Path to Our Future part 7

I’m on the road towards Wyoming on Pale Horse and I’ve been going for a few hours when I get a phone call and answer it on my Bluetooth.

“You’re calling me, who are you,” I ask my caller.

“Hey kid it’s me,” I hear the Old Man’s voice chime in over the headset,” Heard from Imelda that you were heading out to find the long lost sister.”

“That’s right, something wrong with me going,” I ask smirking.

“No you little shit just letting you know we got a couple road houses along the way if you need them, I’ll have Vicki to that whole texting details shit so you can find them. These are Union houses and I’ve let them know you might be by,” the Old Man tells me.

“Well thank you sir, anything you need me to do when I get to them,” I ask figuring this might turn into a favor or task he needs done.

“Not really, I have things under control down here. You just do what you need to do,” He tells me plainly.

We end the call and I’m down the road enjoying the now afternoon weather. Since the beginning of this year I’ve stopped shaving my head and now it’s actually long enough that I can comb it if I want to but thanks to a lot of bike riding my dirty blond hair goes one way, straight back and down to my neck. The girls love it and keep fighting me on cutting it down, it’s nice but I hate the extra work. I left first thing in the morning on Thursday and its barely afternoon as I’m out of the state and into Oregon before following the interstate east along the Oregon/Washington border. I spend most of my day riding and all the way into the night getting well into Idaho when fatigue hits me midday on Friday. I get into a town call Twin Falls Idaho and end up heading north of there to find a bar/motel of sorts with more bikes in front of it than I care to count. It’s not super crowded outside and I get a spot to park my bike and get a few feet when I really start to feel the fatigue set in. I double check the name and sure enough The Metal Stallion Motel is right where I’m supposed to be. I get inside and the place doesn’t completely go quiet with a new person walking in the bar but since I didn’t see an office I figure this is the place. I pull up to bar and am addressed by a stern biker in a cut with the Union patch and a few others on his chest.

“Kid you wanna explain what brings you here,” The big man asks taking the toothpick out of his mouth.

“Yes I do, I need a room and I was told this was Union territory,” I tell him letting the man see my Pariah patch.

“Well shit kid Jim said you were young but damn if he left that in the understatement category,” the biker bartender tells me,” You look like you’ve been riding for a while.”

“Since yesterday morning, I need to crash out sooner than later,” I tell him leaning hard against the bar.

“Okay kid, hey Clarence,” my new biker friend calls out to a short fat biker,” check this kid’s bike and get him a room.”

“He’s a fucking kid! Let him stay at the motel 6,” the short fat man hollers back.

“He’s Union from Texas,” the barkeep replies back and Clarence hops up to assist.

I lead the way to my bike and grab my saddlebags as Clarence leads me to a room on the second floor. I pass a few rooms where I hear sounds of sex coming from behind the doors and ignore it for the most part as I get let into a room and handed a key. I close the door behind me and note that the room has seen better decades but it’s got a bed and a shower which is enough for me. I am lying on the bed for about thirty seconds before sleep takes over.

Waking up in a strange place is one thing but when someone is fucking with the door to your room it brings you up to do strange things. Like quietly bolt up and grab the silenced nine millimeter that you got last summer and had registered with all the appropriate paperwork in your name before getting back on the bed and waiting, mental note having a lawyer for a stepdad and a military dad is awesome. The door opens and a couple, man and woman, stagger in to see me sitting there with a pistol.

“Hi, I’m guessing someone gave you the wrong room key,” I state noting the Union cut on the man.

“What the fuck is this kid doing here,” the man asks the woman, both look to be in their late thirties.

“Honey we took the wrong key from Clarence, let’s just go back and get a different one,” the woman says pulling her man out of the room.

I watch them leave and close the door after themselves but shake my head, wrong fucking room indeed. I’ve only been asleep for a couple hours and settle right back in to my restful sleep on the old worn bed. My next wakeup call comes at seven in the morning as my phone starts going psycho, I answer it to find Kori calling.

“So maybe you didn’t hear us when we said call in daily and check in,” She states playfully.

“I’m sorry baby I’m in Idaho and was driving since I left till afternoon yesterday,” I tell her keeping her updated.

“So where are you staying,” She asks and I discover I’m on speaker phone.

I give her the details and we chat a little, school is going good and Ben has people keeping watch all over for our mystery female that attacked Maggie. All my girls are good and happy but worried since I’m all alone; I reassure them that things are fine and that I’ll be back on the road soon and hopefully in Wyoming by the end of the day. I give them my love and decide showering is good and once done pack up my shit and head back to the bar to turn in my key. Same big biker bartender is there and he smiles as he greets me.

“Everything to your liking sir,” he jokes and I laugh back.

“Hey it’s a bed and a shower, if I wasn’t ready to rough it a little I’d ask for silk sheets and a mint on my pillow,” I reply and he laughs hard.

“Jim said you were a funny kid, we got people in Wyoming so if you need help just call Jim and let him handle the rest,” the big biker, Mitch, tells me as I sit down at an empty table.

“Do you have anything to eat here before I pay up and head out,” I ask getting a surprised look.

“Jim never said anything about you paying,” Mitch tells me before heading into the kitchen.

I wait and Mitch comes back after a few minutes and sits down opposite of the table with me. We talk a little about the Union and how Jim runs things pretty good. I discover the friendly Old Man that I know has a pretty gruesome history and caused some chaos for a couple rival groups including Devil’s Best till new leadership took over.

“I knew he was a tough man but damn,” I remark as a busty Latina woman brings out a plate for Mitch and me.

“Thanks darlin’,” Mitch says getting a kiss as she heads back,” Wife loves to cook for people sadly most don’t want to eat here.”

I dig in and I do not understand why people don’t want to eat her cooking, it’s pretty good. I finish the whole plate in record time and check my clock to see it’s a little after eight in the morning before asking if they have a card reader for payments. Mitch points me to an ATM and I get out three hundred in cash and go to hand him half but he declines.

“No thanks Kid, Jim said you were family to him and that’s good enough for us,” Mitch tells me and I smirk.

He looks at me funny as I head into the kitchen and find the cook, Guadalupe is his woman, and hand her the money getting an odd look.

“Ma’am that was the best meal I’ve had in days, go get something nice and surprise Mitch with it,” I tell her with a wink and a smile.

She laughs a little and I get a hug before exiting the kitchen and shake hands with Mitch before mounting up on Pale Horse and heading back down the road towards Wyoming. The trip is more time consuming and I discover the city I’m heading to is in rancher territory as I am passing large plots of land in the mid afternoon on Saturday that lead me to what passes for the center of town, it’s not huge but quaint and livable. My presence however gains a bit of attention as a good portion of people here are country western and I’m metal. I search around for a bit and settle on a place in town to hold up in, it’s a nice little hotel that looks nothing like a commercialized one and I figure that is worth something. I pay the friendly yet wary of me woman behind the counter and get myself settled, it’s about dinner time and I take the silencer off my pistol and store it in my bags and holster it in my coat before heading down stairs and figure I’ll go look up somewhere to eat. I settle in at a bar and grill and get to suffer through the country music and dancing going on at the other half of the restaurant when a very top heavy blonde woman in what I can assume is her early forties welcomes me to Old Hand’s Grill and hands me a menu.

“Never been here before,” Trudy, her name plate gives it away, asks stating the obvious.

“Nope, never been to Wyoming before,” I reply looking at the menu, at least the food has meat in it.

I place an order for the steak plate with barbeque fries and a soda which Trudy takes happily before leaving me to my silence. I shoot my girls a text letting them know I’m in town and promise I will try to be polite. They send their love and I look around at the locals, god do I stand out, aside from my jeans I’m wearing the wrong boots, my combat boots are not cowboy boots. My black leather jacket with a hood isn’t brown and worn and I don’t have a cowboy or baseball cap. It takes a while but I’m served and it’s good food, I get about halfway through my meal before nature calls and I’m gone for maybe five minutes before coming back to find my table has been overtaken and there is a guy sitting in my seat with a woman on his lap eating my fries.

“Excuse me this is my table,” I state in a non threatening tone.

“Well hell you weren’t here,” the man in the white hat says chuckling.

“Regardless that’s my food you’re eating and my chair you’re sitting in,” I tell him stating fact and not trying to threaten.

“Well kid this is my chair now and my table so why don’t you order something for yourself and go sit somewhere else,” the man laughs and his friends laugh with him.

I don’t want to fight and figure I’ll just settle for half a meal, catch Trudy and she looks happy to see me save for the fact that I only hand her a twenty for the meal when it was more like thirty five and start to leave. A hand on my shoulder from her stops me.

