Red Creek Renegades

Chapter 5: Hawk

Snow falls softly as I drive towards Gatlinburg. It's a wet mixture, causing me to have my wipers on and to drive with caution. The thump thump of the windshield wipers calms me as I navigate the winding roads leading out of Red Creek. I can remember learning to drive on these back roads after Dom and I came here. They scared the hell out of me, but now they have a calming effect. Like I know where each turn is, and instead of anxiety at not knowing what's around it, I feel peace as I clear every blind spot.

Early this morning I got a text from our informant; there's a car very high on the parts list from our brokers in St. Thomas. Parts are hard to get there, especially since the hurricanes, and they pay top dollar. Not to mention, most of the time, nobody wants to go to a US Territory to find stolen car parts.

It's not often that I have to drive myself, but the entire club is busy today doing other stuff that needs doing. Usually when I go on my own, it's because I have things I need to think about. Today is one of those days.

Since last night at Dom's dinner table, I've been thinking about what he said how maybe I can change the narrative of our lives. How maybe Banner could be mine if I gave her a chance to be. If I'm a man worthy of her, Racer would never say no, that I'm sure of.

"So you've just got to become a man worthy of her," I whisper to myself as I carefully drive down the mountain.

Will I ever be? I'm not sure, but I do know one thing I've got to try.

* * *

Driving into Gatlinburg today, even the back way is busy as f**k. I'm getting irritated about being stuck in traffic, but I know after I pull off the job, this will work to my advantage. I'll blend in with all the traffic leaving, and as long as I obey traffic laws, it should be an easy in and an easy out.

Parking at a lot about a half-mile away from the one I'm pulling the job at, I put my beanie on and shrug into my leather jacket. Here, right now, as I'm trying to fly under the radar, I don't wear my cut. It's a cold day, snow coming down a little thicker, and my breath is a puff of white coming from my mouth as I leisurely walk amongst the vacationers.

"What's up, Stoner?" I ask as I get to the lot where I've been told there's a car we've been waiting on. His name always cracks me up. Most people would think he's high all the time with that name, but no. It's honestly what his parents named him.

"Not much, Hawk. How's it going?"

"Cold as f**k," I laugh.

It's essential that I stay loose, that no one can tell what I'm about to do. One of the ways I've been able to affect being relaxed is to do things I always do. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my pack of cigarettes and my lighter. The whole packing and lighting process is enough to keep my hands busy and to keep my mind from wandering as I wait for him to say whatever else he's going to say.

"I heard them say we could get a couple more inches of snow tonight. Hoping it won't be too busy tomorrow, but everybody's starting to shop for Christmas."

Christmas. The word kinda makes my heart clench. Those memories haven't been the happiest either, but I'm excited for it to happen for Jacob. This is the first Christmas he s old enough to enjoy, and I know it'll be the best.

"So where's this car?" I ask, reaching the end of my patience for small talk, and I hate standing around. Once I'm here, I like to get my work done.

"Back row, parked near the street. If you go back there, I'll open the exit that's normally closed. It'll send you the back way through the National Park. Shouldn't be much traffic today," he replies and pulls up a map on his laptop, looking at the traffic cams.

"Sounds good. You'll take care of my other car until someone comes and gets it? It's at the corner lot down the street."

"Yeah, yeah, a friend of mine runs that lot. Ain't nothing going to happen to it, you've got my word on that."

Luckily, I know this guy's word is good. Over the years we've had some that lied more often than they told the truth, but not this one. If I were to have a friend outside of the club, it would probably be him.

"Great, let's get this show on the road. I don't wanna be down here in this s**t any longer than I have to be."

"It's worse up in Red Creek isn't it?" he asks as we walk to the back of the lot.

"Yeah, but that's my stomping ground, ya know? We've got friends, and I know all the places that might be slick, so I know where I need to be careful. While I do come down here multiple times a week and I have driven what feels like a million miles around these mountains, I like home."

I rub my chest as I say home. For the longest time nothing has felt like home to me, but as I let that word fly, I realize Red Creek has become more my home than any other place I've lived my entire life.

"Don't we all, my man? Don't we all."

* * *

Two hours later, I'm pulling into our illegal lot. The normal sound of gravel crunching under the tires is muffled by the snowpack that's already accumulated. The office light is on, but I'm not sure who's inside. Getting out of the car, I take the steps into the small trailer that houses the office two at a time.

"Yo," I call as I enter, stopping when I see Banner sitting at the computer desk, her dark hair falling in curly waves around her shoulders. There's a fire in the fireplace, and the light from the flames is playing against the ends that are curled at the tips of her breasts. Why the f**k did I notice that?

"Hey," she answers, giving me a huge smile. "I was wondering if you were going to show up or not. Dad sent everybody from the main shop home since the roads are s**t. He was hoping you could give me a ride since I don't have four-wheel drive. They couldn't make it back here to me."

"They couldn't make it back here?" I have a sinking feeling in my gut. "If they couldn't make it back here, then we might be stuck here, Princess."

That's the first time I've ever let the nickname I call her in my head slip out, but there's something about the cozy ambiance of the situation we've found ourselves in.

"I guess there could be worse places to be stuck," she begins as she motions to the second room in the trailer. "At least there's a bedroom back there. And we have a microwave and a stove."

I've heard things about that bedroom. Back when Racer and Cassie were first married, it's where she used to kick him out to when she'd get angry at him for something he did. This trailer used to sit on club property until they found a better use for it as an office.

I growl in frustration; this isn't what I need.

"No reason to get pissed, Hawk," she gives me a grin. "At least I'm pretty. You could be stuck with Jackson, although Bella would say he's pretty too."

"You are," I answer slowly, "pretty I mean, it's just this doesn't work into my plans. I had s**t at the shop I needed to get done tonight, and this will throw me further behind."

Banner stands from where she sits behind the desk, and it's almost as if I see a switch flip in her. She goes from being the cute girl next door to a f*****g femme fatale in the blink of an eye. For the first time, I can see what she's wearing a red dress with black tights, no shoes on her feet.

"Aren't your feet cold?"

Stupidest thing I've ever said in my life.

"You know," she begins as she comes around the desk, having a seat on the edge in front of me, crossing her legs.

"Know what?"

"I got a text from Alyssa last night, asking me when I was going to f**k the bad mood right out of you."

My mouth hangs open, and I work hard to swallow against the dryness in the back of my throat. "She asked what?"

"When I'm going to f**k the bad mood right out of you, and given how you're reacting to this, I think now might be a good as time as any."

Hand to God, if anyone asks me what happens in the next five minutes, I will never be able to tell them. All I know is I end up with Banner wrapped around me, and we're rolling around in the bed she mentioned earlier and for once, I'm not thinking about my club, my patch, or my president.