A Very Nefarious Christmas (7 page)

JJ yawned. “I need to get going. I’ll make the call to John. I don’t see any problems, but Amy has dinner waiting for me.” He got up to leave, but found the door blocked by Moose.

“I thought you were seeing that bitch Katri? Who the hell is this Amy and why doesn’t she help too?” Moose was the nosy brother.

To that, JJ grinned. “I got the hell away from her. The chick that helps Elena out is one sweet thang. I was planning to bring her to the party, actually. Hey, she has a horse, we could ask her to help with the horse rides. I’ll ask her tonight. I’m bouncing. Later.” He wanted to leave before Moose could ask more questions.

Moose slapped him on the back as he left, a proud grin on his face. “About time JJ wised up and got away from that bitch. I was thinking we might lose him if he got too involved with her.” He faced the rest of the room. “Now we’re all set, right? Our kid’s party is next Saturday, late afternoon. Gives us enough time to get those cookies baked. I got my mom baking. Kelly can’t even make instant pudding. I’m good with helping on this turkey caper. Thorn, how’s it going with Nico and his ol’ lady at your place?”

Thorn too had risen and was getting ready to leave. “Kitchen is a friggin’ mess,” he griped. “They’re searching all over for this canned spotted dick shit, making mincemeat pies and Christmas puddings. Of course, we can’t have any of it. We eat takeout surrounded by cookies in tins piled all over the house. Tears is picking up CeCe’s English accent too. Kinda hot in bed when she talks dirty to me.” He gave a chuckle at that. “I like Nico a lot. Hyway and him are pretty tight. I really didn’t get to know them that well when I was over in Bound. I know this much: they’re
not
happy there. Hyway told me he’d have left if it wasn’t for Angie. He figures he has a better chance of finding her if he’s in, but he wants out. He’s gonna talk to Hammer. I think Nico will too.” He brought himself to Dog’s side. “Listen, Nico knows auto body really well. He had his own shop years ago, but Rabid got in power and ran it to the ground. If you’re looking for help, he’s looking for solid work.” Thorn pushed his black hair up under his watch cap.

Black Dog looked interested. “Tramp be mighty pissed if we take on anymore of his guys, brother. I’d have to get to know him, but I need somebody willing to plow right away. My own driveway wasn’t done and I fired that asshole. Bring him over. I keep saying I need someone to be my right hand since the club and my family take up so much of my time. He a druggie?” He had to ask it straight; Black Dog wouldn’t deal with anyone who worked for him doing any drugs.

Thorn laughed. “I wouldn’t have mentioned him if he was,” he answered. “The ol’ lady smokes some weed and they drink a bit but nah, he doesn’t even smoke. Health issues years ago. He lives a clean life. He’s all into martial arts and shit. He’d be an asset. I was thinking, Hammer needs to see which brothers want to go over to Bound. He got that big dude they call Swede; he barely speaks English, but the Finns understand him. He’d be better off over there. Just a suggestion. Trade him for Nico and Hyway. I’ll be around tomorrow.” He hugged Black Dog, nodded to the others and was gone.

Black Dog thought on what Thorn had said. It sure made a lot of sense. “All righty. Swiper, stick around. Maynard and Oreo, until Darko is back, you two are flagged. You can’t be scaring away the paying customers. Moose, do your job and let Kelly do hers. I gotta wait on Darko’s call, but the rest of you can go.” He moved behind the desk and watched them leave, Maynard and Oreo giving each other dagger looks as they go. Moose hurried out to his ol’ lady Kelly, his shoes scuffing along the floor.

Bernie lingered by the door. “You, uh, want me to tend bar, Black Dog? I’ve got nothing else to do, and I don’t wanna go home and hear Maynard and Orson fighting.” He looked sheepishly at the two remaining men.

Swiper busted out laughing. “You live with those two? I didn’t know the three of you shared a house. Shit, I’d tend bar too. You oughta see if Gunny and RePete want a roommate.”

