Narrator (106:42)
Lindsay did a little wiggle, then linked their arms back together. Let's go have fun and maybe get you laid. Abby's jaw dropped. What? No, that's not Lindsay threw her head back and laughed. There was a full size suit of armor in the entryway, a literal tarnished knight. The seams and joints of the armor were patinaed and rusted. It stood with both gauntlets resting on the end of the pommel of an upright sword point down. The breastplate and shoulder pieces were etched with delicate filigree. If it was authentic, which Abby doubted since iron and steel didn't patina the way it was on the armor, it was likely ceremonial rather than functional. The art historian part of her brain perked up and whispered, look at it. Touch it. Lindsay pulled her further into the house. Before Abby could become that person at the party, a roped off staircase led upstairs. The downstairs was divided into four large rooms, two on either side of the center hallway. Lindsay stopped inside the first room on the left and searched through the crowd. She waved and a woman across the room waved back and made her way to them. Come on, I'll introduce you to Catherine. Who's Catherine? Abby asked. It's her house. Her husband is the president of the club. The older woman was a little taller than Abby and she had her waist length salt and pepper hair pulled back into a long braid. She pulled Lindsay into a quick hug. I'm so glad you made it. Thanks. Catherine, this is Abby, one of my best friends. Abby, this is Catherine, one of the coolest people I've ever met that Catherine laughed. I don't know about coolest, but thanks. Don't let her fool you, lindsay said. She's lived all over the world, used to fly C17s, nursed her husband back to health when everyone said he'd probably never walk again and wrote a book about it. Wow, that was impressive. Catherine shook her head. We all do what we have to do when there's no other choice. She was also profound. Abby felt like she'd been doing what she had to do for a very long time. Anyway, Catherine said, welcome. Beer, wine, and other drinks are at the bar in the back room. There's also burgers, chicken, and more sides than I want to keep as leftovers, so please help yourselves. Thank you, Abby said. Thanks, Lindsay said. Let's get some drinks. The bar was manned by two guys in black vests. Glancing around, Abby noticed several of the men and a few of the women, including Catherine, wore similar vests. The large patch on the back of their vests bore a depiction of the suit of armor in the foyer. They wandered into the rooms on the other side of the house. There were probably a hundred or more people in the house, but it didn't feel crowded since they were scattered throughout the room. She also saw several people out on the porch through the open French doors. Ooh, there's someone else I want you to meet. Lindsay led her to one of the small tables in the other room at the front of the house. The armor was visible in the foyer. They'd essentially walked in a full circle. Lindsay, a dark haired woman, jumped out of her chair and hugged Lindsay. Rocking from side to side, she let her go and looked at Abby. Who are you? Abby was surprised at the excitedness of her question, like a kid on a playground making a new friend. Abby Hi Abby. I'm Angela or Angie or Ange. I'll answer to all of them. How do you know Lindsay? We work together. Abby didn't know what to make of the overly friendly woman. You're a teacher too? That's so cool. What do you teach? Sit down. Join us. This is Danny My best friend. Angela sat and patted the blonde woman next to her on the head. Don't mind Angie, danny said, batting Angela's hand away from her head. She gets excited when she meets new people. Like a puppy. But she doesn't pee on you unless you pay extra. Shut up. It's just nice to meet new women who I don't know through work and aren't biker chicks. Angela's eyebrows pinched together and she leaned forward. You're not a biker chick, are you? Lindsay laughed and Abby glared at her as they took seats at the table. She had a direct view of the suit of armor from her seat. No, I'm not a biker chick. Oh, good. What's good? A curvy brunette joined them and sat in the last vacant chair. Abby noticed Angela's side eye Danny, who rolled her eyes. Hey, Julia, angela said. Not working this weekend? No, I heard the Knights were having a party and made sure I asked for the night off. She looked at Abby. We haven't met. I'm Julia. Abby. She waved in greeting. Did y' all come with one of the guys? No, lindsay said. I'm friends with Catherine. Abby caught the tone of Lindsay's voice but didn't understand the reason behind it. It Julia's questions seemed innocent enough. I'm going to get a refill, danny said. Can I get anyone anything? I'll take another, abby said, holding up her beer. If she was going to let loose, she needed a little social lubrication. Me too, lindsay said. Danny took her empty glass and left. What do you teach, Abby? Angela asked. Art and fashion design. Oh, you're a teacher? Julia asked. Yes. We both teach at Charleston Steam Academy. That's so cute. It must be so fun to teach kids to finger paint of all the condescending fake ass crap she'd ever heard. Now she understood Lindsay's tone from earlier. A commotion in the foyer distracted her before she could think of a snappy retort about her Master of Fine Arts and year interning as a restorationist in Prague. A tall man with dark blonde hair and a lot of tattoos held the elbow of a woman as he pointed toward the front door. He was attractive in a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks kind of way, even as he scowled at the woman he was talking to. Honestly, he looked like a cover model from one of her favorite MC romances, which, yes, may have