Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Throughout the entire process, James remained a rock. He held me through my crying jags. Offered help, suggestions, and his ear for me to rant about the injustices of it all. What he didn’t offer was judgment. He wasn’t mad that I’d taken off without him. Concerned for my safety, yes. Upset? No.
He’d shown up at the hospital an hour after me. I smiled at the Root Beer he’d offered me, and took it with silent thanks. He’d sat with me for around seventeen hours, only leaving for bathroom breaks and phone calls to Janie. At two in the afternoon the next day, Lyle took his final breath.
The nurse had been correct. The alarms all shrieked their warnings, scaring me half to death. Sadly, they weren’t able to bring him back, even after multiple measures to do so, as per state regulations.
Then commenced the drama, which led us to now. Lyle being buried in the tiny little coffin, in the tiny little hole. Alone.
He wasn’t sent away from this earth alone, however. The entirety of Sam’s Free Family, my coworkers who’d been on the case, my father, my brother, and the entire damn Dixie Wardens Motorcycle Club showed. Which surprised and shocked me. I’d never been a part of The Dixie Wardens Motorcycle Club. Although they were aware of me, they didn’t know my relation to my father and Sebastian. Well...they didn’t used to be.
They did now.
They also treated me like gold. Like I was someone precious to them, even though I’d met them all of three times before this last week.
My father had given me a little more insight on the why’s and how’s of his life. I’d had so many of the questions answered that have always lurked in the back of my mind, that it made me admire him all the more for doing what he’d done. After seeing child abuse at its finest, I respected a man that could forgo a relationship with his children in deference to their safety. Many parents I’ve come to see in my years on the job hadn’t, and those children had suffered all the more for it.
Lillian walked up to me as the last shovelful of dirt was placed in the whole. She was dressed in a black calf length dress, with pearls in her ears and around her neck. Her hair was in a beautiful up do that showed she’d really put some effort into looking her best.
For Lyle.
Which made me unbelievably happy to know that people cared.
“He had quite a gathering show to send him off. I’m pleased.” She said with a fond smile sent my way.
No condemnation about the sixty bikers dressed in leather vests. Each vest had a wraith like woman dominating the back of each with flaming eyes. Which, quite frankly, surprised the crap out of me. The woman came off as a proper, prim older woman. Never would I have thought she’d be accepting. However, she’d been gracious and kind to each and every one of them.
She laughed when she saw the confusion on my face at that comment. “I could give you a lesson in biker culture if you’d like. I was married to the love of my life, Jeffery, for thirty years before he died. And, each one of those years, he belonged to a motorcycle club very much similar to your own. I loved every minute of it, too.”
The only intelligent thing that came out of my mouth was, “Wow.”
She smiled, and then turned to examine the grave. There was no headstone yet, but the office had started a fund, and would be providing one for Lyle soon.
“Try to have a good rest of the weekend, dear. We’ll be seeing you soon. James.” She smiled warmly at the man who’d just wrapped an arm around my stomach before turning on her heel and walking to her Buick.
“Did you hear what she just said?” I asked.
“About the motorcycle club?” James queried.
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“I’ve come across quite a few bikers in my life. The ones that belong to clubs are all normal people. I know that they come in all shapes and sizes. All walks of life. Even ones that drive Buicks when they’re seventy, and help kids get out of dangerous situations.” He supplied.
“Let’s go. Janie’s with my dad, and I don’t want her to learn any new bad language.” I admonished.
“Hey,” he said holding up his hands. “I don’t mean for her to learn those words. She doesn’t hear them from me. I know better.”
***
“But,” I said trying to change James, my dad, Sam, and Sebastian’s mind. “I don’t need to be babysat. I want to sleep in my own bed. Not on the couch.”
My father was currently residing at the Allen homestead, as was Sebastian and Johnny. The only room that was open was James’ mother’s room, and I sure as hell wasn’t sleeping in there. That’s just weird.
“Shiloh June Mackenzie, stop arguing. There are some fucked up men in this world, and I sure as fuck don’t want them getting their sick, sadistic hands on you. It’d kill me. Please stop arguing and sleep on the couch.” My father, the traitorous bastard, pleaded.
He knew I’d listen to him. In my twenty-seven years of life, I can count on two hands the number of times I’d been told what to do from my dad. Each one of those times, my life was in danger. This last time was with Zander. He’d told me to stop seeing him, that he wasn’t a good man, and I hadn’t listened. Having experienced my father’s intuition, I knew he wasn’t just telling me this for no reason. Which was why he was the one to tell me to stop arguing. If Sebastian had done it, he knew what I would’ve said. It begins with a ‘fuck,’ and ends with an ‘off.’
“Fine. Don’t expect me to be happy about it, though.”
“When have you ever done something you didn’t like in twenty six years?” Sebastian muttered under his breath.