“Fuck, I haven’t seen her yet,” he groans.
“Well, you're in for a treat.” Isn’t that the truth. No one knows exactly who the chick is. Besides a couple of us. Only reason I know is because I'm there some nights to make sure no one fucks with the girls on stage and help them to their cars.
Sure, we have bouncers who work for us, but on the nights we’re crowded, Nerd and I help out.
Tracker’s ol’ lady manages the place and has done a superb job of it. Our girls seem to last longer with her in charge. They know the rules for when they're working. Unless invited by a member of the club none of them are to mess with us while on the clock. Afterwards is fine by Vi, but not when it comes to making money. Oh, and she also makes them do drug tests and pregnancy tests weekly.
As Ranger’s about to respond, Shadow and Nerd join us at the table. The four of us sit and drink as people start to filter in. When Venom and Whip step through the front doors, cheers erupt throughout the room.
Standing up from my chair, I make my way toward the two of them, grinning as I pull one then the other in for a hug. “Welcome home, brothers.”
“Thanks, Coyote. It’s good to be home but as much as I love it, fuck this humidity. It makes the heat they have down in Texas not feel so bad,” Whip grips.
“Whatever you say,” I chuckle.
The front door opens again drawing my attention to it. Standing right inside of the door is one scary dude and he has his eyes locked on me.
Grigory.
What the hell is he doing here?
“Y’all enjoy your party,” I say before moving around them and walking toward the man.
Stoney and Tracker must have noticed him as well because they join me as I get to Grigory.
“Grigory,” Stoney says, holding his hand out.
Taking Stoney’s hand, Grigory shakes it. “Sorry to have come unannounced. But I need to speak with Coyote. You may want to hear this as well.”
Me?
I rarely am ever in his presence; I shouldn’t be on his radar.
“Sure, let’s go to my office,” Stoney nods in agreement.
“Alright. First, I need to grab my cousin. I don’t want to leave her outside,” Grigory announces.
“That’s fine,” Stoney agrees, his face not giving away what he’s thinking. It’s part of why he earned the name he has.
Huh?
I’m fuckin’ confused as hell right now. Grigory steps back to the front door and opens it enough to allow someone to step into the room. I furrow my brow at the fact this person not only had their face concealed. Strange as that seems to me, they’re holding an extremely tiny baby. A hand pressing the baby’s ear to their chest. One glance at the hand, I realize it’s a woman.
“Oh, fuck, this isn’t good.”
“Not again.”
Stoney and Tracker mutter at the same time. My gut is twisting into knots as I wait for the words as we all head for Stoney’s office.
Stoney stops long enough to say something to his ol’ lady.
When we enter the office and the door is closed, I focus on one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen holding the bundle.
Blond hair and blue eyed.
My weakness.
Fuck, quit thinking about getting your dick wet.
“Now that we’re alone, want to tell me what’s going on?” Stoney demands.
“Tinsley,” Grigory murmurs with a nod.
Uncovering her head, she meets my gaze. “I’m sorry to be the one to do this. But this is your son Cody.”
“What the fuck?”
I don’t have a kid. My shit’s always wrapped up.
“That can’t be true,” I mutter.
“Do you know Milley Wilson in Greenville?” Tinsley asks.
“Milley?” Stoney growls.
“I don’t know Mil . . .” Hold up, the chick I’d hooked up with in Greenville.
That was Milley?
“Fuck, I didn’t know that was her name,” I mutter more to myself before looking at Stoney. “Prez, I swear I didn’t know. Fuck. I should have had Nerd look more into her before leaving.”
“It’s alright, brother. At least we know where she is, right?” The way his jaw seems to be clamped together I know without a doubt he’s pissed.
“Why isn’t she here with the baby?” Did she not want the child? Are we sure this kid is mine?
“Umm,” Tinsley murmurs, looking to Grigory.
“How about we sit down?” Grigory suggests.
Nodding, everyone but me sits. Instead I move toward Tinsley and hold my arms out for the baby. “May I?”
“Oh, umm, yeah, just be careful. He was born just the other day,” she says as she hands the baby to me.
Nodding, I take the little boy in my arms and look down. “Did you say his name was Cody?”
“That’s what Milley said right before she passed out after having him. I assumed it was his name and in the end that’s what she’d wanted to name him.”
Frowning, I try to remember if I told her my name or not. I don’t think I did.
“Tell us why this child’s mother isn’t here,” Stoney demands.
“I’m the nurse who helped deliver Cody in the ER when Milley came into the hospital. I don’t know much, only that she was scared to death and didn’t have a choice in leaving her baby behind. And even now that’s better than what would have happened if he went with her,” sighing, Tinsley meets my gaze. “Cody was born at 12:34 a.m. and the morning after when Milley’s brother came in to see her, he’d informed her of a change of plans. He intended to sell the baby.”
“What?” Stoney snarls, his fury growing more by the second. I don’t blame him either. It hits too close to home for him, considering his own daughter, Corrine, was kidnapped and was about to be auctioned off. If it wasn’t for Scorch and his club, we probably never would have found her.
“The guy gave me the creeps but there was no way to get both Milley and Cody out of the hospital without them noticing,” Then she proceeds to tell us how Milley wanted to get the child to his father, knowing he’d be able to keep him safe. When she handed me the letter that was addressed to me, I immediately opened it to see for myself.
Coyote,
I want to start off by saying thank you for giving me a night to remember for the rest of my life. Whether that’s hours or days. I don’t know right now. But as you can see with your own eyes, you have a son. I named him Cody. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t know any other name that I could think of that was close to Coyote so that’s what I’d picked.
I’m sorry that you're having to find out this way. I refuse to allow our son to be put in danger at the hands of my brother. I’ve already been a pawn for long enough and I know when he realizes that I’ve gone against him it won’t be pretty.
Don’t worry about me though, I’m used to the pain. I was dealt a shit hand in life and knowing that my son will be in good hands is all I’ll need to get through the rest of my life.
Please tell Rachel, that I’m sorry for my part in everything that happened. Like a chessboard, there are pawns then there is the king and queen. I was merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things.