“The tab is thirty five honey,” Trudy tells me and I’m not in a mood to argue.

“Well take that up with the man eating my food and sitting in my spot,” I tell her pulling out a second twenty and handing it to her before heading for the door.

I’m about ten feet away from Pale Horse when I hear two people running to catch up to me on either side. They come into view and it’s two of the jackasses from my old table. I start to step past when I hand on my shoulder turns me and I’m blindsided by a fist to the side of my head. There is some laughing and talking when I feel one go through my pockets and I hear keys jingling, my keys.

“Thanks for the ride kid, new in town tax,” I hear the asshole who took my seat.

I get kicked in the gut a couple times and once or twice in the back before the beating stops and I’m left alone to hear my bike start up and pull away from the restaurant. It takes me a minute and I can hear a couple people talking when I see some familiar red and blue flashing lights.

“Sir place your hands on your head and get on your knees,” A female officer tells me and now I’m pissed and confused.

“Help me, some asshole and his friends just took my bike,” I state with some pain turning to face the officers.

“Sir I won’t repeat myself now place your hands on your head and get on your knees now,” the female officer says again only louder.

“Wait I get jumped and my bike is stolen and you’re arresting me,” I ask starting to get pissed off.

I do what she says and its a few seconds later that my pistol is taken out and I’m cuffed before being put in the back of a local Sheriff’s car. I get driven to their jail and find they have two cells as I am sat in a chair with the female officer going through my wallet and running my information. I stay quiet till someone decides to talk to me.

“You wanna explain what you were doing starting a fight in the parking lot of Nathanial’s restaurant,” a male deputy asks but I remain quiet,” can you hear me kid I asked you a question?”

I don’t respond, I don’t even look at them. Dad taught me to focus my rage and save it for when I need it, now in a sheriff’s office with cuffs on is not the time.

“Hey kid I asked you a question,” the deputy starts in again before turning to the female,” I think we got a tough guy on our hands.”

“Well this kid has a registered firearm and a concealed carry permit, full licensing to drive and a bank card. I’m running background now but we should get him some ice for his head. Whoever he started the fight with didn’t let him up,” the female says looking at me.

I am stood up a little forcefully by the male officer and note my two guards. White female in a brown deputy uniform and badge with blonde hair in a bun and a lean build, her partner is a white male who is well tanned in the same uniform and a cowboy hat to match it and he’s well muscled. I get lead to a cell and once put inside the deputy takes the cuffs off and closes the door after me. I move to the cot and sit down pulling my legs up and crossing them as I stare at the door directly across from me. A few minutes later the female deputy comes back and has an ice pack and a first aid kit with her.

“If you come over to the bars you can get this ice pack,” the female deputy says trying to be helpful.

I don’t move, if it wasn’t for her standing right at the door I wouldn’t even be looking at her. She stands there expectantly and finally starts to get frustrated.

“Hey kid, I’m just trying to help you out here,” the woman says again and finally turn to someone out of my sight,” Jesus Burt do you think they brain damaged him when they threw him out?”

“I don’t know but Nathanial said he’ll be in to give a statement, after he sees the sheriff,” the male deputy says to her,” Apparently we got it all wrong but the kid had a gun so it’s on us for bringing him in.”

“Yeah I guess but he didn’t threaten anyone with it as far as I could tell,” the female says finally walking away.

Small town justice, apprehend the outsider because he’s causing the problem. I close my eyes and sit quietly. Save the rage, keep the fire warm, wait for your time. I must have been here for an hour or so when I hear an older male’s voice calling to me.

“Hey son you going to talk to me or do I get the silent treatment too,” the voice says as I open my eyes.

I look and see an older white man in normal clothes with a cowboy hat in hand and a badge on his shirt standing next to the owner of the restaurant where I was assaulted. I figure now is as good a time as any.

“I would like my phone call so that I may contact an attorney concerning my unlawful detainment,” I state getting a shocked look from the Native but the Sheriff looks barely fazed.

“And how do you figure this is unlawful,” He asks gauging me.

“Instead of judging the scene your deputies cuffed and detained me without any statements, they saw my firearm and didn’t try to gauge the situation. I was cuffed and being questioned while the assholes who did this to me were allowed to get farther away from the scene of the crime with my motorcycle. My paperwork for the firearm is in order, I did nothing wrong but I’m in a cell with no miranda being issued, just two deputies with a point to prove against someone in town but not from town,” I state going down my list,” Now I’d like my phone call so that I can get my attorney up here and proceed with formal charges.”

“Son there will be no formal charges, you haven’t been charged with anything and there is no need to turn a misunderstanding into a small war,” the Sheriff says and I chuckle.

“Sir I know you don’t really have any idea as to who I am so let me just say this, you have no idea what a war is like when it comes to me,” I tell him firmly.

“If I may speak with the young man John,” the native says and the sheriff nods leaving the front of the cell,” I never got your name but mine is Nathaniel, you can call me Nate.”

“No you didn’t get my name,” I state not interested in conversation.

“Son I’m trying to speak with you man to man,” Nate says but I decide to chime in.

“Like when I’m being arrested for leaving your restaurant in a shitty mood because I’m not a local and don’t deserve any respect before getting blindsided three on one and my bike get stolen and you and your employees who saw it are doing fuck all to help,” I ask with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

“I spoke with Eddie my bouncer and he apologizes for not saying anything sooner. Also I apologize for what happened with your meal, anytime you want to come in next one is on the house,” he tells me trying to make a peace offering,” I know you are upset about what happened…”

“Just stop, it’s quite clear you don’t care for outsiders and new business so I’ll just stick to fast food and I’ll move my goods to a motel outside of town so that I’m not disturbing the local wildlife,” I tell him as Sheriff John comes back.

“Son you don’t need to do all that because of one bad altercation,” the Sheriff says trying to placate me.

“Whatever Barney Fife, I’ll just be here till I get my phone call and can get about my business and charges to be pressed,” I state closing my eyes.

I don’t know if they left and frankly I couldn’t care less. I fall asleep with my head upright and when I wake up I discover by the light that it’s morning. I slowly open my eyes to see the female deputy opening the door.

“Connie, sheriff said leave the boy be,” I hear the male deputy yell.

I watch the female deputy as she opens the door and steps inside with a box of doughnuts and a cup of coffee. I stare at her like she just pissed on me till she finds her words.

“Hey I brought in doughnuts this morning and figured you could use one,” Connie says extending her hand with the box.

“Why,” I ask not moving.

“Well I figured you could use someone to talk to and since your file came back this morning and you’re on the up and up as it were I was gonna drive you back to your room,” she says still waiting for me to take a doughnut.

“Do you normally keep people in her over night for no reason or is that just for non locals,” I ask getting a frustrated sigh.

“Listen Guy I’m just trying to help,” she says and I look at her oddly because she used my name,” I saw it on your file.”

“Wonderful so am I free to go or do you need to keep me here for more bullshit,” I ask not happy and growing impatient.

“Sheriff wanted to hold you here till he got in so he could speak with you before letting you go,” Connie says finally pulling the box away from me.

I watch her leave but she’s torn about not being able to reach me, it’ll take more than a smile and doughnuts to get to me now. I watch her close the cell door and lock it, I shake my head about it and she looks at me funny before walking out of sight. I guess it’s another hour when Sheriff John comes back and there is a new voice with him talking very fast and panicked.

“No Sheriff you aren’t understanding me, let the young man go right now and his legal counsel won’t bring up your deputies on charges,” the voice says talking about me and I snicker, Mr. Delauter caught wind of my situation without a call.

“We’re holding him for his own safety, it was the Burk’s boy who was screwing around with him last night and had he used that gun he’d be in worse trouble than he is now,” I hear the Sheriff reply but he gets cut off.

“What we are looking at are dismissal level offenses by a legal team that will not stop till they have enough of this offices blood sweat and tears on their hands that the next five sheriffs will remember this young man’s name. I’m telling you that if you don’t release him and let him call off his council you will not have to worry about an election you’ll have to worry about whether or not you can retire,” the man says again before it sounds like he’s being ushered out.

“That’s good and well and I’ll take it under advisement Mr. Adams,” I hear the sheriff say before I hear a door close,” My god that man reminds me of a little dog yipping about everything.”

I hear some laughter and they talk for a minute or two when Connie the deputy comes back and motions me out of the cell after opening it. I get led past the deputies’ desks and into what I can only presume is the Sheriff’s office where he’s sitting with Nathaniel in one chair and I’m being asked to sit in the other.

“I was hoping you’d be in a better mood to talk this morning but from what my deputies tell me you’re still looking for a fight after yesterday evening. Would you please sit down,” Sheriff John asks.

