The Four Stages of Loving Dutch Owen - Debra Kayn Page 0,7

the test last month. She didn't even have time to..."

Dutch swallowed. "She'll try again."

"I don't know." Skull paused. "All she wants is a kid, brother. I don't know how much more she can take."

A soft cough came from behind him. He turned, catching the girl shoving food in her mouth again.

"She's going to lose her mind if she has to go through this again. All she keeps saying is she wants her baby. I can't do anything to change what happened. It's killing me." said Skull.

"Once I check in with Woody, I'll swing by and see what I can do for her." He looked down at the plate of eggs growing cold. "Until then, stay with her."

"I will, man."

He disconnected the call and set his phone down on the counter. The news wasn't what he'd expected. He hadn't even known Rachel was pregnant. She hadn't told him.

Dumping the rest of his breakfast in the trash, he strode to the door before he remembered the girl. "You've got one minute to tell me where you live."

She stared at him silently, not eating or moving.

He was done trying to help the girl. "I'll call the cops and have them haul your ass out of here."

She pressed her back against the couch and stared at him with big eyes.

Figuring people of all ages feared the police, he hoped that worked. He'd rather dump her in a supermarket than involve the police. There had to be a nice, older, caring grandma-type who'd look after her.

There was no time to waste. He needed to head back to Bellevue.

He strode over to her and stood in front of the couch. "You're going to answer me, Marla Marie."

Her hands fisted on her lap. He had her attention.

"Now," he ordered, rougher than normal to get her attention.

"Seven. One. Two. Dover Street," she said, pulling her feet up on the couch and wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Bullshit." He leaned over her. "I took you there last night. Nobody lives there."

She cringed, burying her chin between her knees. Infuriated that he'd wasted time on a girl that lied to him, he wanted the truth.

He pried his teeth apart. "Let's try this one more time. Where do you live?"

"In the shed," she said softly.

His body hardened. "Shed?"

Marla Marie looked everywhere but at him. "Can I stay with you until my mom comes back?"

Floored by news of what was happening to his sister and finding himself tangled up in the life of a young girl who finally decided to talk by asking if she could stay with him, he walked away from her.

That wasn't part of his job. He lived on the road. He put all his sweat and blood into WAKOM Motorcycle Club. If he wanted a kid around, he'd knock up some woman and have one.

Banging on the door interrupted his problem. He glanced over at the kid. It was time for him to leave. He needed to get Marla Marie out of here.

He strode to the door and opened it to find the Moses Lake Chapter president standing in the hallway. "Yeah?"

"Get her out of here. We need to talk." Falcon stayed, waiting for him to kick the kid out.

He stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind him. "She's too young to send back out there."

"Piston filled me in. Sue Smith is in prison. She'll be there for two years if she survives that long." Falcon's hardened face showed no compassion. "Drop the kid off a block from the police station and give her directions on how to get help. She's old enough to do that. Let them deal with her."

Damn Piston for opening his fucking mouth. Everyone knowing his business was why he'd made a choice to be the transporter for the money WAKOM laundered.

"Right. I'll get on that." He widened his stance. "What did you need to talk about?"

"There's been a date change since the meeting. Tell Woody the exchange needs to be made on the third if it's going to make it up to the Spokane Chapter in time." Falcon lowered his voice. "Everything else remains the same."

When it came to club business, he spread news, terms and exchanged packages, keeping it all in the hands of WAKOM members.

"I'll pass it on."

Falcon studied him. "Between you and me, I'd sell the girl. Her mother isn't going to come back. Even if she showed up when the kid's a teenager, someone would hand her a needle. No kid has to live going through