“It’s a winter rental, actually, and it’s cheap,” Bernie confessed. “Big mistake, though. I feel like I’m living with the Odd Couple. I’d rather work and make some money and see if Thorn will rent me a cabin.” Bernie was trying to be diplomatic about the situation.

“Yeah,” Black Dog said through a yawn. “Tell you what, Bernie. You stay, and when Darko calls, tell him I left for home and to call me there. If not tonight, early in the morning. You help Swiper close up. I think he wants to watch April dance, so you’re all good.”

With that, Black Dog felt everything was settled. He stood up and put on his leather, glad to be heading home. He had no need to reach out to Wolf now, and he was relieved as hell about that. He couldn’t wait to get home and hold his Willie and think about putting that diamond with the emerald baguettes right on her finger. It was a beautiful ring, and with the wedding band it would be a perfect complement. He never wanted an ol’ lady, never believed he wanted children or a wife, but he loved Willie with all his heart. Melora was his sunshine, and he wanted to make the best life possible for them … as good as a 1% biker could, he reasoned.

When he left Dirty Deeds, he realized too late that he should have had somebody go warm the truck up. Darko usually did. Black Dog was a lot happier driving home than he had been driving to Dirty Deeds. Thank God for that. This was going to be a lot less work, he soon realized. He wondered how Rumble was doing with the Christmas trees. He supposed everything had gone fine, since nobody called to say they’d lopped off an arm.

He flipped on the radio and enjoyed the ride home. At last, it was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

Rumble had cut plenty of trees for families in need, and any of the Nefarious brothers who wanted a tree could have one for free. They had so many, it was decided that half of the parking lot across from Willie and Dee’s store could be used to sell them. The lot belonged to Mad Jack’s father who had no problem with letting them use it, as long as he got first pickings. Bernie and a few other bikers stayed there selling trees day and night and business was brisk.

The results from the doctor showed that Jack did not have mononucleosis, but did test positive for strep throat, and he was not going to be able to steal turkeys. All the bikers were in good spirits otherwise. Tins of cookies were stored in one of the empty rooms at Dirty Deeds club along with donated coats and canned goods. Toker had dropped off wooden toys for sale at W and D’s shop, and Willie thought she would ask him to continue making them. They sold out very fast and she had put in another order for more before the newly renamed Winter Party, which had been the Winter Festival, happened. It would take place on the Sunday following the Nefarious MC children’s party at their clubhouse. Willie had stopped fretting about getting turkeys once Black Dog had told her it was being taken care of, and that certainly set her mind at ease. If there’s anything that’s desired in the holidays, it’s peace of mind, and that’s exactly what Black Dog gave her.

* * *

Donna, Willie’s mother, drove them up to the clubhouse. The smiling pair of them were excited because they realized this would be their first Christmas as a family. Donna kept imagining out loud how Melora would look sitting on Santa’s lap for the first time. Willie secretly hoped Jelly Belly wouldn’t curse if he was peed on.

“Melora, do you want to see Santa Claus?” She looked at her daughter dressed in a red velvet coat that matched her dress. Of course, grandmother had bought only the best for Melora.

“Nope,” insisted Melora. “Not sitting on da man’s lap. I jus’ want to give him my list.” Melora had a crinkled list clutched in her hand. She proudly showed it to her mother.

“Mel, you
have
to sit on Santa’s lap. We want to get a picture of you. Please? Will you do it for mommy?”

Despite Willie’s pleading, she saw Black Dog’s determined look in her little girl’s eyes.

Willie turned to her mother, defeated. “She isn’t going to sit on Santa’s lap. I really wanted a picture of that, too. I wonder why she won’t do it. Are you sure you want to go to this party?” She looked at her mother closely. Donna was dressed in black jeans, a black leather jacket, and boots. “Mom, where did you get those jeans and jacket?”

Donna laughed at her daughter’s expression. “Teddy helped me get dressed when she heard I wanted to go to this party. Good thing we’re the same size. You know Teddy and I are going to be making baskets up for the needy families. She said I needed to do something and not be thinking of your father. Really, I don’t think about him. I was dating that one lawyer … but I don’t trust men too much anymore.”

