Chapter 2

Chapter Two

F aust watched the young woman walk back to her car. She got in and leaned to the right to do something in the passenger seat. Was she buckling the teddy bear in? Definitely. That's what she was up to. With that task done, he heard her start the engine before waiting. As if he could read her mind, he knew what she was thinking.

"Clubhouse," he called to his brothers.

She was so nervous about being around them. The last thing they needed was to have her ram into someone when she hit the gas instead of the brakes. He watched Molly turn to see all the motorcycles pass her but one.

Molly waited to see if he would take off, but Faust simply flashed his headlights at her. She lurched to a start and Faust knew he had rattled her. He was used to making people nervous. He'd rather people avoided him. It was easier. Faust didn't allow himself to wonder why he felt bad about scaring her.

That hug ricocheted into his mind as he followed her down the road. Who'd hug a biker on the side of the road after dark? Someone who saw the best in people. She'd said he looked like he needed a hug.

Molly.

The car ahead drove slowly on the spare. When they reached the outskirts of town, he flashed his lights at her again and peeled off for the clubhouse. He tried to keep himself from tracking her in his side mirror. That didn't work.

When she'd disappeared from view, he revved the engine and sped off. He'd never see her again. That bothered him.

Pulling into the Shadowridge Guardians' compound, he drove to the parking lot and backed into a space. He could hear the music going and knew Talon had to be teaching the Littles how to dance again.

There'd always been old ladies at the clubhouse. There still were a couple, but the motorcycle club's refuge had taken a new tone lately. Faust would never admit it, but he envied them. Not that he'd ever find a Little who'd want to hook up with him. He was sure that Blade with his bad boy good looks would be much more appealing.

Pissed at that thought, he swung his leg over his bike and jerked free the strap of his helmet. Slamming it down on his seat, he stalked into the clubhouse.

"Want to come dance with us, Faust?" Ivy asked.

"No."

"Oh, okay," Ivy said, looking hurt by his snapping tone.

Faust could see Steele tense and push away from the wall. Shaking his head, Faust apologized, "Sorry, Ivy. It's been a long day."

"Oh. I'm sorry, too." She smiled at him and added, "Tomorrow is going to be better. Did you help that woman get home?"

"I made sure she got back to town."

"That was nice of you all to stop and help her," Harper chimed in.

"You gave her a bear?" Elizabeth asked, abandoning the dance floor to join the growing circle of Little girls around Faust.

"I think your Daddy wants to dance," Faust pointed out.

"Oh, he really doesn't. He volunteered to entertain us until you got back to tell us all the deets," Remi told him, before pulling her bubble gum partially out of her mouth to twirl around her finger.

Faust rubbed his hand over his head and looked at their Daddies who observed with grins. "No deets. Molly had a flat. We stopped to help her. I gave her a bear because I thought she might like one. Storm and Blade changed her tire. I followed her back to town."

"You thought she might like a bear?" Carlee asked with a grin.

"We didn't know you were psychic, Faust," Atlas commented.

"Fuck off, Atlas," Faust snarled.

"Ooo! That's more money for the swear jar." Eden ran off toward the library.

"Walk, Little girl," Gabriel ordered.

Eden peeked over her shoulder after slowing down. "Sorry, Daddy." She skipped the rest of the way there and back.

"Ten dollars, please," Eden chirped, holding the jar bulging with bills up for Faust to add his contribution to.

"I thought it was five," he growled as he reached for his money clip in his front pocket.

"Inflation," Addie suggested.

"And you used the F word. That's double," Remi pointed out.

"Right." Faust put his hands on his hips and tried to stare her down. Remi didn't blink.

"Her name was Molly? And she hugged you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Seems like some Daddies around here have loose lips. I thought what happened between brothers stayed between brothers," Faust said, glaring at the men who'd all now gathered close.

"Ten dollars, please," Addie reminded him. Eden held the jar a bit higher.

Faust shook his head and carefully peeled off the required amount from his money roll. He pressed it gently into the jar. He didn't want to hurt any of the Littles, especially Adelaine. She hadn't been with Bear too long.

"So, she hugged you?" Harper asked.

"Yes. She hugged me. It didn't mean anything. She said the minister told her to stop hugging people," Faust exploded, causing the Littles to back up closer to their Daddies.

"Faust…" Bear warned.

"The minister. So, she's religious," Elizabeth noted.

Ivy pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and wrote something carefully.

"What are you doing, Little girl?" Steele asked before Faust could.

"Oh, we want to find Molly for Faust," Carlee explained. "We're taking notes. Did she have any striking characteristics? A lisp? A limp? A missing limb?"