“No I want my personal items so I can get about my business and put this town behind me as quickly as possible,” I state standing my ground.

“Well we’re still looking into the matter of your bike. We haven’t gotten around to the Burk residence yet but we’ll check there before the end of the day,” the sheriff informs me and I’m pissed.

“By the end of the day? He’s had it since early evening yesterday and you are going to his home sometime today? Are you always this fucking lazy or is it just because I’m not one of the local populous,” I ask pissed off.

“Calm down and that means now,” John barks and I bark back.

“Or fucking what? Really I want to hear this, you’ll do what to me illegally,” I ask with a lot of heat.

“We have deputies looking into it now but I think you need more time to cool off. Connie put him back in the holding cell till he cools off,” Sheriff John orders and I get walked back and the door is closed behind me.

“Hey listen, it’s a pretty noticeable bike and we’ve got people looking for it now. We’ll find it and you’ll be on your way soon enough,” Connie tells me as I move to sit back in my new room.

“Pardon me if I don’t put a lot of faith in you or your boss and coworkers,” I tell her and proceed close my eyes.

I’m hungry and into a cold rage as the hours pass and finally I hear my door being worked on and a husky built white deputy with a familiar blonde waitress in her work clothes opens the door and she tells him that she’ll be fine but he looks at me nervous. Trudy has a plate in her hands and a sorrowful look on her face.

“Hey there, figured you could use a friendly face,” Trudy says sitting down on the cot next to me.

“I could but I guess that happens after I leave town because all I see here are people screwing with me,” I reply coldly.

“Well I brought you a burger and fries from the restaurant, Nathaniel is upset over driving away a paying customer. He’s a nice boss and a good man,” She says pulling the cover off the plate and handing it to me.

“So why are you here anyway,” I ask doubting any sincerity with the offering of food.

“Mending fences and giving the police information about a missing motorcycle,” Trudy tells me and I perk up,” yeah Alvin Burk thought it was funny you got in trouble and was shooting his mouth off to his buddies this morning.”

“Well at least someone knows what the hell they’re doing in this town,” I reply finally eating.

It’s a good burger and fries and Trudy is doing a wonderful job going into that motherly nurturing mode that some women get, it actually helps calm me down. We hear a commotion and see the guy who took my seat last night, Alvin Burk, being brought to the other holding cell in handcuffs while a voice from the other room starts to argue with the Sheriff in the main area with the deputy desks. The husky deputy, Wright is his name thanks to Trudy leads us out of the cell and I see an older gentleman and a woman discussing why he’s being charged if he returned the bike. I figure that’s the Burks and while the man is not remotely familiar the woman is ringing an alarm bell and Connie pulls me aside and I go through out processing. I get all my goods back in place and when I’m handed my pistol I load and sight check it before putting on my holster and tucking it away properly.

“Where did you learn how to do that,” Wright asks perplexed.

“What how to handle a firearm or how to deal with interrogation,” I reply smirking.

“The thing with the pistol, my daddy said he saw military guys and Special Forces guys do that when they check their weapons,” He tells me and I get a look from Connie now.

“That would be my Dad, he taught me to use the handgun first and my hands second,” I tell them and Connie scoffs a little.

“Why’s that,” she asks plainly.

“Because the gun is quick and painless, my hands are not,” I tell her with cold confidence.

Both deputies look at me a little stunned, teenage male with training and skill, not what they’re used to around here. I finish signing the paper work and watch as Mr. Burk heads into the office with the Sheriff to argue his son’s case. I am lead out by Deputy Morgan aka Connie and find my bike outside in their parking lot a little worse for wear, I’m just glad I left my saddle bags in my room. I say goodbye to Trudy who is headed back to work before returning to my room only to be greeted at the door by the woman who checked me in yesterday.

“The Sheriff called and let me know that you’d be back Mr. Donnelly, your personal belongings are right where you left them in your room tonight. If you’ll be having dinner with the rest of us it’ll be in the main room at six,” the nice older woman tells me and I nod in response before heading to my room.

It’s been almost a day since my kicking and I held together pretty good in the sheriff’s office but now in private I get to check me. I pull my shirt off and gingerly and note the bruises, fucking cowboy boots and their pointed toes. I have a couple deep spot bruises about the size of a quarter where the toes hit me but other than that I can move mostly and breathe which is good. My spot I got punched in is tender but healing pretty damn good since I took no first aid offered. I shower and change clothes, basically new jeans and a very unfriendly t shirt before calling my girls. I get Kori on the line again and she is laughing about how Mr. Delauter called them and let them know that he wouldn’t stand for the small town bullshit and that he put the fear of god into their DA. We talk lightly and I let them know that tomorrow. We end our call happily and I call Mr. Delauter next, and he is ready to get some people fired and jailed but I ask him, and I don’t know why, to let have him relax on getting people fired. He promises to keep a close ear if I’m charged with anything he plans to send some legal people to handle it. I end that call before heading down to dinner a little early. Not a lot of people dining in but its good food and I get to sit by myself and eat; amazingly nobody stares at me like I just grew a horn out of my forehead. I retire to my room for the night and rest since tomorrow I start hunting.

Sunday in the morning I’m up and discover there is no breakfast since people are off to church till one in the afternoon. I think this is an idle thing but after passing five restaurants and a McDonalds and noting all of them being closed me figure breakfast is going to have to come from a grocery store when I pass the Old Hand’s Grill and note the open sign. I figure I should get this out of the way sooner or later and park my bike close to the door before stepping inside and pulling my hood off my head. I don’t see Trudy but Nathaniel is at the bar like he was when I left in a rush but I see no waitress.

“Welcome back, was hoping I’d get the chance to serve you a full meal,” Nate jokes as I move to the bar and sit.

“Hopefully the jackass that took my bike and kicked me around for a bit hasn’t made bail yet,” I state ordering a barbeque burger and fries, yes its morning but I like it.

“So you have business here but the Sheriff can’t seem to figure out how you have so much pull considering you made Adams lose his cool on the Sheriff. Mind helping ease my mind a little bit and letting me know what you’re doing here since you’re not with the government,” Nate asks genuinely curious.

“I’m here about my family, only thing I got is an address on my Aunt but I never met her before and I was asked to find her,” I explain showing him the address,” That’s where she lived last and that’s where I’m going after I eat.”

We talk a bit and he gives me some solid directions which are nice and my food comes and goes without anyone taking my plate. I pay up and thank Nathaniel for the directions before heading off down the road towards Aunt Tessa. I get to her house and meet a lovely couple who tell me she moved to an apartment complex by the hospital, that lead turns out to be one that makes me a little cautious as the apartments are for family long term patients. I ask around and when I get Aunt Tessa’s location I start to settle in for the fact that I’ll never catch up to Gwen. My last lead has me standing in a cemetery looking at the gravestone for a Tessa Cartwright. According to the dates she died around Christmas two years ago leaving my search in the dust. I actually take a seat on her grave and stare at the damn headstone, I’m right here but Gwen has a two year head start on me and for all I know she’s going by a different name considering Aunt Tessa didn’t use her maiden name. I can hear someone approaching me with a
steady pace and I almost unholster my handgun when I hear a female voice.

“So this is the big business you had in town,” I hear Deputy Morgan aka Connie question as she approaches.

“What does it matter now, she’s dead and the trail gets colder,” I tell her standing up and heading back to my bike.

“What trail, who or what are you trying to find,” She asks trying to catch up to me.

“Nunya,” I state as I get to my bike.

“Nunya? What is that,” Connie asks confused.

“None ya business deputy,” I reply dead panned.

“Ouch, I walked into that one. Why not just ask us for help, we are the police and we do help people,” she says moving in front of my bike to I can’t leave.

“Probably because it takes you all day to get to one person’s house to retrieve stolen property. If I asked you for help what would happen? Your office would sit on their hands and do fuck all till I got pissed and did it myself. Rely on the police and you’ll end up disappointed,” I tell her getting a sour look.

“First off you don’t know the Burk family. Second you really don’t like law enforcement,” She asks or states, I can’t tell which.

“Not for the most part, I have a friend it Texas who I really liked but she’s in a relationship right now,” I tell her smirking.

“And that is not quite what I was expecting. You want to give me a crack at it and see if I can at help you find out more about her,” Deputy Morgan offers.

“Don’t really care about her, she’s dead and gone and anything I needed from her died with her,” I state starting up Pale Horse.