Willie wondered silently what else was going on, but she wouldn’t lower herself to ask about her father or sister Roberta. Christmas music filled the car and she started to sing along to it. Donna joined in, quietly at first, and soon they were both lost in song. Willie only interrupted herself to give her mother directions. Melora had fallen asleep in the back. Willie hoped when she woke up she’d have changed her mind about sitting on Santa’s lap.

Pulling up in front of the clubhouse, Willie was shocked to see the place decorated with garlands and Christmas lights. There were wooden reindeer by the front door and two huge candy canes on each side of the door. She shook her head in disbelief, as if to make sure they were actually at the Nefarious MC clubhouse and hadn’t been somehow misdirected to some extravagant Christmas wonderland.

Her mother parked the car and smiled, admiring the view with a sigh. “Well, I am pleasantly surprised. I thought the place would be a dump. Your man seems to have put a lot of effort in this party for the children.” Donna looked around at the people going in and out and was impressed to see nobody was drunk or high … or at least
appeared
not to be drunk or high.

“Mom, I keep telling you that bikers are just like any other people. Stop being so judgmental, look at how happy the children are.” She pointed to a little girl getting a piggyback ride from a leather clad biker. Other bikers were holding their children’s hands. Some of their women were trying to keep their children clean and get them inside for the party.

“Remember, I am taking Melora home with me tonight, Willie. It’s our sleepover night and Melly is like me; neither of us like change very much.” She glanced over at her granddaughter who was slowly opening her eyes. “Melly, honey, it’s time to wake up. You’re going to see Santa, and Aunt Teddy is inside there with your daddy. You can play with the children and then grandmother is taking you home with her. You’ll like that, won’t you? Grandmother and you will make your favorite cookies together.” Donna smiled lovingly at the little girl.

Melora brightly returned the smile to her grandmother and waved her arms. “See?” said Donna. “She knows just what she wants, and that’s for her
grandmother
to spoil her.”

Willie rolled her eyes but was secretly pleased that her mother and daughter had such a close relationship. Donna had changed quite a bit from the stuffy mother she had been. Donna also loved Black Dog, although she hated his name. When they were at home, she would call him BD or Dylan.

“Mom, remember to say Black Dog. You know he’ll get mad at you if you call him BD or Dylan. Melora, mommy is going to carry you so you don’t get muddy, okay?” She looked at the girl’s white tights and thought she would have dressed her in clothing she could have played in. However, Donna had come with the dress, and Melora wanted to wear it.

She opened the door and grabbed her daughter, then headed for the club. Donna followed after making sure she locked her car doors. Twice.

Glancing back at her mother, Willie was shocked. Her mother looked a lot younger with her hair loose and dressed as she was.
Oh my God,
she thought,
I hope nobody hits on my mom.
  She remembered teasing her mother last fall that maybe she would introduce her to a biker. This was indeed a strange day and she hoped it wasn’t a mistake to have brought her mom here.

Once inside of the clubhouse, she looked for Black Dog, but was distracted by her sister Teddy who was dressed like an elf. Teddy swooped in and grabbed Melora, leaving Willie and Donna standing there. They listened to the child’s laughter as Aunt Teddy tickled her.

“Are we allowed to drink?” her mother asked. “I see a bar and, well, I’d really like a drink.” Donna snapped her finger in front of Willie’s face. “Willie, pay attention to me. I said, can I get a drink?”

Willie pulled out of her trance. “Sorry, mom. I don’t want a drink but you can have one. Tread is tending bar. Come on, I’ll make sure he knows who you are.” She steered her mother toward the bar.

Donna followed her daughter. Looking around, she began to feel a lot better, reassuring herself by seeing that this clubhouse wasn’t filled with half-dressed women and drunken men. In truth, Donna dreaded coming and almost talked herself out of it, but needed to make sure Willie wasn’t involved with a bunch of lowlife dirt bags. It had been Teddy’s idea to do this, and now that she was here, she planned to have a good time. A drink or maybe two couldn’t hurt.