So far so good.
“You still wanna ride along?” I questioned Harlow, taking the cup of coffee from her.
“If you don’t mind. It seems like a lot of fun, and it’s good to give back at this time of year.”
“That it is, sweetheart.” Blaz was thumbing through the paper, seemingly oblivious to how red both Harlow and I were. Then, without missing a beat, he added in, “How long is it going to take for the two of you to admit y’all fucked last night?”
I choked on my coffee as Harlow gasped, “What?”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice Collin sneaking out of your room.” Blaz eyed his daughter as her shoulders tensed.
“It wasn’t fucking,” I sheepishly admitted, grabbing Harlow’s hand and pulling her onto my lap.
“Then you just innocently slept next to my daughter like a damn boy scout?” Blaz bellowed.
“Sir, I say this with the utmost respect for both you and your daughter: what happened between us last night was so far from fucking. Yes, we slept together and there was nothing boy-scout-like about it, but I have real feelings for her and will not for a second let you think all I wanted to do was get a nut off.”
Blaz sat glaring at me for what felt like forever. “You better not be blowing smoke up my ass, boy.”
“I would never.” I didn’t break eye contact. I wasn’t going to back down, and Blaz needed to know that.
“You remind me of your father,” he scoffed, pulling a flask out of his cut.
Pouring whiskey in both of our coffees, Blaz cocked his head to the side. “So, what’s your plan? Come up here every now and again? Move here? Take my little girl away?”
Harlow grabbed her dad’s hand. “Does there have to be a plan already? Can’t we just see where this goes and let me be fucking happy for a second before you scare Collin half to death and start talking about marriage and babies? I know where this is heading, Dad.”
Blaz’s face softened. “Fine, but don’t for a minute think I’m happy about this.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to be anything but furious. No one will ever be good enough, will they?” Harlow glanced over her shoulder at me. “At least Collin is one of the good ones, and it’s better than me falling for someone who doesn’t understand our life.”
I quickly kissed her cheek before she got up.
“Blaz, I won’t do anything to hurt your daughter.”
“Trust me, it’d be the last thing you ever did on this earth.”
* * *
Standing on the porch,Bear, Blaz, Carson, Kane, Ax, Reese, and I went through the plan for the next couple of days while Harlow and Scarlett stayed in the kitchen.
“Everything y’all are going to need is in these duffle bags: burners, ammo, guns, maps—the whole nine,” Carson explained.
“Do we have any information about the guys who are doing this?” Bear asked in his booming voice.
“All we know is that they are damn good at flying in under the radar and hitting us during shift changes. We have a couple of cops on payroll who have been doing a piss-poor job of keeping an eye on the warehouse. Every time I have one of my guys out there, the fuckers don’t show,” Blaz clarified.
“So unmarked cars, no bikes?” I asked, lighting my third cig of the morning.
“You got it kid.” Blaz wouldn’t look at me. It was going to take a lot of proving myself to him before I would be back in his good graces.
“Old school stakeout, I like it.” Kane was itching to get started. Of all the guys, he was the one I had spent the least amount of time with. All I knew about him was that he was a former Marine and had served with Trent and Ax a lifetime ago. That was really all I needed to know to trust him. It was odd to have guys from Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee working together, but I was proud to be the one from my charter working with guys I didn’t get to often.
“We have a shipment due in tomorrow night, late. I’ll need all of you there watching both of the gates,” Blaz continued.
“We will have this pest problem eliminated in no time at all.” Bear stifled a yawn as he stretched. “Damn, that ride was long as hell. I can’t believe Scar didn’t bitch the entire time.”
“She’s one tough broad, only old lady in the entire organization that rides her own bike.” I could feel Blaz’s old-school ways coming through, but Bear quickly shot down his backhanded compliment.