"What? No," Faust said, looking at Carlee. He didn't know what to do with her. A missing limb? That's fucked up. "She was perfectly well formed."

"Oooo!" the Little girls said in unison. Ivy added that to her notes.

"Welcome to the world of Littles, Faust," Steele said, holding up his hand for a fist bump.

Faust just shook his head.

"You can't leave Daddy hanging!" Ivy protested and practically climbed Steele to bang her fist against her Daddy's before turning to glare at Faust.

Faust found himself apologizing before he even knew what he was doing. He didn't apologize. For anything.

"That's okay, Faust. You had a close encounter of the hug kind today. That's got to set you a bit wacky." Ivy forgave him and took advantage of being in Steele's arms to rest her head on his shoulder. "We'll forgive you if you give me more information to add to our notes."

"Little girl. You are not to search for Molly. Leave that to Faust. He can find her," Steele told her before looking at him. "That Morningside Methodist Church sticker in the window might help you, Faust."

"Oooo!" the Littles said together again. Ivy dug her pad and pen out of her pocket and tossed it to Eden to add that to the notes.

"Thanks, Steele. I hadn't noticed that at all." Faust turned and stalked through the clubhouse to his apartment.

He forced himself not to pull his phone out of his pocket until he reached the privacy of his rooms. Closing the door, he leaned against it and did a quick search. It was in a good area. Hopefully, she lived close by. He'd go visit the church tomorrow.

He wouldn't spontaneously combust if he stepped into a church. Would he? More likely, they'd chase him out with pitchforks.

Let them try.

Faust jumped in the shower and washed the day off. He worked getting the ground-in motorcycle grease off his hands. It seemed to weld itself in his skin as he worked each day to make motors growl. He realized he was stressing too much when his skin looked more red than sparkly clean. Pulling on a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he stopped for a minute to spread some thick cream on his abused hands.

Molly would either accept that he was a working man, or she wouldn't. He couldn't change who he was at the core. He hadn't seen a glint of disdain in her beautiful brown eyes, but Faust had run into plenty of women who liked a ride on the wild side and didn't have any intention of having a permanent relationship with a motorcycle mechanic.

He walked out his door and closed it with a restrained click before stalking to the kitchen to find something to eat. He'd already missed lunch and was a couple of hours late for dinner. That was one good thing about the clubhouse. There was always food.

Bear greeted him with, "There's chili on the stove."

"Cheese dip over here," Carlee told him.

"Yum. I think I could put those two together."

Faust never worried about calories. His long lean body ate them up as he worked hard all day. Grabbing a plate, he scattered corn chips over it, added some chili, and raided the cheese dip to drizzle a bit over his concoction. Sitting down at a table, he met Atlas's gaze and nodded when the bartender offered him a beer.

"I'll go." Ivy jumped to her feet and ran over to collect the can.

Faust was thankful to see her walk sedately back to his side. There wouldn't be a shaken-up beer explosion tonight. "Thank you, Ivy."

"I didn't shake it up this time on accident. Thanks for trusting me to bring you one."

"Of course, Ivy. There's not a mean bone in your body," Faust said, popping the top on the beer. He took a drink before scooping up a bite of his nacho creation.

Blade wandered from the bar with a fresh beer as well and settled down next to him. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about that old bike I bought to work on."

"What about it?" Faust studied Blade.

"I know you're a magician with engines, but it sounded so bad today coming in I didn't know whether I'd make it to the shop. Is it worth rebuilding that engine or am I better off getting a new one?"

"Let me look at it tomorrow. Sometimes the sound is just an adjustment thing. Or it could be metal shavings in the oil. Then you're screwed," Faust told him.

"I did check the oil when I bought it. It was definitely past its prime," Blade told him. "Thanks, Faust. I know you're busy."

Faust met his gaze directly. "I'll make time for another Guardian."

Blade nodded his thanks. "If I can help you with any weaponry, let me know."

Nodding, Faust took another bite. "Thank you for helping my Little girl with her tire."

"Yours, huh?"

"Not a doubt about it," Faust confirmed and studied Blade's face to see if he had a problem with that.

"I love how fate put someone special in front of you. Maybe it will happen for me," Blade commented lightly.

The two men sat quietly for a few minutes listening to the Littles chatting and having fun. They were currently involved in a game of "I Spy" and having a great time. It was entertaining to see what they picked to have the others guess. Several cuddled their teddy bears. Steele babysat Ivy's at the bar. Faust noticed he held it very carefully as if he'd been taught how to take care of the precious stuffie.

"You going to find her tomorrow?" Blade asked.

"I'd go tonight but I don't want to scare her," Faust answered.

"She hugged you, big guy. I don't think she's scared of you."