Truth and Lies: Chapter 3

Two days since the MC had been in, and I’m starting to relax again. I don’t need the stress. I’ll have to move again when I’ve saved up enough. I don’t want to spend my life always looking over my shoulder, but what choice do I have.

Today is my day off, and I hope Suzie doesn’t call me in to help out. I want to clean the apartment and do my laundry, I don’t have much as I still only have three changes of clothes, but it’s enough for now.

Mid-afternoon, I have everything cleaned, and laundry finished. Looking in my small fridge and cupboards, I think I better run over to the store and do a little shopping. I need to replace the few things that are low and maybe treat myself to something for breakfast for a change.

Eating the last meal with Graham and Suzie is good and saves me money, but I don’t always want to eat with them. I can’t afford to be too reliant on them or let them into my heart too far because when things go to shit, it will hurt, and it will go to shit. It always does.

Picking up my purse, I head downstairs, and as I pass the kitchen, Graham calls to me.

‘Yea, what’s up, Graham?’ I ask as I pop my head through the kitchen door.

‘Are you goin’ out, Mia?’ Graham asks and steps towards me while holding a greasy-looking pan he’s washing.

‘Just over to the store. I won’t be very long. Do you need anything while I’m out?’ I ask him, making sure he can’t get near enough to drop grease on my clothes.

‘No, I don’t think so. But you be careful. Keep your eyes peeled. I have a feelin’, and I don’t ignore it when I get twitchy.’ he says, which has me studying his face, and he looks a bit strained.

‘Are you okay?’ and as I ask, Suzie walks into the kitchen.

‘Yes, I’m fine, we’re fine, it’s you I’m worried about.’ Graham states, looking over his shoulder at Suzie, ‘We care deeply about you Mia, we don’t want anything to happen to you.’

‘If any trouble comes here, I’ll leave. I won’t bring it onto your heads. I care about you too, and I don’t want anything to happen to you either.’

‘Just keep your eyes open; stay alert,’ Suzie says, taking my hand and squeezing it.

‘I will.’ Leaving the diner to do my shopping, I keep my eyes open as I walk the short way down the street and then cross the road, seeing nothing and no one out of place.

Walking around the store, I pick up the items I need placing them in my cart, but I enjoy the time away from the diner, so I have slipped into a daydream.

Reaching the register, I place my items for the young woman to ring through. While I’m paying, I hear a familiar voice, and looking up, I see a reflection in the window of two bikers. Paying, I quickly walk out, keeping my eye on the window, and my heart is jumping nearly out of my chest

That was Gunner and Crack, the one that first came into the diner. I want to stay well away from all of them.

Keeping my head down, I quickly head back to the diner and around the back, entering through the back door of the kitchen.

Graham looks up and knows something is wrong and rushes over to me, ‘What? What is it, Mia?’

‘Bikers in the store. One was Gunner, the one I was with, whose daughter I was accused of hurting. He was with one that was here the first time those bikers came in. I recognize him now, too; he’s Crack the Enforcer of the club.’ I rush to say, keeping my voice down in case anyone hears in the diner.

‘Go up to your apartment and stay there. If anyone asks, you’re not around today.’ Graham pushes me towards the stairs, and I jog up them and lock myself in my apartment, taking a deep breath and praying I’m not found.

Crack

Coming out of the store, I look across the road and remember the diner and the meal I had. ‘Great diner over the road, do you wanna go?’ I ask Gunner, I’m still not back to normal with him, ‘They do some great food, and I’m fuckin’ hungry.’

‘Yea, why not, could eat somethin’, sick of the swill Cara throws at me.’ Gunner moans, ‘I’ve been eatin’ at the clubhouse when I can.’

As we walk over to the diner, I think about Zara and have not seen her around for quite a while. ‘How’s Zara? I haven’t seen her around for ages.’

‘Fine as far as I know.’ Gunner replies, but he doesn’t seem sure.

