your head until you get back on your feet. How does that sound?”

“That all sounds great, but what’s it gonna cost me?”

“Nothing, kid.” I actually believed him when he continued, “Not a damn thing.”

Over the last six months, I’d spent countless nights nearly freezing to death in my car. I’d lost so much weight that none of my clothes fit anymore, and I was tired of being so alone. I was tired of always struggling to make ends meet and constantly worrying about where I was going to sleep and how I was going to eat. I was just a kid. I needed help, so I gave him a nod and said, “Okay, I’ll come with you.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” He motioned his head over to my car as he asked, “You got enough gas to make it across town?”

“Yeah, I got enough.” I started towards my car, then quickly stopped and said, “I don’t even know your names.”

“I’m Cotton.” He motioned his head over to his friends as he said, “And Q and Two Bit. You’ll meet the others when we get to the clubhouse.”

“Are there any women at this clubhouse place?”

“Yeah, there are plenty of ‘em.”

“Okay. Good to know.” He studied me for a moment, then asked, “What about you? Might be helpful to know your real name.”

“I’m Elsie Scrogham.”

“Scrogham?” Cotton gave me a funny look. “Not exactly a common name around these parts. You any kin to Paul Scrogham?”

“He was my father.”

“No kidding.” Cotton turned to Q and Two Bit, shook his head, then turned his attention back to me. “I sure hate to hear that he’s passed. He was a good fella. Helped us out of tight spot on more than one occasion.”

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