I spent most of my day running around town and discover my appetite has caught up with me and I get back in time for dinner at the hotel, again a small crowd eating and I’m left alone to my thoughts while dining. I get to my room and settle in going through what little I have on Aunt Tessa and Gwen and find I have very little, I don’t let the hopelessness get to me as I settle into bed that night.

I spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday going through all the records I can about my now former Aunt. I get old work information; I get a few addresses and some condolences from the people I speak with. She was polite and kept to herself and when I ask about family most people who knew her publically said she didn’t ever talk about family other than her daughter and the daughter was a bit of a shut in from what they knew. Wonderful, I’m looking for Gwen and people barely remember her because Tessa kept her hidden from people. I find myself riding around and decide to get dinner at the Old Hand’s Grill; it’s got good food along with Trudy and Nate who are nice and helpful. I get a booth and notice that it’s a younger crowd in tonight, its spring break here too and I see that the bar is closed while the people my age settle for dancing and fooling around. I order a steak plate and generally get left alone by the people my age as I don’t fit the right look of what they’re used to. I actually put in my ear buds and turn on some Annihilator, it’s a band and they’re loud, to help me drown out the drawl and twang that I keep hearing. I’m in my own little world texting my girls and listening to music when I notice someone trying to speak with me, looking up I see a pair of guys and girls my age but all country up. I pull my ear bud to listen to the leader of the group.

“Hey since you’re by yourself why don’t you move to the bar so we can have the booth,” the taller male asks.

“Hey how about you find someone else to bother and let me have my seat,” I reply before attempting to put my ear bud back in.

“Listen I’m asking you nicely friend,” He starts in but I cut him off.

“No you were telling me what to do, I refused considering you have about zero authority in the seating arrangements in this establishment so kindly move along before I’m inclined to represent my position on you telling me what to do with physicality,” I tell him smiling but inside I’m pissed.

Amazingly he gets what I’m saying and he backs up, sadly it’s not to back down. I shake my head and leave money to pay my bill before getting up and stepping outside and heading towards my bike. Sure enough they follow me but when I take out my pistol both of them freeze and I chuckle shaking my head. I remove the magazine and put it on safe before tucking it into my saddlebag, then I remove my leather jacket leaving me in my jeans t shirt and boots.

“So are you both going to come at me at the same time or do you want to take turns,” I ask plainly.

Two targets, one about my height and lean while the other is a bit taller but heavier, sure enough the heavy one decides to approach first and I stop him with a hand.

“So do you plan to play football professionally,” I ask getting a confused look.

“What? Yeah why,” big boy asks confused.

“Oh just didn’t want to ruin your career before it starts,” I reply with a smirk.

Welcome to the ‘Hi, I’m going to cock my fist back to my shoulder and leave myself unbelievably open for attack’ show. This episode was brought to you by dumbass number two who literally goes all TV with his attempt at a punch, sadly for him this isn’t TV. I dart inside his range fast and hit him with rapid strikes from my fists to his torso ending in a solid shot to his lower abdomen and buckling him over. I bring my fist up hard to his face and feel the big boy’s nose break with the impact before he falls backwards in pain. I straighten myself up and see the one who tried to get me to move trying to summon his nerve to come at me.

“Seriously, I just spent ten seconds whipping the dog shit out of your friend and now you want a shot,” I ask surprised.

The girls they were with are staring at me like I just walked out of a wet dream but I’m focused on dumbass number one, he looks like he’s seen a boxing movie or two but never had any real training. I almost want to show him how to fight before this kicks off but instead I settle for him rushing me and taking a wild swing that I duck. I snake my arm up under the arm he swung with and hook the arm, neck and head before stepping forward and bending him backwards over my hip. I’m bent forward holding him for half a second before launching us both backwards and while my back is the first thing to hit the ground for me for dumbass number one it’s his forehead that hits with a sickening smack. I roll him off my arm and stand up before adjusting my shirt and I spot Nathaniel coming out of the restaurant talking on his phone. I let him get to me and he addresses me with a bit of humor.

“The police are on their way and you have witnesses,” He tells me pointing the doorway where I see Trudy with a shocked look on her face.

An ambulance and two cars show up, one with Sheriff John and Deputy Connie. Sheriff John is assessing the damage while Deputy Connie gets the witness statements. I am sitting on my bike when the Sheriff comes over to speak with me.

“So this is clearly a cut and dried matter of self defense. Smart move putting the firearm away,” He tells me with some honesty,” They’ll be back home before midnight but you need to figure out why people keep trying to screw with you.”

“Oh that’s easy, I don’t bend over backwards and kiss anyone’s ass,” I reply with a smile.

Nathaniel catches himself from laughing while the Sheriff just shakes his head before heading back to his car. I put my coat back on and mount up on my bike and notice Deputy Connie watching me as I pull out and head back to my hotel room. I’m inside and safe before checking my bruises and knuckles, they’re sore but some ice helps as I sit and voice text the girls. They are doing fine and I get a full update that there have been no sightings of anyone suspicious by Ben but everyone is working and Maggie is doing well after her incident. I let them go and note the time is late and start to get changed for bed when I get a knock on my door. I’m in no shirt shoes or socks; just my jeans and I check the peep hole and shake my head before opening to a plain clothed Deputy Connie Morgan in a jean jacket, black t shirt and jeans with cowboy boots.

“Good evening Deputy is there something I can help you with,” I ask as she pushes the door open forcing her way into my room.

“Yes you can, first off we are settling this between us right now because I’ve tried to be at the very least nice to you and you have just thrown shit in my face for it. And secondly how do you look so good without a shirt,” She asks a little drunk but not too much.

“I work out a lot and I’m not nice to you because you weren’t nice to me the first time we met. First impressions are important and you didn’t make a great one,” I tell her as she sits down at my hotel table.

“Well we’re getting you past that right now because I’m tired of it and I’m a nice person,” Connie informs me poking at my lone file of information on Tessa and Gwen.

I take the file from the table and put it somewhere out of sight, Connie doesn’t pay it much attention as she seems more focused on me. I sit down on the foot of the bed keeping some space between us.

“So where did you learn to fight like that, the Sheriff said it looked a little familiar but he wouldn’t say where he thought he knew it from,” she asks prying into my life.

“Same place I learned to handle a firearm and deal with interrogation,” I tell her keeping my tone neutral.

“Awww that’s not a good answer, why don’t you want to talk about yourself,” She asks still digging.

“Because I failed sharing in kindergarten,” I reply avoiding questions from drunken law enforcement.

“You don’t make things easy for women do you,” Connie states a little put off.

“I make things easy for my fiancés,” I reply letting some information slip.

“Wait you’re getting married and you said fiancés as in plural. How many women are you marrying behind each other’s backs,” She asks and I figure I’d better get this out of the way now.

“I’m marrying five women and they all know each other, they get along and treat each other equally and I love them all equally,” I explain my life facts.

“Well that must make it easy to keep from cheating,” Connie says a little downcast when I spot something.

“I’m pretty sure your husband would say the same thing,” I reply pointing out her wedding ring.

“Oh fuck that, it’s from my ex husband. As soon as he’s back in the US he’s divorced from me which am probably why he sends me the weirdest pictures from North Africa,” she says now confusing herself.

“Okay I think you should probably head home and sleep it off before you work tomorrow,” I tell Connie helping her up when she stops me halfway to the door.

I get backed up to the bed as Connie turns me and places her hand on my chest gently pushing me backwards so that I’m now sitting on the foot of the bed. I watch as Connie in all of her 5’9” glory as she undoes her own jeans and slides them off her hips revealing a pair of black panties. She’s very fit and I wait for her to make the first move as she leans down and begin to undo my pants, I help her a little by lifting my ass off the bed as she pulls them down and off of me. She removes her coat and separates my legs leaning in and tugging on my underwear waistband exposing my cock. No words in shock, no comment on size from her either. She simple pulls me out as I’m not hard and places me in her mouth sucking and working me over with her tongue and lips. No head bobbing or real movement but with her sucking me and keeping me full in her mouth I begin to harden and it feels really good since I’ve been without for almost a week now, I can’t go without for a week back home because I have the girls. I feel Connie her mouth up the length of my shaft before slamming forward with force as she uses me to fuck her face. I take her head in my hand and start bucking my hips a little holding her head so that she doesn’t move at all. I hear a little gagging noise before letting her go and she pulls her mouth off of me and I get shoved so that I’m laying down now. I decide to crawl back up the bed, not in some stupid submissive feeling, I just like being all on the bed. Connie finishes getting her pants off and pulls off her panties as well before crawling up my body and with a sure hand takes hold of my cock and guides me inside her. Her wetness is good; it has to be considering her body is damn near trying to shut me out. She’s so tight that once we get the head in it takes some grinding and a little pressure to get me deeper inside.