‘What do you mean as far as you know?’ I ask, not liking this at all.

‘I’ve not been to the house in two weeks. I don’t want to be around Cara. She’s drivin’ me crazy with her whining and moaning. She always wants more money or somethin’. I’m keeping away from her.’ Gunner tells me looking pretty damn miserable, if I’m honest.

‘So you’ve not seen Zara? Her birthday‘s soon, isn’t she gonna be thirteen? A damn teenager, she’ll be a young lady before you know it.’ I say, trying to keep my voice even as I feel like swinging for him and his lack of concern.

‘Yea. She’ll fly the nest before we know it,’ he replies just as we reach the diner.

Opening the door, we pick a table to keep our backs to the wall and look over the menu. As I look up, I notice the young woman is not around by the looks of it. She was a pretty thing. I wouldn’t mind spending some time with her.

An older lady walks over with cups and coffee pot, filling them once she’s placed them in front of us.

‘What can I get you today?’ she asks and sounds a bit nervous. Mind you, plenty of people are with us wearing our kuttes.

‘I had chicken pot pie last time I came in. It was the shit. Do you have any today?’ I ask her, and she gives me a slight smile.

‘Yes, we have them today. What would you like with that?’

‘Large portion of fries will do with that,’ I tell her and place my menu down.

‘What about you?’ She asks Gunner, giving him what looks like a wary look.

‘I’ll have the same,’ he tells her, without looking up. Then he throws his menu down, which has her jumping.

‘No young lady today?’ I ask her, giving her one of my winning smiles.

‘Oh, no, not today.’ and before I can say anything else, she scuttles away and into the kitchen.

‘Who you talkin’ about?’ Gunner asks.

‘When I was in last time, there was a real pretty young woman serving. She took my eye.’ I tell him.

‘You wanted in there?’ he smirks at me, ‘Not seen you with the club whores of late.’

‘No, I’m lookin’ for somethin’ special. Sick of the skanks, you can have them. I want someone worth havin’, someone who’s not just a hole to stick it in.’ I state with an attitude.

‘No such thing, Crack. It’s just an illusion,’ he says, sounding jaded.

Oh, yes, there is. I know as I saw it in Miriam, she loved him and his girl. He was just too stupid to trust it and her. I’ll kill Cara if I find out she lied, and I’m sure she did. My worry at the moment is where Zara is as she is usually around, and I’ve not seen her for days.

The rest of the meal passed quietly, the food is just as good as it was last time, and I’m sure I’ll be calling in here often.

Once we’ve eaten, we head back to the clubhouse, and I hope an early night for me. I’m sick of all the shit and drama that kicks off lately.

Zara

After sitting in the room watching Zip work his computers, I point at a laptop, and he nods yes, I can take it. I snatch it up and carry it to my secret room, which is in the loft area of the clubhouse. I can get to it through the storeroom upstairs, and if I put the hatch back into place, no one knows I’m up there.

Scrambling up, I make sure I close myself in, then go into the middle of the loft and sit, open the laptop and switch it on. I don’t know much about computers, but I’m going to learn, and maybe I’m young, but I’m not stupid.

I’ve learned a lot watching Zip over the last few months. I write notes, so I don’t forget things essential to finding when Miriam will leave prison.

I start to search newspapers from the time it all happened. Maybe I’ll learn things that everyone was hiding from me at the time.

A couple of hours later, I’m tired. I crawl over to the pile of bedding I took from other people’s beds at the clubhouse to make a type of bed for me to sleep on up here. I sit on the bedding and grab a protein bar from the box. I’ve been storing things to snack on and bottles of water, a couple of cans of soda too.

While eating my bar, I think about why dad isn’t coming home anymore and why he doesn’t want to see me or spend time with me. I didn’t do anything wrong, but I feel like I’m being punished for something.

After the bar and a bottle of water, I curl up on the bedding and fall asleep.