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“Who knows? Oh, they have the door open,” Bull points at the screen.

The man staggers out of the shower room. He has a bloodstain on his clothes. “He’s hurt. Oh, my, he is bleeding.”

The next twenty minutes are filled with the man being taken into the gas station. Scalpel arriving along with Pres, Cap, and Finger. Something is going on!

Malik enters the office. “He’s okay, but he’s lost a lot of blood and rambling about what happened. Someone walked up and stabbed him, thinking he was someone else, from what I can gather. It seems he could have been fucking killed by a case of mistaken identity.”

“Who did they think he was, and where did it happen?” Joker asks, and I admit I’m all ears.

“Over in Keithville. He’s been hitchhiking because he didn’t want anyone following him if he used a bus. Poor fucker is in a mess. Pres has sent him to the clubhouse where Scalpel will fix him up and then can get the full story,” Malik turns and leaves the office.

I look at Joker, then at Bull. They both shrug, not really giving a damn, but I wonder if it’s more trouble heading the way of the club?

Chapter 34

JOKER

Miri is at the clubhouse while her car is in the garage for a service because a knocking noise has started. Now, I can do most things, but I’m not a mechanic, and I’m good with someone who knows what they are doing putting it right. Malik has it because he said club family comes first. He’s thrown me an invoice that says one dollar. Yeah, family matters.

I put my phone in my jeans' back pocket as I enter the common room. I’m not on the workstation at the recovery office for another two hours, thanks to Tripp extending his shift after having a hard recovery that he has been covering.

Taking the seat next to Miri I kiss her cheek because she has her head down writing notes in a book she calls her work log. The log information she is writing covers the house she is working on at the moment. What is needed, how much it costs, and where she had purchased from. A record that I’m sure she’ll find useful in the future.

Ayla is giggling and walking around the room, with Cilla right behind her. Her walking has improved immensely over the last three weeks. She is going to be trouble when she can run I’m sure.

I frown when Ayla comes to a halt, grabs a chair leg to stop herself wobbling and blurts her baby gibberish. I can understand some of the words she says, but others fly over my head. Finger and Cilla seem to understand what she is saying, mind you.

“Do you think we’ll understand what our kid is saying when they spout all that baby talk, Miri?” I ask without taking my eyes from Ayla.

“Yeah. I think parents understand most of what their children say. It’s like a secret language isn’t it?” Miri smirks when I turn and look at her.

“She is going to be a handful when she gets a little older. Pres spoils her something rotten. He’s going to teach her shit. Finger and Cilla are not going to like it, I’m sure.” I smirk at the thought.

“I can see that happening too, but when we have kids, I hope he loves them as much as he loves Ayla. He’s going to be one hell of a father when he eventually becomes one,” Miri states with amusement.

Cilla smiles as she must be seeing something in her mind's eye, but just as she looks up, Pres walks into the common room and Ayla claps her hands, then waves.

Finger laughs loudly, pointedly, right before he points at Pres. “She waved and clapped her hands, Pres. Did you see that?”

Grunting, Pres walks over to Ayla, picks her up, and kisses all over her face. Ayla, of course, laughs that bubbly laugh that babies do, then hiccups before peeling into more laughter.

Cilla walks over to Pres and takes Ayla from him, after a little tussle I might add. It’s all highly amusing, and both Miri and I are fascinated with the scene playing out.

“Oh my,” Miri gasps. I look at her and she points to something behind Pres.

Ayla is waving and jabbering at something behind Pres, Cilla has closed her eyes as though she doesn’t want to see what is happening. But little fireballs appear, creating a wheel spinning in the air.

“Christ, the boys are at it again. Have you noticed they only mess around when everything is calm?” I ask, Miri.

Miri giggles. “Yeah, but they are amusing. I never thought I’d be okay with ghosts, but you know they are good ones, not nasty like poltergeists in the movies.”

“Not sure we can call them nice ones, Miri. You know they died in combat. They are soldiers who have not moved on to whatever comes next.”

Shrugging, Miri shows she doesn’t care, and she’s not going to change her mind. Then she giggles at whatever has now caught her attention.

Cilla is stamping her foot and looking as if she’s going to do someone a serious injury. The funny thing is that her hair and Ayla’s hair are standing on end. I mean standing tall, vertical, stiff, and damn funny to look at.

Finger, who has been sitting quietly since speaking with Pres stands and snarls. “Leave them alone or I’ll have to put you on my tab. You know that means when my time comes I’ll call that tab in, and beat your asses blue.”