Finding Patch

Chapter thirteen

The heat in the air caused Trent to back away from the woman and child. He noticed how she would always cradle the child close to her when he came around. In the back of his mind, he wondered if she knew that he knew the truth about what she had done. There will be a time he will tell her that he knew of her scamming ways and the truth about the little girl in her arms.
Deciding today was not the day to start more trouble; he backed off a bit more. Dawn shifted her feet as she stood with her daughter cradle to her hip. The baby in her arms looked back him and began to speak in her unknown language towards him. He smiled down at her and agreed; Lilly did look like her father more than anyone could see.
“Patch was looking for you,” he found himself saying. “Sorry, I passed him earlier and he asked if I’ve seen you. Something about he agreed to take Lilly for you.”
Dawn narrowed her eyes, “Yay, so what of it?”
“Don’t be like that, myself and Patch well, we’re good at the moment. We’ve came to understanding. All I wanted to do was let you know Patch was looking for you.”
“Congratulations, you and Patch are friends again.”
“Whoa, now hold up. You seriously need to learn some manners.” Trent turned his head to see Chase in the next row watching them.
The poor guy looked as though someone took a knife and drove it deep within his heart. His eyes puffy from tears, his lip busted open, probably from the way he gnawed on it.
“Hey man, you okay?”
Chase shook his head no immediately to Trent’s question.
“Anything I can help with?”
Once again, Chase shook his head no.
“Let me know man, I’m here.”
“Awe, look at you. Mr. Knight and Shining Armor, what are you doing? Trying to score brownie points?”
Trent’s eyes lit up with anger, he took a couple steps forward. “Seriously Dawn, your bitch routine could use a dial down. I am very close in telling Patch what I know about you. One simple little thing can happen and he’ll know the truth about you and your lying ways. Don’t think for one moment, I will allow you to ruin another man. My brother done nothing to you and you painted him as a monster. You lied your ass off to the cops and anyone with a damn ear. And before you go opening up that ugly ass mouth of yours, I would ask myself, what does he know?”
Trent straightened up and glanced over at Chase. The magazine on the rack seems to have his attention. He hoped Chase was not paying attention to the conversation. Dawn narrowed her eyes for a moment before shifting her daughter on her hip.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t. Sure, you don’t.” Trent glared at her.
The line moved up a couple of customers. She quickly placed the contents on the conveyer-belt and set the basket down behind the items. Shifting her daughter to the other hip, she rocked back a slight bit.
“You stay away from Lilly; I will have your family thrown in jail.”
“That’s not going to work much longer. Adam has a new attorney, if you say he father that child he has the right to see her.”
“The hell he does.” Dawn actually looked scared for once, no faking required.
Trent new then she knew he was not buffing when it came to knowing the hardcore true about the situation. Chase gasped at something, drawing their attention away from each other. Patch walked in the door with a cool stone expression. The man walked with such an animalistic predator stride, Chase found himself mystified by him. He walked straight for the two standing in line. His eyes grazed over Chase causing a chill to run down his spine.
“I just met up with some little friends of ours in an alley. I sent a vicious message in return.”
Trent’s eyes widened, “Really? I thought those friends left for good.”
“So did I, I called a few people. They will let us know.”
“Sweet, I’ll keep my phone at my side.”
“You do that, Chase” Patch stared at the man in the next line. “You’re coming home with me.” Chase nodded his head as he tried to hide the smile on his face. Patch winked at him, Chase dropped his head in a deep blush.
“What’s with you and him?”
“Oh, he knows what I want.” Patch smiled.
“I thought something was up between you two. All right then, I won’t keep you.” Trent moved back a step allowing a path towards the man to open up. Patch took one step and Chase shivered.
“I didn’t know you were into guys?” Dawn’s voice made him stop.
Patch turned his head, “It’s none of your business actually but if you must know, yes.” Pointing his finger, “Lilly you look sleepy, go to sleep and I will come in get you in a little while.”
Lilly yawned as she laid her head down on Dawn’s shoulder. Trent shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye, movement came from the jacket Patch wore. It to be a small hand of a man, the movement stopped almost as if it realized he was watching it.  Somehow, this did not surprise him.
‘As if it’s always been,’ he thought.
Trent cleared his throat and looked down at his hand, the tingling sensation returned. A connection between him and the thoughts of Patch seemed unreal at times, yet they’ve always been. Nothing freaked him out when it came to Patch. Of course, they had their own opinions, they’ve fought over the dumbest things, yet in the end he knew Patch was stronger.
It was different when he spoke the words, ‘Patch was the stronger man,’ the word stronger was not the word that set a copper taste on his tongue. The word…man, made his taste buds tingle with a sensation unknown. As if the word man did not apply to Patch. 
“Hey Patch, when you’re done for the day I was wondering if I can run something by you real quick.”
“No problem, just stop over tonight and we’ll talk.” Patch handed the money for Chase’s items in his hands.
The lady at the register couldn’t take her eyes off of him while she attempted to ring them out. Chase mumbled something under his breath that made Patch look down at him. Pouting and crossing his arms, Chase turned his head to the side.
“Awe, don’t be like that, she doesn’t get what you get.”
By now, Trent noticed Dawn paid attention to Patch and Chase. With Lilly asleep in her arms and the woman ringing up her items, she had a chance to watch them as he was doing. Chase truly seemed hurt by the woman’s actions behind the conveyer-belt. Patch dipped down and kissed him on his head quickly before taking the change from the woman. Grabbing the sack, he tucked an arm around Chase before escorting him from the store.
‘As it’s always been,’ Trent thought to himself. ‘Chase is Patch’s, he belongs to Patch. No man nor woman shall touch what is his.’
Looking back at Dawn, her eyes kept watching out the window at Patch and Chase before returning to what was in front of her.
‘She does not like it.’ Trent looked down at his fingers, ‘She will do something to cause them pain. Like before?’
The question seemed to rise up in his mind before he actually thought about why the question formed. In his own world for a minute, it seemed to replay an event of a different era of time. He didn’t know whether to be concerned about what Dawn might do or not do or be concerned for the fact this felt normal for a change.