Revealing Annie - Freya Barker Page 0,46

suggest you come to Durango.”

Annie is silent when we get into the truck. Our next stop is Arrow’s Edge to pick up Bryce. I wonder how much of the truth I should share with him, seeing as Annie will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. At least if it’s up to me. I won’t lie, but I’m thinking he also doesn’t need to know every detail.

“What was Tony talking about?” she suddenly asks, “when he said Karma is sweet?”

I risk a quick glance her way and find her looking back.

“It’s possible I’ve given some of the guys a hard time. When Cheddar—he’s a guy on my crew, Evan Biel—was knocked on his ass by Tahlula, now his wife, I may have provoked him a little. Same when Tony finally got his head outta his ass and made a play for Blue.”

“You’re that guy?”

“Mmm. I may have been.”

“So when he talks about Karma, he means—”

I nod with a grimace.

“Yeah. They warned me it’d be my turn one day. I laughed it off.” I look over and see her glancing at me. Despite the brown contacts back in her eyes and the glasses perched on her nose, it’s just Annie staring back. I grab her hand off her lap and fit our palms together, lacing my fingers with hers. “Not laughing now, Annie-chan. I’ve been officially knocked on my ass.”

16

Sumo

“Nice to meet you.”

Annie holds out her hand tentatively to the large black biker. Trunk flashes one of his rare smiles and her small hand disappears into his much bigger one. As soon as he lets go, Annie moves to my side and I wrap my arm around her possessively.

“Shee-it, man. Brick was tellin’ me you got yourself a woman. Figured he was shittin’ me, but I can see I was wrong.”

As menacing as he looks on the outside, the man has a big heart. He’s all about his family and the boys the Arrow’s Edge MC mentors. Runaways, mostly, who the club provides with food and shelter, schooling, and emotional guidance. The last is shared by Lisa—the club’s den mother, so to speak—and Trunk, who holds a degree in psychology. Not exactly a career choice anyone would expect. It’s no different for any of the other guys, who all have the appearance of hardened criminals—which they might’ve been at one point—but instead run legitimate businesses and look out for their community.

Brick is another such example; all rough edges, but here he is, working with Trunk to make sure the boys they look after learn a trade.

Aside from Bryce, there are two other kids around the same age, bent over the engine of an old Chevy Impala. The thing looks like it’s been hauled from the dump, which, as Brick mentioned to me the first time I dropped Bryce off a few days ago, is precisely what happened. He has the kids take it apart first and then repair and rebuild it.

My son looks like he rolled around in engine grease and dirt, but his eyes are smiling when he glances up at us.

“Cool, right?” he says, standing proudly beside the piece of scrap metal.

“Absolutely,” I lie. “Why don’t you go grab your bag and say your thank-yous, so we can get going? We’ve got stuff to do before your grandparents get here.”

“Your folks coming up?” Brick wants to know when the boy runs out of the garage.

“I’m an only child with a surprise grandkid they had long given up on. I was barely able to hold them back a week.”

He snorts and his mouth is laughing but his eyes aren’t. Don’t know what his story is but I’m sure there is one.

“Hey, Annie,” Bryce mumbles, when he gets in the back seat of the truck with his bag.

She twists in her seat and smiles at him.

“That looked like you were having a good time.”

“Yeah, the kids are cool.”

The two fall into an easy conversation about cars, dogs, hobbies, and motorcycle clubs, with Annie asking most of the questions, and Bryce answering more easily than he does me. I think I get why; there’s no pressure when talking to Annie, since there’s nothing to lose. I’m guessing since he’s already been pawned off by the one parent he’s known all his life, he has little reason to trust the parent he never knew he had.

Still, I’m grateful he seems to be responsive to her, it’ll make telling him Annie will be staying with us for the immediate future easier.

Daisy is beside