influenced her opinions of motorcycle clubs and what would be going on at the party. She liked her forbidden fantasy on the page, not in real life. The man let go of the woman and stood with his arms crossed while the woman appeared to plead with him. Who's he talking to? Angela asked. They were all watching the interaction. No idea, lindsay said. I've never seen her before. Looks like a lover's quarrel, though, angela scoffed. Tink doesn't do lovers quarrels. Tink? Abby asked. What kind of name was Tink? It's short for Tinker. It's his call sign. Danny set their beers down. Julia tipped her chair back to get a better look at the man as he walked away from the woman. Dangerous is sexy, but not for long term. I wouldn't want a convicted criminal around all the time. Danny slammed her glass on the table. Why don't you off and shut the up about something you know nothing about? Sorry. Julia stood and flounced away. Abby stared wide eyed at Danny as she took a long drink. He's Danny's brother, angela explained. She's a little protective. Oh, Abby said. Does Julia know? It doesn't matter, danny said. She's a gossip and a and she's repeating she's heard people talking about without knowing the full story. Abby almost asked what the full story was, but it wasn't her business. She didn't like to gossip and Danny didn't seem to be in the mood to explain anyway. Angela spread her hands on the table. You know what? We need shots. There's a bottle of Fireball behind the bar. I'm gonna get it. Chapter 3 the Night Abby wandered out of the bathroom and into the room with the bar. The bar with the fireball. Whew. That was some dangerous stuff. She'd been expecting Goldschlager cinnamon taste, but the whiskey had been smooth and surprisingly tasty. Angela had been able to talk her into more than a few shots. Angela was fun and Abby was having fun, which kind of surprised her. She hadn't been to a party where people just had fun in so long she'd forgotten what it was like. No one to schmooze. No one to impress or make sure they were introduced to someone else or get them to make a big donation to the school. Just hanging out with friends and having fun. She might be at her limit though, of alcohol. Not fun. The room was a little wonky. Lindsay was in the front room standing really close to a tall, good looking guy in a short sleeved button down. She was doing that thing with her hair where she played with the ends of it. She said it made guys think about twisting it in their hands. Abby wrinkled her nose. The guy reminded her of Tony So clean cut and put together. Not a hair out of place. Not like the guy from earlier with the tight black T shirt and tattoos and hair that looked like it had never seen the inside of a gel bottle. She'd caught glimpses of him throughout the night, and he'd gotten more attractive each time she saw him. And it wasn't because of the whiskey goggles. Even when he was scowly and broody, which was every time she had seen him, probably brooding about his lover's quarrel. Had a guy ever brooded over her? She sighed and made a conscious effort to swerve away from Melancholy Town. She didn't want to be that girl at the party who drunk cried. She spied the armor in the foyer and glanced around. But she could be that girl at the party who took a closer look at the suit of armor. Tink gritted his teeth. He still couldn't believe Becky had shown up at the house. How had she even known about the party? She must have heard someone from Vaca talking about it because they didn't mingle socially with their client. But she wouldn't say how she found out. She'd been there to find him. He would have blown her off and ignored her, but she'd thrown him a guilt trip about how Melanie needed a strong, dependable father figure and if he'd only give Becky a chance, she knew they'd make a great couple. It was complete, and it pissed him off that she was using her daughter to troll for men. He was antsy and couldn't stay still, couldn't hold a decent conversation, couldn't even finish a bottle of beer. He had tried playing pool, but there was too much downtime between turns to brood and imagine all the shitty relationships Becky would continue to find herself in. And more importantly, continue to put Melanie in. The party wasn't providing the distraction he wanted. He needed to leave, go for a ride to clear his head. He found Danny in the back room talking to a couple of the club members. He caught her attention. Hey, I'm gonna take off. She frowned. You okay? Yeah. Just got a lot of shit in my head. Gonna go for a ride. Where to? Aristo. Be careful. Text me when you make it back. Yes, Mom. He kissed her on the cheek. You around on Sunday? She asked. Should be. Why? I need a sparring partner. Which meant she was probably going to kick his ass for the mom comment. Where is Eddie? Got his wisdom teeth yanked today. Doesn't want me punching him for some reason. Yeah, sure. Eddie was probably getting the better end of the deal he headed down the hall to the front door, waving to a couple of people as he passed. A woman was standing in front of Ned the night, staring intently at it. Are you okay? He asked. Is there something I can help you with? She turned her head and looked at him, her light brown eyes framed by thick dark lashes. Do you know the origins of this Ned? Who's Ned? She was a little unsteady on her feet, but she wasn't slurring the suit of armor. Ned the knight, he said. She blinked at him several times. But Ned begins with an N. A smile broke out at that ridiculous comment. She turned back to the armor and tucked a strand of dark wavy hair behind her ear before hovering her fingers over the armor. I'm wondering if it's authentic. The filigree work is fantastic, but steel wouldn't patina like this, which makes me think it's