“Come on… first real dick in three years and it’s not going,” Connie groans as we’re working me inside her little by little.

I grip her hips in my hands and hold her still as I try to do the work taking small thrusts in and out gradually pushing my member deeper into her. I get about halfway in when she loses her patience and slams her hips down as I’m thrusting up causing us both to groan in pleasure. Connie uses her hands on my chest to keep her body up right as she takes over using hard fast slams onto my hips. I watch her catch her balance a bit before pulling off her t shirt and then unclasping her bra giving me a view of her firm b cup breasts before throwing both of the bed and resuming her steady fucking of me. I lean up and take one of her nipples in my mouth sucking on it gently when I feel a hand gripping the hair on my head.

“Harder dammit, I’m trying to cum here,” Connie moans pressing me into her breast.

I clench her nipple in my teeth and she speeds up fucking the length of my cock faster. I use a one of my hands to take her hair out of the work bun she has been sporting and once her hair is free take a handful and pull backwards arching her back. Connie is groaning in pleasure but when I start matching her hips in speed and force by fucking up into her. Her noises get a bit louder and higher pitched as I feel her clamp down on me but I figure no stopping now and bite down on her nipple hard when I feel her body freeze up for a second then full grind against me. A hand pulls my head off her breast and her mouth hits mine hard with her tongue leading the charge. We continue to grind against each other when desire hits me and I roll us over so she’s on her back. I put my hands next to her hips and start fucking her fast and deep while turning her recovering into what I’m hoping will be the start of a new orgasm. Since my body is up off of Connie’s I can see her face contorted in pleasure while she bites a knuckle on her hand, her breasts bouncing with each thrust, her trimmed pussy as my cock rams its way towards an orgasm that is arriving soon. Connie’s eyes open and she pulls me in for a quick kiss.

“Don’t do it inside me, pull out and I’ll finish you off,” Connie tells me and I wonder what she plans on.

I’m hitting all the right spots and finally I feel my orgasm start and pull out quickly resting on my knees. Connie leans up off the bed and takes hold of me with her hand and starts jerking me hard and fast forcing me to cum at her pace. My first shot lands right on her chest and I close my eyes groaning in painful pleasure as she hand milks my orgasm. I feel spent when she lets go of me and I crawl up the bed a little and lie down next to her on my back. Both of us are breathing heavy and smiling when Connie starts chuckling.

“Now that is worth the price of admission,” she jokes and I don’t get it but smile anyway.

I watch as she finally gets off the bed after a few minutes and heads to my bathroom to clean up before returning and crawling into bed with me. We don’t do the after sex cuddle and kissing as much as we just take turns holding each other before sleep.

Waking the next Thursday morning is good, I’m a little sore from fighting the night before but sex is a hell of an anesthetic. I reach behind me and note there is an empty space in the bed next to me which draws my concern and I sit up. Connie is sitting back at the table in the crappy bathrobe looking at a file or something. I almost relax when I realize that it’s my file on Aunt Tessa and Gwen and my wake up and feel sleepy and happy mood shifts to pissed off and violated.

“What are you doing going through my things,” I ask causing her to jump a little in her seat.

“I was just looking at this file you have,” Connie replies not realizing the full extent of my mood.

“And you wait till I’m sleeping to sneak through my things like a fucking thief,” I growl as she stops reading and slowly stands up from the seat.

“Listen I didn’t mean to go poking around in your business…,” She starts but I’m hot and cut her off.

“You exactly meant to poke in my fucking business. You whore your way over here and fuck me so you can get into my shit and spread word to your boss the fucktard as to what I’m doing here in town,” I am growling mad.

“No I came over here to see you and was drinking before hand but when I saw the file last night I just thought I might be able to help a bit,” Connie says but as I start stalk up to her slowly.

“I’m going to take a shower, if you are still here when I get out I will be calling my lawyer for bail money,” I state before stepping past and entering the bathroom.

Every fucking time I think someone new is there just for me the ulterior motive kicks in and I find out people are generally pieces of shit. I shower which doesn’t help so much as give Connie time for what should be a hasty retreat. Fucking husband won’t come back from business, no shit if you fucking poke your face into shit it don’t belong in people will fucking walk on you. I exit my shower and dry off only to find Connie still in my room, dressed but still in my fucking room. She’s got a look on her face that says she wants me to listen. I grab a fresh pair of underwear and pull them on followed by my pants when she starts to speak.

“I didn’t come over here for the sheriff or anyone else. I didn’t even know your Aunt and by the file I don’t think anyone really did. I know this is a sore subject but if you
just…,” is about as far as I let Deputy Morgan get before taking her by the arm and walking her out my door.

I give a light shove putting her in the hallway and close the door after her before turning back to my room and pick up my clothes. I use a laundry bag for the hotel and put a notice on it for a plain wash before finishing getting dressed myself and figure I need to get some breakfast elsewhere. I don’t find Deputy Morgan in the hall thank god and put the clean service sign on my door for the maid with my laundry and room. I get out of the building and onto Pale Horse heading off towards fast food breakfast. I settle for McDonalds since its close and people don’t talk to each other here while I stew on my morning. Why women think sex is a free pass to go through your life I’ll never know but I think once I’m married I’m going to stick with women I know and trust just to spare myself the agony of dealing with bullshit. I’m about half way through an egg mcmuffin when Connie flops into the bench across from me and I can feel my rage kicking back in.

“Since you didn’t want to talk in your room then we do it here where I hope you’ll stop long enough to listen. I saw that your Aunt was part of an investigation and that the woman you’re looking for might have been a kidnap victim, now you tell me why I don’t have the Sheriff drag you to the outskirts of town so that you don’t bring more suffering to her life,” Connie states waiting for an explanation.

“You know where Gwen is or are you bullshitting me for information because if you are fucking with me AGAIN I will personally fuck your whole life up before I make you wish your father pulled out and spared you the pain and suffering,” I state with cold resolve and watch Connie shiver a little but hold out.

I take the copy of the picture that has all four of us, Loretta, Dad, Gwen and me in it. I let her look at it for a moment before explaining.

“Those are her parents, it’s also the first family photo my family took of us together after I was born,” I tell her pointing at myself in the picture,” The other baby is Gwen, now tell me where I can find her.”

Connie’s face goes from grim determination to a light sadness then finally she nods and I watch as she pulls out her phone and steps outside to make a call. I don’t bother to finish my meal as my appetite went right out when my anger came back. I finish my drink at least and after a few minutes Connie comes back in and sits down with a smile on her face.

“She’s still in town, when your Aunt died your sister sold her stuff and that left a trail to one of the local ranches where she’s living and working at currently. Only problem is the Ranch is owned by the Burk family and they don’t like you especially since Alvin finally got bailed out of jail,” Connie informs me and I’m about to bolt out the door when she stops me,” calm down, this will be a lot for her to take in if you just dump it on her it’ll confuse her and she’ll shut down, also I’m driving so let’s put your bike back at the hotel and we’ll take my truck over.”

I agree and after parking my bike head over to Connie’s truck and instead of hopping in the passenger side I open the driver door and pull her out and put her back against the truck before kissing her deep and pressing our bodies together. Connie is surprised but warms up to me and I break the kiss moving around to the passenger side and we both hop in and are off down the road. We actually leave the town and are in the hills when we pass the gate into the Burk Ranch. Plenty of people out in fields working and there is a sign for where the main house is, the office and the stables. Connie drives us to the stables and I hop out while Connie stays in the truck, I have a little bit of the information and the picture with me as I start to look around.

“Hey you looking for lessons,” I hear a man ask and I turn to see a taller older man in a ball cap and overalls with grease on him.

“Depends on who is the instructor, I’m looking for someone particular,” I tell him and he smirks.

“Only one instructor on and she’s in the barn, just head on in,” he tells me heading back to a tractor.

The barn looks about like you’d expect except it’s not painted. There are some stables and a few horses when I see a woman brushing down a very large grey horse with a white spot around the eyes. She is has long blonde hair, blonde like the sun lives in it braided down her back. She’s about 5’10” and well tanned skin shows on her arms from her flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Add jeans and cowboy boots to her and you’ve got country girl through and through, sadly I see the little things that give me pause. Loretta’s chin, the same blue eyes I have, Dad’s cheek bones, the little things that make her Gwen. She sees me and smiles a little warily.

“Well hey there, you looking for something,” she asks with a light accent.

“Actually I am,” I tell her before remembering Connie’s words,” Riding lessons. I heard that I could get riding lessons here from a friend.”

