The response came quickly. “Tomorrow afternoon? We’ll be at home. Same street as the diner. Third house on the left. Can’t miss it. Needs paint.”
Marcus confirmed and pocketed his phone. Tomorrow afternoon. That gave him time to ride back to Phoenix tonight, let his brothers know he’d be away from the club for a while longer, and figure out what exactly he was doing involving himself so deeply in the Cole family’s life.
The Phoenix clubhouse sat on the industrial edge of the city, a converted warehouse that served as home base for the Arizona chapter of the Iron Serpents. When Marcus arrived late that evening, the place was alive with activity. Bikes parked in chaotic rows, music thumping from inside, the smell of grilling meat and cigarette smoke hanging heavy in the air.
Danny was the first to spot him, jogging over with a grin. “Marcus! Man, we were wondering when you’d show back up. How’s the kid? Is his sister okay?”
“Both fine,” Marcus said, dismounting and pulling off his helmet. “Little girl’s got a broken arm, but she’ll heal. The boy’s handling it better than most adults would.”
“That’s good. Real good.” Danny’s expression turned more serious. “The cops gave us all kinds of grief, you know. Wanted to know if we’d been drinking, if we were speeding through the parking lot, all this crap. But they finally accepted it was just a freak accident.”
“It was,” Marcus agreed. “Wrong place, wrong time, and a little girl who thought a motorcycle looked like a good napping spot.”
“You planning to come in? Some of the guys want to hear the whole story.”
Marcus glanced toward the clubhouse. He could see shadows moving behind the grimy windows, hear the familiar sounds of his brothers laughing and arguing and living the life they’d chosen. For twenty years, that had been enough. The club, the road, the freedom from expectations and responsibilities.
“Actually, I think I’m going to head to my place,” Marcus said. “It’s been a long week.”
Danny’s eyebrows rose. “You okay, man? You’ve been acting weird since Flagstaff.”
“I’m fine. Just thinking about some things.”