Dark Guardian (Black Hoods MC #3) - Avelyn Paige Page 0,7
when I said we needed our VP back.
Not only does Mom fill that role in our club, but his name is Mom for a reason. These guys look up to him. He takes care of them, offers advice, and bakes fucking pies, of all things. He’s a weird fucker, but he’s ours.
And even if the club didn’t need him, I do. Becoming an instant dad hasn’t been easy, and who better to offer me parenting advice than the man who has a pack of burly, grown-ass bikers calling him Mom?
A car pulls into the parking lot, and Karma motions for me to get my ass in gear.
Moving toward the others, I watch as Sharon Palmer pulls up to the front of the garage and gets out of her car. Sharon is an old friend. We’d gone to high school together, and her old man had been a good friend to the Black Hoods before he died. She’s also the real estate agent listed on this particular garage.
“Hello, boys,” she purrs, sliding her sunglasses up on top of her head while flashing us all an easy smile. The woman has balls of steel. Not too many people would be comfortable pulling up to a parking lot filled with Black Hoods, especially not good-looking women driving a fancy Tesla.
“How you doin’, darlin’?” I ask, stepping forward and holding out a hand to her.
“Can’t complain.” Grasping my hand in hers, she gives it a firm shake, not once losing her smile. “But only ‘cause complaining is against company policy.” Turning to the others, she throws out her arms. “So, I hear you boys are in the market for a new garage?”
“Don’t think there are many of those kickin’ around here, are there?” Karma drawls.
“Just this one,” she replies, pointing at the building behind us. “Let’s go take a look around.” We all follow as she walks toward the front door and unlocks three different deadbolts. “What kind of business are you hoping to run here? Body shop? Maybe a custom motorcycle garage?”
I look around the reception area of the old garage. It needs some TLC, for sure, but it definitely has the potential to be exactly what we’d all been hoping for.
“Neither,” I respond. “This town needs a basic garage. Just somewhere to go for a tune-up, or an oil change. Find out what the squeal from under the hood is coming from without paying an arm and a leg for shit parts.”
“Well, this place would be good for that.” She opens the door to the garage bay. “There are six bays here, each of them with fully operational lifts and power doors. And right through here,”—she enters another door at the back—“is a bathroom, a small kitchenette, a furnace room with space for storage, and an office. The property extends all the way to the corner if you’d want to expand the structure in the future. Perfect for the right buyer who has an eye for a deal and a steady hand for renovations.”
She stands back as each of us moves around, looking into the different rooms, assessing the potential of making this a lucrative business for our club.
I try to focus and keep my mind on this piece of club business, but all I can think about are the kids. I wonder how they’re doing, and if that bitch in the office gave them a hard time about not having birth certificates.
“Everything okay, boss?”
Hashtag’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts, but also gives me an idea. “Not really,” I admit. “Hash, you think you can hack into the school computer system?”
He frowns. “Do I ask why?”
I explain the missing paperwork and my lack of proof for being a legal guardian to Kevin and Natalie.
“Shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll work on it as soon as we finish up here.”
“Well,” Sharon says, approaching the two of us with a smile. “What do you think?”
I glance over at Karma, who nods his approval, and say, “Guess we’re makin’ an offer.”
“I’ll draw up the paperwork. How would you like to pay if they accept it?”
“Cash, sugar. Cold, hard cash.”
Grace
My phone rings the second I sit down at my desk.
“Grace Halfpenny.”
“Hi, Grace, it’s Lisa in the call center. How are you?” she chirps cheerfully. How someone can be that happy at seven in the morning on a Monday is beyond me, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lisa crack a frown once since I’ve known her. She’s just one of those cheery people.
“Fine, thank