“Well you came to the right place,” She says dropping the accent,” Sorry it makes locals feel better when you talk like they do. So any experience with a horse?”

“Not a bit, they’re beautiful animals but I’m a city boy. Closest thing to a horse for me is my bike,” I reply trying to contain myself.

“Well I have to make someone go get a saddle so we can put you on a old mare so till you get used to something with a little more speed,” She says heading past me out the barn,” Just wait here and you can pay cash right?”

“Oh yes, I can pay,” I reply and watch her smile widen.

I am left alone and I hear a hoof pawing that the ground, turning I see the horse she was brushing tied up to the post but it’s pawing at the ground with one hoof. I am curious and get closer which causes the horse to stop and once I’m right next to him, I can tell it’s a boy, he starts nibbling at my coat. I figure pet it wants to be pet and I rub a hand down his neck and across the bridge of his face. He’s friendly as all hell when I hear Gwen’s voice.

“Hey be careful he’s not friendly with… other people…,” Gwen says rushing to pull me back from danger before pausing,” that’s odd, Bandit don’t like nobody but me, ain’t that funny.”

“I don’t know he just pawed the ground and then started nibbling at my jacket till I pet him,” I reply confused but Gwen is smiling shocked.

“Well I guess you have a thing for horses or they have a thing for you,” She says with a smile.

I help her saddle up an older brown horse, by help I mean hold the saddle till she takes it out of my hands and belts it on herself. I stand and watch her work before she has me get in the saddle, that mercifully I actually do myself without help. I’m taken on a two hour ride on a slow trail on Daisy, my horse’s name, while Gwen rides Bandit to make sure nothing weird happens. In between instructions she we talk a little and I discover how little bullshit she was fed over the years.

“So you lived here for five years now when your Aunt died,” I ask learning as she speaks.

“Yeah, I called her Momma but after a while she couldn’t shake my memory of my folks. They died in a car accident with my baby brother when I was little and she took care of me every day since. Never had much family growing up but she warned me that my folks’ family was pretty nasty so I never cared enough to look into it,” Gwen says and I frown a little,” Saddle riding you wrong?”

“What? No, saddle’s fine, drove here from Washington on my Harley so this is just fine. Granted Daisy is a sweetie but Pale Horse is one of my babies,” I tell her giving insight into my life a little.

“What brings you down here then,” Gwen asks and I scramble.

“Family business, parents sent me down to handle something and it’s not quite done but I’m hoping to resolve everything in the next day or so,” I tell her pulling out of the fire on that one.

We continue to talk and laugh a little on the way back, she’s smart and funny, I’m glad we have that in common. We get back to the barn and I help with the saddles and brush down Daisy as instructed by Gwen when a very loud and familiar voice has us both pause.

“Gwen are you in here? There you are, Daddy wants to know if you’re going to pay the balance for this month or if you’re adding it to your tab,” I hear Alvin Burk, the asshole who took my bike asks expectantly.

“I’m with a customer Alvin,” Gwen’s accent is back on,” And I’ll settle up with your Mr. Burk today when I’m done so leave me to my business.”

“Well it’s our business, you work for Daddy which means you work for me,” Alvin states and my rage is kicking in,” Now what about that offer I gave you a couple months ago, not gonna get a better one Gwenny.”

“Alvin Burk ah get that you like me but ah don’t like you like that. Ah work for the family ranch but Ah’m not your dolly and with the amount of lil phillies you have running around ah know ah don’t want to play clueless wife while you fool around,” Gwen states accent coming out in full and laying into Alvin hard.

“I’d quit for the right woman Gwenny, things are coming to a head soon and you better consider my offer by the end of the week or I’ll have Dad settle up and we’ll own Bandit and that truck of yours just to pay the back debt. Think about it,” Alvin states with a sinister tone before stepping past and slapping Gwen on the ass.

Bandit fusses a little at the slap to Gwen’s ass, I like that horse and I’m inclined to beat the shit into Alvin but Gwen’s expression is a sad one as I think of a way to break her funk. I go over everything Mom said back during Christmas and a couple things hit me but one stands out and I decide to sing a little.

“B boom boom, B boom boom, B’s keep on boinging round the room. M me mer, M me mer, mother will help me if I ask her,” I’m singing it to myself but just loud enough that Gwen should hear me.

“Ra ra rang, Ra ra rang, I will run faster than they can,” Gwen picks up on the lyrics and smiles softly,” Put them all together it’s Boomerang.”

I smile a little and Gwen is smiling back when she gets a puzzled look on her face. I don’t know what is confusing her but wait for her to speak first.

“Where did you hear that song,” She asks quizzically.

“I used to hear it a lot as a child, it’s from an old show,” I tell her trying not to make eye contact.

“Yeah but where did you hear it from,” she asks again this time putting her brush down.

“Not really sure, always kind of heard it,” a bit of a lie but I need to let it go slowly,” I remembered it for most of my life but I barely saw the show before my parents divorced.”

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry about your parents,” Gwen says back peddling but I’m tired of waiting.

“Gwen how much for the lesson,” I ask and she starts to go on the defensive thinking I’m mad.

“Oh its eighty dollars for the lessons, you get two more that price later this week,” She says trying to talk business.

“Gwen I’m going to give you three hundred dollars but I need to ask be honest with you and this hurts me a lot so bear with me a bit,” I start in and see Gwen lock up a bit.

“Oh sweetie you’re nice and cute but I’m not an easy girl and I have a lot of problems that you don’t want to get into. I owe a good deal of money and you’re not much of a farm boy, I can tell,” Gwen says putting me off balance; she’s thinks I’m attracted to her.

“What?! No Gwen not trying to pick you up or sleep with you! God no,” I almost yell and she looks at me hard.

“Wait you’re not trying to get in my pants but you want to give me a lot of money and you want to talk with me about something that you think is important, Guy you need to give me something to help with this because I’m confused,” Gwen says putting Bandit in a stall.

I take the picture of the four of us out of my pocket and hand it to Gwen who unfolds it and stares for a minute before her eyes widen and I see light shock before a shit ton of anger, yep we’re related.

“What kind of sick bastard are you? You come around sweet talking me then show me a picture of my dead family just to mess with me, did Alvin do this? Did that shithead do this so I’d agree to marry him,” Gwen growls folding the picture up and slapping it against my chest.

“No Gwen, that’s us,” I unfold the picture and point everyone out,” Mom holding me, Dad holding you. I was maybe six months and you were just five, it’s our only family photo. I never knew about you and last Christmas I finally found out you were the reason they got divorced.”

And she’s freaking out; I can see it in her eyes. I let her back away from me and watch as she bolts out of the barn. I follow at a distance walking slowly as she arrives at a little camper trailer hooked up to a decent truck, by decent I mean running and not mostly rusted on the panels and bumpers. I watch her enter and slam the door behind her leaving me outside. I know Connie is waiting for a call and I send her a text stating things are a bit tense right now and I need some more time, she promises to come back for me when I call. I settle in waiting when Alvin and his father Mr. Burk come walking out from the main house. Alvin is about 5’10” with his cowboy hat on and too much swagger for his smaller frame while his father is my height at 6’ feet tall but he’s more barrel chested and broad shouldered than I am. Alvin seeing me starts talking a mile a minute and I quickly come up with my response to all questions.

“You wanna explain to me what the hell you’re doing on my land,” Mr. Burk says marching up to me and bypassing Gwen’s trailer.

“Horse lessons and family business, you want me to leave or you want me to stay and drop the charges against your son so I can take care of both,” I ask plainly and see Mr. Burk’s eyes change from hard to compromising.

“Alvin go back inside now,” He says not even looking at his son.

“Daddy throw this shit head off our property,” Alvin swears as his ‘Daddy’ turns and glares at him,” Alright Dad.”

I watch Alvin out of the corner of my eye and once he’s out of earshot figure I’ll start talking to the real power on the ranch.

“So how much does she owe,” I ask getting an odd look,” I overheard and your son has some interesting ideas about her fixing her debt.”

“Well I think she’d be good for the boy, knock him around a bit but if she doesn’t come up with the money by week’s end she’s up shit creek without a paddle,” Mr. Burk tells me quietly.

“Still doesn’t answer my question,” I state with a smirk.

We go over her debt and I actually smirk, it’s really a bit of money but then again I have family that has money. Correction, Gwen and I have family but I need her to understand that and hopefully accept it first. Mr. Burk decides to knock on the door after a few minutes and Gwen answers quietly addressing Mr. Burk before he steps back and I see Gwen has that tearful and confused look on her face.

“Ummm, Guy could you come in for a second,” Gwen asks very sheepishly.

