Chapter Seven

Hadley

Waking slowly, I take a deep breath and gauge the severity of my hangover. All in all, I should survive as soon as I pee and brush my teeth. I lift my head and take in my surroundings. Beige walls, dark wood dresser, the double bed I am currently sitting on, and a bedside table with a lamp. In the corner is a lone chair made from iron with a wooden seat. The bedding on the bed is dark blue and the lampshade is black. The room is devoid of any personal items and there's no way of identifying whose room I'm in.

I make my way from the bed, head into the bathroom, and search for a spare toothbrush. When I find one, I say a little prayer of thanks it's still closed in its original wrapper. Deciding I need a shower, I rummage through the chest of drawers until I find a black t-shirt with the club logo on it. It will have to do until I can get home.

In the shower, I wrack my mind for details about the previous night. Talking, drinking, meeting new people, dancing, falling, and eyes the color of a storm. Mortification moves through me when I remember the conversation we had in the hallway. Alcohol has always had a way of removing the filter between my mind and my mouth.

Finishing up in the shower, I decide to find my mystery man and apologize for my behavior. Dressed in my jeans from last night, I put on the Gypsy Bastards t-shirt and tie it in a knot at my waist and secure my wet hair in a messy bun atop my head. With my heels in my hand, I make my way downstairs where I spot Sparrow sitting alone at the bar.

"Morning, chica." Sparrow smiles at me when he sees me approaching. "How's the hangover?"

"Not as bad as you would expect, but I would love a Bloody Mary."

The man behind the bar smiles at me and gets to work. From my vantage point, I can freely enjoy his good looks. Tall and athletic with dark skin and dreadlocks that hang way past his shoulders. Although I can tell he's still young, he exudes confidence and it only serves to make him more attractive.

"The shirt suits you," Sparrow comments from beside me.

A blush spreads across my cheeks, and I know I've been caught ogling the bartender. Dreadlock man places my drink in front of me and I take a sip before replying.

"I have no idea whose room that was but I owe them a toothbrush and will get the shirt back as soon as possible."

"No worries, girl. Wolf won't mind."

The snort that follows from behind the bar has me thinking Wolf would definitely mind. Before I can question who Wolf is—because I'm sure I didn't meet him last night—the side door opens and a woman with a little boy who is the exact copy of his daddy enters. The little boy breaks away from his mother before running toward me and flinging himself into my arms.

"Hadley!" he squeals loudly.

"Hey, Gage," I say, hugging him tightly. "How are you doing, mi piqueno amigo?"

"What does that mean?" Gage looks at me with his large brown eyes, waiting for my answer.

"It means my little friend."

Gage smiles like I just gifted him the moon before squirming to get down. Running toward his mother and father, I watch them. His mother is a tiny woman, maybe five feet tall with long, luscious, chocolate-brown hair, large, almond-shaped eyes, and clear, tan skin.

"We're fucked, Niko. I have to go into the hospital as three of the girls called in sick today. You're leaving on a run in an hour with the guys and the damn babysitter is drunk. What are we going to do with Gage?"

His wife is clearly stressed out and upset. Before I can reconsider, I open my mouth and words come pouring out. "I can watch him."

Both of their gazes land on me.

"I know you're not club ass because I would kill my husband for bringing my son near any of those whores. So who are you?"

"Um, my name is Hadley." I nervously wave at her before I realize what I'm doing. "I'm a waitress at Dusk and most definitely not a club whore. And for the record, I would help you kick Sparrow's ass if he brought Gage near those nasty bitches."

Laughter tinkles from her. "I'm Luna. His wife." She nods her head in Sparrow's direction. "And from this first meeting, I have a feeling we'll definitely become great friends."

"Can I stay with Hadley, Momma?"

"Well, that depends. What does your dad think?" Luna winks at me before turning to Sparrow.

"I don't mind, but Justice will be with you at all times." Sparrow looks me directly in the eye as he motions to the dreadlock man before continuing. "Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Great. Please let Sparrow know if you need anything before he leaves." Luna is already making her way to the door. "Sparrow is a great judge of character and if he says it's okay then so do I. Get my number from him in case you need anything, although I doubt I would be able to answer. I'm so late. Love you both."

With two air-blown kisses, Luna is out the door and on her way. Gage runs toward the pool table and starts playing with the balls lying there.

"Thanks, chica. You're a complete lifesaver. "

"No worries." I smile at Sparrow. "I love kids and Gage is great. I think we'll have a great time today."

"Any plans?"

"Thought of maybe taking him to the aquarium. It's always a fun place and should keep us busy for most of the day."

"Sounds like a great idea. You're here with your truck, Justice?" Sparrow turns away from me to talk to Justice, who only nods at him.

"Great." Sparrow motions to the empty clubhouse. "There won't be anyone around today so you guys can leave whenever you're ready."

I look at Justice for confirmation again, he only nods.

"Gage, let's do this little buddy."

Gage runs over and jumps into my arms again. Sparrow shoves a bundle of cash into my hand, kisses his son goodbye, and we're off. After getting into Justice's truck, we make our way out just as some of the guys are arriving. Gage waves at them from his spot on the back seat as we head out for our day of adventure.

****

Wolf

After a restless night with little to no sleep, I haul my ass out of bed, shower, get dressed, and hop on my bike to make my way to the clubhouse. We have a run today. Nothing too complicated, just drive two hours away and do a gun drop for the cartel. New day, during daylight hours, and at a new location. We're hoping to avoid the same fuckup as last time.

Halfway to the clubhouse, I fall in behind some of the other guys as we make our way through town. The rumbling of motorcycles can be heard from far away. As we pass through a residential area, the kids outside smile and wave at us as we pass. The Gypsy Bastards are well-loved. We do all we can to keep unsavory characters out of town, keep the drugs away from the schools, and even do a charity run every now and then.

Reaching the clubhouse, I arrive just in time to witness Blue climbing into Justice's truck, wearing one of my shirts. Anger floods me. Where the hell is she going? And why is Justice the one taking her?

The plan was to find her once I got to the clubhouse and apologize for being such a rude asshole last night. But she has to be here for me to accomplish any of that. Sparrow comes walking out of the clubhouse to greet us all. While the guys get the shipment situated I pull him aside to find out what the fuck is going on. Instantly, he lifts his hands in surrender.

"Mi hermano, I have seen the way that you watch that girl, even after just one night. Since Amber died, you've been a shadow of the man I once knew, but I see it coming back. Anger, lust, and so many other emotions, and they all seem tied in her." He shakes his head at me. "Don't fuck this up, man. Your girl's watching Gage today and Justice is watching them both. That's what we have prospects for."

For several moments, I stare at him before walking away. He chuckles behind me and I almost turn around and beat the fuck out of him. But I don't, I keep moving to my bike. Time to get this show on the road.

The drive seems to take forever. The road feels never-ending and with it my thoughts have the chance to run wild. Blue. The woman who walked into my life and turned it upside down without even knowing it. Perhaps Sparrow is right. Maybe she can breathe life back into me. What I need to do now is figure out how to get her to forgive me for my shitty behavior last night and start spending some time with me.

The drop goes off without a hitch. The cartel is happy and in return that makes us very happy. Driving back to Gypsy Falls, I don't have anything but one thought on my mind. Finding my girl and have a conversation with her. At least to start with.

Making our way to the aquarium as we enter town, I lay my plan out in my mind. Everything I want to say is already mapped out in my mind. For the first time in five years, I'm looking forward to the future. I want to get to know this woman and perhaps she'll be able to fill this gaping hole in my heart and soul.