a replica. It's a decent imitation based on mid to late 16th century probably. It would have been for ceremonial use instead of functional. They wouldn't have spent that kind of money on a suit of armor that was going to get hacked on by swords and shot up with arrow bolts. She reminded him of Angie when she got excited about something. She was adorable. Are you a historian? Art history major. She looked down and stepped back from the armor. Sorry, I get a little carried away sometimes. Don't apologize for being passionate about something. Her smile lit up her face and it sent a jolt of desire through him as the image of her smiling up at him, her thick dark hair spread around her face, flashed through his mind. What are you passionate about? She asked. He froze. No one had ever asked him that before, not in a non sexual kind of way, and he didn't think that's what she was asking about. He almost said protecting kids. Kids. But that would lead to awkward questions about why they needed protection and he didn't want to scare her off. His mind was oddly calm for the first time in 24 hours. He wanted to keep talking to this woman who gave him a small history lesson on the club mascot in the middle of a party, especially if it distracted him. Choppers, motorcycles or helicopters? She asked. Custom motorcycle tools. I build them. He wasn't sure why he told her that instead of security specialist, they'd always been a hobby, something he did because he loved building with his hands. A long time ago I wanted to be the next East Coast Choppers and have my own big name shop. Why didn't you? He crossed his arms and shrugged. Life got in the way. Hate it when it does that. She leaned forward, close to his upper arm. Who drew that? He looked at the tattoo she was pointing at. Same guy who tattooed it. Wow. He's a really good artist. An irrational spark of jealousy ignited in his chest. She leaned back and looked him down and back up. She rocked back on her heels a little when she raised her head from her examination. You are sexy. He couldn't have stopped his grin if someone had offered him money. Why do you say it like that? Like what? Like you're agreeing with something I said. What did you say? She shook her head. Wait, not you. Julia said you were sexy. Tink frowned. You know Julia. She didn't seem like the kind of woman Julia would be friends with. No, Just a matter of Danny yelled at her. That didn't surprise him at all. Danny did not like Julia. You know, Danny just met her, too. I like her better than Julia, though. Tink shook his head. Who was this woman? What's your name? Abby. Abby. He stepped closer. Do you want to get out of here? To do what? Go for a ride. To where? He unfolded his arms and placed his hands on her hips. Your place. My place, Any place. Abby glanced down at her hip. Does it work? Does what work? Just asking women to go somewhere with you to have sex. I wasn't actually thinking about sex. Weirdly, he hadn't been. He had just had an urge to have sex. Her close. Maybe just go somewhere with this smart, adorable woman. But the woman usually asks me. She looked like she was contemplating it, but then took a step back and wagged her finger at him. Nope. No. No way. No hot, sexy tattooed biker guys. Tink grinned again. So you think I'm sexy and hot and tattooed? A woman with dark blonde hair joined them and draped her arm over Abby's shoulders. What you doing, Abs? Looking at the night, I can see that. She gave Tinger an appreciative up and down. He preferred it when Abby looked at him. Not that night. That night. Abby pointed at the suit of armor. Huh, her friend said. I already told that one he was too sexy. She swung her finger around to point at him. Tink chuckled. Abby, are you flirting? No, abby said indignantly. She turned an unsure gaze to Tink. Was I flirting? She shook her head. I don't flirt. Especially not with hot, sexy tattooed biker guys. Why especially? He braced for the kiss. Off. Off. This was the point where civilians judged him for his looks and decided he was too dangerous for their delicate sensibilities. Because having tattoos and riding a motorcycle put him in the dredges of Society column before they ever had a chance to know him. Because it never turns out the way it does in the books. That was the absolute last thing he expected to hear. What books? Her friend grinned. Yeah, Abby, what books? Tinker could see the blush spreading across her cheeks. I gotta go. Abby spun out of her friend's arm and walked away. Now he was thoroughly confused. What books? Her friend winked and followed Abby. Seriously, what was so embarrassing about a book? He ran a hand through his close cut hair and fought the urge to chase after her. He had a feeling it would make her run faster and farther, but he could feel her slipping through his fingers like a dream he tried to hold on to as he woke up. Tank. He turned as the club president, David Pothole McComb, came down the hall. Hey, Pres, Catherine said she saw you heading this way. Are you taken off already? I was, but I changed my mind. Cool. Do you have time to take a look at my bike? It's been running rough the last few days. Tink hesitated. He wanted to keep an eye on Abby so he could bide his time and approach her again later. But this was his club president. He couldn't exactly blow him off for a woman, even for the first woman who had interested him in longer than he could remember. Yeah, let's go take a look at it. When they finally made it back inside, hands covered in grease, he couldn't find her or her friend. Catherine told him Angie and Danny had left right before he and Pothole came back in, so he couldn't even ask his sister about her new friend. He'd ask Danny Sunday when they met, to spar. He needed to find a way to see her again.