I pass Mr. Burk and once I’m inside I can see things aren’t that great in the little camper, clothes are all basically the same durable yet inexpensive and there isn’t a wide range of food selection in the pantries by what I’m seeing since most are open. I let her close the door after me before I’m addressed with some very scared authority.

“Take off your coat and shirt now,” Gwen says and I’m a bit surprised at the request.

“Gwen I’m not trying to scam you or hurt you in any way,” I state and she stomps her foot hard on the floor.

“Take off your shirt and turn around now,” Gwen demands with a hard eyed stare.

I take my leather jacket off and then my shirt before turning to my back to Gwen confused. I can hear her mumbling to herself before I feel fingertips on my back in different spots. I have no clue what is going on when I hear Gwen gasp and back up from me.

“What, what is it,” I’m confused asking desperately.

“Why would she do that to me, why would Tessa say you were dead,” Gwen asks and I have the answer.

I explain Tessa’s history to Gwen; I tell her what our parents told me concerning her inability to have a child of her own with our uncle. I tell her what Mom told me about when I got sick and she was to watch Gwen. I show her the police report and let her think for a moment before she hardens up again.

“Why did they stop looking? Why didn’t they come for me,” Gwen asks and I start to feel her point on the matter.

“Our Father looked for two years; he was arrested in Canada for tracking down her family members and harassing them. Gwen they lost hope, they were tired and scared. Dad cut his family off from his life, Mom drank to the point I noticed as a child. They divorced because Dad wouldn’t let me suffer through Mom’s guilt for trusting Tessa,” I explain, it’s not much but it’s something.

“So they divorced but they’re alive,” Gwen asks and I nod.

“What is the deal with poking my back and having me take my shirt off,” I ask still confused.

“Mom had you sleep without a shirt on some nights when it was hot in the summer and we kinda shared a bed,” Gwen informs me a little embarrassed.

“No Mom said you kept sneaking into my room but that doesn’t explain my back and you poking me,” I state wanting an answer.

“I remember every big mole you have okay. I memorized them when you’d sleep on your side and I’d count them in the same order till I fell asleep,” Gwen tells me and I snicker a little.

“We remember the goofiest things,” I state and she finally laughs with me.

The mood finally lightens up and I get my shirt and jacket back on before handing her the three hundred for the lessons. That really confuses her and I don’t want to explain just yet.

“Gwen I know you love Bandit but I know you don’t like this place and some of the people a lot less,” I say getting a light nod,” I want you to come back with me when I go home. Mom and Dad will be there, I know Mom will fly up from Texas and Dad lives there with me.”

“I can’t, I’m in debt here. I’m really in a bad way little brother, that sounds so weird, but I’m kinda screwed,” Gwen states a little sad.

I smirk before taking out my phone and I shoot a lengthy text message to Mr. Delauter and Loretta stating the situation and what I need to get everything. Loretta wants to fly to Wyoming but I convince her that Washington will be better so we don’t overwhelm Gwen while Mr. Delauter states that he’ll have a local bank manager meet me tomorrow morning with everything I’ll need to settle things up for Gwen. I send a second text message off to the Old Man telling him I’ll need a driver who can tow large animal. The reply I get is a confused and interesting one to say the least but all I ask for is the experienced driver and promise to get the vehicle myself. The whole time Gwen is quietly staring at the copy I have of our photo when I note the second one in her hand, an original.

“Holy shit where did you get that,” I ask putting my phone away.

“Aunt Tessa, when I confronted her about remembering my parents and stopped calling her Mom it hurt her a lot but she never got on me for it. She showed me some pictures and when she passed I kept them but sold most of her stuff,” Gwen explains to me plainly.

I don’t want to leave Gwen but I tell her that by the week’s end if she is ready she can leave this whole situation behind her and move on to her real family. She’s nervous and doesn’t fully understand what we’re capable of as a family yet but she says she’d love to if she can get away. I see doubts but after a tight hug I call Connie and ask for a pick up walking off the property. I say nothing all the way back to the hotel and finally I can try to decompress. I left Gwen my number and explain what I’m doing tomorrow to Connie who simply listens and finally she starts to undress me. I’m in no mood to have sex but she’s not pressing me for anything physical. We get down to our underwear and she holds me as I lie in bed before passing blissfully into sleep.

Friday I’m up and note I have fresh laundry and after a shower and a soft goodbye from Connie with a promise to return soon I head off to the bank Mr. Delauter said would be ready to assist me. I speak with a very plain and blunt bank manager before he hands me off to one of his representatives who will be following me in a car as I ride over to my next meeting spot. I have the nice bank representative pay for the rental truck and horse trailer which I leave instructions that it will be picked up later by me and a friend later. The rental guy is happy with the deal and even happier that we paid in full before leaving with the goods. It takes a couple hours but I get a call and a location which is where my fun starts. The bank man is scared more than a little bit as I pull into the parking lot for the Old Hand’s Grill to see twenty or so Devil’s Best led by Sid who is wearing a smile on his face a mile wide as she sees me.

“Holy shit I didn’t even suspect that they would send THE very best to help me out,” I greet Sid before getting a handshake/hug.

“Believe it or not we were close and when Jim told me you were not only in the area but were out on some family business, I figured I’d swing by and offer a dozen or so helping hands,” Sid laughs and my mood goes from good to excellent.

I explain what we’re doing and Sid just listens before relaying orders of what he wants done to his people. I get some handshakes and a few pats on the back by passing bikers before I lead the new caravan of bikers and one banker who is not certain he wants to be here right now as we head over to the Burk Ranch. A few bikers get left behind to pick up the other transport vehicle that we’ll need. One long ass dirt driveway with twenty some bikers and a car garner a lot of attention as we ride up and finally stop at the barn where I’m hoping to find Gwen. Sure enough being almost midday we have more than a few people staring and a couple up in the main house wondering if we’re invading. Gwen comes out of the barn and after looking around confused slowly approaches me.

“Guy what are you doing,” she asks quietly.

“Problem solving, get Mr. Burk please,” I tell her and watch her head up to the house.

I motion for the banker to come over and the Devil’s Best give him space to pass through them and I smile and explain to my friends who he is.

“Gentlemen this is man is my money, this man is the one making sure that everything I want to have happen today happens. If anyone threatens this man it is your priority to protect him,” I explain and get some nods and hear a few pistols cock.

The banker actually looks more nervous but I figure he’ll be fine while we wait. It takes a few minutes but sure enough Gwen comes back down with Alvin and his father in tow and I smile big at Mr. Burk, I’m about to make his day and ruin Alvin’s day in one shot.

“Well here you are again and now I have criminals walking around my property,” Mr. Burk says referencing Sid but the Devil’s Best stay quiet.

“Yes I am here again and I’m just wondering about Gwen’s debts again, if all are paid flat out right now then she can leave. She takes Bandit, her truck and her camper and is completely free,” I ask plainly.

“She can leave but she doesn’t have the money and Dad doesn’t take checks,” Alvin spits and Mr. Burk grimaces before speaking.

“The boy is right about checks, and yes if she pays the whole balance Gwen is free to go,” Mr. Burk states plainly.

I nod to the banker who opens his brief case and produces a small bank bag zipped up and hands it to me. I open it and see the amount for the first bit and smiling hand it over to Mr. Burk.

“That sir is five thousand dollars, that pays all her debts and a standard interest if you applied one,” I explain before turning to Gwen,” Pack your shit girl you are leaving.”

Gwen is shocked, Alvin is pissed but its Mr. Burk who simply counts his money and nods to me before turning to Gwen.

“It was a pleasure to have you as an employee and you are free to leave. If you want a job in the future we’ll work out a deal otherwise best of luck,” Mr. Burk tells her shaking Gwen’s hand.

As soon as Gwen lets the hand go I’m wrapped up in a big hug and thanked repeatedly. There are a few bikers whistling and I hear Sid telling them to shut up for me, thanks Sid. Gwen show’s Sid where her camper is and I watch the men get it the chocks removed and after a test run a tool box is broken out and some minor repairs are done making sure the truck will get Gwen from here to Washington. The banker approaches Gwen and me opening his briefcase and hands her another bank bag. I watch her open it and while she’s confused I simply shake the man’s hand and let him get about his business. I watch him drive off and send Gwen to get Bandit ready while we wait for the horse trailer I rented and truck to show up. Gwen is ecstatic as she’s bounding around like a giddy school girl trying to figure out everything she wants to do.

“Guy I can leave, I can go anywhere I want now and there’s nothing stopping me,” Gwen says and I smile for her new found freedom.

