Honey Stone

Home Truths

'Can I help you fellas?' Tommy said in a friendly tone. He didn't want any trouble and there was no reason as yet to stir anything up, this might all still be nothing.

'Names Duck.' The older man growled through his matted beard and missing teeth. 'This here is my crew, guess you might have heard of us?'

'That I have.' Tommy replied still as calm as anything 'You passing through or are you looking for us on purpose?' His stance was still tense, still trying to read the situation.

Duck looked over at Tommy's men and spat a stream of chewing tobacco on the ground. 'I'm not looking to stir up shit with you man, I know how you roll and we got no beef with you. We was just passing by but one of our women folk was shouting her tits off about this place so we thought we'd drop in and pay you a visit, see what shes all about.'

Duck turned his head and called back 'Oiler, bring your woman up here.'

'Reckon I might have an idea who your woman might be.' Tommy ventured but Duck spat again 

'That skank whore ain't shit to me son, but she's been hollering from here to Phoenix about some damn bastard you got round here.'

The two men watched as a woman was escorted roughly, gripped by her upper arm as she tottered on her too high heels, towards the men. Most of the Scorpions Tail members gave her long bored looks but some of the men were vaguely interested in the scene.

Tommy looked her over, scrawny with scraggy hair and blood shot eyes. She focused briefly on Tommy before turning her head to look at the others in turn before landing on Nash.

'That him.' She screamed out waving her free arm wildly 'That's the fucker, he did it he's the one who kidnapped my daughter and killed my husband.'

Nash laughed mirthlessly ' Hi Angela.' he drawled 'Nice to see you again.'

'You know her then.' Duck stated and shoved his hands in his pockets, he was bored of this already.

'Sure I know her.' replied Nash 'She's my mother in law.'

Some of the men chuckled and made rude comments, even the man holding her laughed.

'Where's Honey.' Angela screeched and tried to claw at Nash despite him being several yards away.

'Hold your tongue woman.' Duck snapped 'Oiler control your woman or I'll give her something to scream about.' Tommy bristled slightly, threats to women never sat well with him. 

'You came all this way for her?' Preach asked calmly in his usual soft tone. 

'Fuck no.' Duck chuckled again 'Picked her up way back in Phoenix, Oiler her took a shine to her, after a few other fellas had had a ride or two if you catch my drift. We were at a run up in Mankato. Only a bit of a detour to here. Interested in looking you up to be honest. We heard about your trouble back in Des Moines.'

'Wondered if this bitch had something to do with it.' Nash growled 'Wouldn't put it past dear old Mom to put some kind of bounty on my head.'

Duck grinned showing his remaining teeth. 'Nothing to do with us boy, take it it was you that was shot up?'

'You deserved it you bastard, what did you do to Danny?' Angela screeched again but Oiler was dragging her away and shoving her back into the pack out of sight.

'Nothing to do with us or her, I promise.' Duck reassured them. 'Look man, its a long way home so can you put us up for a night and we'll be on our way, no trouble. We can discuss this over a few beers.'

'Absolutely,' Tommy said with a grin but gave Nash a look that warned him to keep on alert. Tommy wasn't fool enough to think this was going to be as friendly as they appeared. Honey still wasn't visible and who knew what Angela had been spouting.