“You asked me if this was a scam and now you see it’s the opposite but there is one problem I have,” I start to explain and watch as Gwen starts to look at me nervous,” I have to bring you back home. Mom and Dad want to meet you; they want to let you into our lives. As you can tell we’re not struggling for money and resources and we can get you whatever you want but I am not going to force you back with me.”

Gwen looks a little sad and confused. I think she planned on something else when she just smiles and hugs me again.

“Do they really want to meet me,” Gwen asks quietly in my ear.

“They’ve wanted you back for a little over eighteen years now, I’ve only known about you less than six months and I want my sister dammit,” I mumble holding my new family tight to me.

“I get to have a home, my family is alive and you think I wouldn’t come back,” Gwen says shoving me a little,” Baby brother you need to learn a bit about women.”

I laugh at her comment harder than she realizes and show her my ring, it takes her a second before she flips out and I go into details. Granted it takes a bit to explain as she starts packing up and I amazingly I don’t get the standard look from everyone else from Gwen, actually gets it. More and more I’m thinking we never should have been separated but then again I’d never have met Mom, I mean Jean Dad’s wife and Liz or any of my girls. I keep that thought to myself and after an hour or two we’ve got everything up and running in the mid afternoon and while Gwen actually says a few goodbyes it’s Alvin who wants to say something. I decide to keep close but let the two have some final words.

“You can still marry me, I’ll make sure you have a good life and I can be a good husband,” Alvin says trying to appeal to a love that isn’t there.

“Alvin you need to be a little more like your daddy before a serious woman is going to take you seriously,” Gwen says really trying to be nice with him,” And all that aside I just don’t like you.”

I watch Gwen start to walk away when Alvin decides to be stupid, I can see it coming as he winds up and slaps Gwen’s ass hard enough that a few of the Devil’s Best pause and stare. Looking at Gwen I see something familiar, Loretta looked like that once before and so have I on more than one occasion. Gwen turns fast and I watch probably one of the best surprise punches I’ve ever seen as she levels Alvin with a solid right to the nose. He goes down hard and I can see him sputtering blood. I grab Gwen and pull her back before she proceeds to beat Alvin like he should have been growing up. We leave Alvin on the ground and after loading Bandit we mount up and head back to town. Its mid afternoon and we settle in at Old Hand’s Grill for an early dinner which Gwen decides to pay for. Nathaniel is happy to have the business even when a good portion of his space is taken up by my friends and they don’t look friendly. Gwen and I can’t be separated by more than a few feet save for when either of us use the bathroom. We make plans to meet up at my hotel tomorrow in the morning and start back to Washington then when I decide to make a phone call that leaves my Dad nearly speechless. He informs me that all arrangements will be made and he’ll expect us soon. I have never heard my father excited but as soon as we’re back to the hotel Loretta is blowing up my phone hoping to find out why we’re not flying, I let her know that we have all her possessions and that she might be looking for a new place to stay. She wants to talk with Gwen but Gwen is nervous and I tell her when we’ll be in Washington and that Dad says we’ll have a big sit down all of us and try to figure out how to do all this family stuff. I end the call and see Gwen in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. I change head in the bathroom and change into a pair of shorts so that I can sleep with a pillow on the floor when Gwen grabs the pillow and puts it back on the bed.

“We’ve slept in the same bed before and I figure you’ll be perfectly safe sleeping next to me again,” Gwen insists and now I’m in a slightly awkward situation.

I crawl into bed and under the covers and Gwen joins me before rolling me on my side away from her so she can, from what I’m guessing, count the moles on my back. Okay it’s weird and odd for me but she’s remembering and I feel the poking stop after a while and a light snoring. Waking up the next morning I have Gwen at my back with an arm wrapped around me and for once not only do I feel warm and safe with a woman on me but amazingly I’m not turned on. Thank god too because that would be more awkward than I care to mention. I get up from bed and use the bathroom before changing and come back out to see Gwen doing the ‘full bladder dance’ outside the door. I let her use it and she showers while I decide to go without. I check out of the hotel and find a small going away group from Trudy and Connie waiting for me next to my bike. I get a hug from both and a plate of cookies from Trudy before exchanging contact information with both of them and promise I’ll be in touch. I got to collect more decent people in my life. Gwen drives the truck with her camper while we one of Sid’s people drives Bandit and I take Pale Horse.

The trip back takes about a day and a half with stops for fuel and some food. All sleep is done by Gwen and I is done in her camper while someone takes over driving our vehicles. We’re looking at a Sunday in Washington roughly noon when as are in front of my house, there is only one car in the driveway and Gwen is scared shitless. I let her take a few deep breaths and offer to go first but she decides she’ll go inside first and after opening the door I let her in as we both see Loretta and Dad standing in the living room just as scared as Gwen is. Loretta, aka Mom, is shocked and Dad is the first one to break into tears. Gwen and Dad hug for the first time in nearly eighteen years before Gwen and Mom do the same. It takes a while before my parents remember me but I don’t mind in the slightest.

For the first time in almost two decades my family is whole, I finally get what was missing. The catching up we do takes hours and it’s dinner time when the crowd in the house is expanded exponentially by Mom, my step Mom, Liz and all my girls. To say that I get mauled by my girls is an understatement as I’m kissed and damn near dragged back to my room when the new voice in the family speaks up.

“Hey, that’s my baby brother ladies and you will have plenty of time to do whatever you need to with him but I still want to talk with him,” Gwen barks at my girls.

Everyone laughs a little and my girls go about introductions before Dad and Gwen settle Bandit into better accommodations so that the horse can have some space and room to move. The family dinner is immense as Loretta, Mom, Kori and Rachael all prepare a meal for my whole assembled family. We’re all relaxed and fed after a few hours before we settle in and everyone gets to know Gwen and Gwen starts to learn who her family, both original and new is. Mom talks with her about moving down to Texas with her horse and amazingly Dad isn’t fighting it but he says they’d need to make decisions later since tonight and the next few days will be about reconnecting. I can only agree with him and as we’re relaxing Kori’s phone goes off and when she answers it everything starts to stop.

“Heather what’s going on…? Yeah he’s home but…. Heather slow down…. What do you mean he’s in the hospital…? Heather you need to slow down and tell me…. I’ll make sure he comes,” Kori says as she hangs up the phone and has a sad expression on her face.

“Kori baby what is going on,” I ask thoroughly confused and nervous.

“Ben is in the hospital, someone nearly beat him to death and left him in the middle of a park to be found this morning, he’s in the hospital,” Kori says trying to hold her emotions in check.

Nervous? Not anymore. I grab my coat and mount up on Black Sunshine. I know Dad and Mom are trying to stop me but I cut everyone off.

“NO, I’m done stopping. I’m going to see my friend in the hospital then I’m going to find every one of these motherfuckers and I’m ending this,” I yell pulling on my helmet and peeling out of the driveway.

Ben one day earlier

Oh god, oh god I hurt. I’m staggering through the park to get away from this damn monster that the bitch has in her pocket. I was trying to find her for the whole of spring break when I caught a break and cornered her at the park, the same park Guy did his speeches at. I was going to see about getting some answers when she just smiled and that’s when he hit me. I know my ribs are bruised at least and my eye is swelling shut but I need to keep moving. I am half way across the open grass when I look up and see ‘him’ he’s almost as tall as Devin but he’s build like a steroid monster. How did he get in front of me? I turn to run but he catches me and I’m spun around and lifted off the ground by two massive hands around my throat.

“You will deliver a message to your leader. You will let him know that he will fall. I do this to you now not because you follow him, you simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong woman,” The deep voiced monster says with calm resolve.

He hoists me over his shoulder and I’m being carried but I struggle in a vain attempt to get free. I am flung down hard and the wind is driven out of me as I’m on a metal slide gasping. I feel my arm being pulled and when he singles out one of my fingers I try to pull away but it’s too late and I scream in pain as he breaks my pinky. I try to pull my arm in to protect my hand but he grabs a second finger, my ring finger and with a quick snap I’m screaming in agony. He finally lets my arm go and backs off of me when the female I was hoping to question crawls over my body.

“He was so pretty, I want an eye. Brother let me take an eye,” I hear her say and I see the knife in her hand.

“No, when I break his friend I’ll let you keep an ear but this one must be mostly whole,” the monster says and I start to feel relieved.

My relief is short lived as the knife she is holding goes straight into my shoulder. I can’t help but cry and scream as she smiles before pulling it out. I feel faint when I see a large boot set down on my face pushing at the forming black eye.

“You are not strong; your friend is not strong. He is not a monster, I am a monster,” I hear the big steroid man say.

The boot comes away from my face and I rest my head against the cool metal before seeing it come back fast and I….

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