Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 16

We stopped in a small town to get gas. Nik stayed outside filling up the tank with the twins still in their car seats. Hayley and I went inside for a bathroom break and some snacks for the babies. As we are checking out Hayley reaches over and snatches a hat off of the rack by the counter.

"Interesting fashion statement." I tease her and she smirks.

"Yes, very Klaus. Don't cha think?"

"Oh, absolutely." I laugh. "He'll love it."

"Anything else?" The older man behind the counter asks.

"Nope. That should be it, plus gas on the Land Rover." I point out the window to the only car out there.

The man nods and rings everything up. "That'll be $85.97." I pass him a hundred and he puts it in his draw and counts out of change. "$14.03 is your change." He smiles. I take the money from him and put it in the jar next to his register. The jar has a piece of paper tapped to it that has information on a cancer charity. "Thank you, kindly." He says and I smile and send him a nod.

Hayley grabs our bag and we exit the store. As we approach Nik Hayley pulls out the hat that says 'Mother Trucker' on it and holds it up for him to see with a smirk on her face.

"Absolutely not." He denies with raised eyebrows.

"Need to blend in." Hayley tells him. "You could start by losing the thousand jacket." Hayley adds and Nik sighs.

"Tell me again why we're on a scenic tour of methamphetamine country and not compelling a jet to some far off, preferably tropical destination?" He questions annoyed with Hayley and my idea of laying low.

"Look, I'm not the one with an army of pissed-off vampires coming after me." Hayley counters. "Can I have the keys?"

Nik bites his tongue and gives in, passing her the keys. "On a scale of one to ten, exactly how much am I going to despise this little plan of yours?"

Hayley purses her lips. "I'd say a solid 85." I chuckle in amusement and I take the hat from her hand and putting it on his head.

"Oh, good." He says sarcastically. Hayley gets in the drivers seat and I occupy the passengers, leaving Nik to sit with the twins.

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Hayley brings us to a biker bar. She said she knows the guy that owns it. So, Nik gets Bexley out of her car seat and I get Hope. We place the twins in their double stroller and enter the bar. Music is playing low in the background. There are a few guy stalking the tables with what they need and a man behind the counter.

"Now I can see why you wanted to come here. I feel safer already." Nik muses sarcastically to Hayley with the gas station hat still on his head.

As we walk up to the bar, the man behind the counter meets us. "We're closed." He grunts. I lift the brake on the stroller and make sure the twins are covered with their blankets.

"You don't look closed." Nik says leaning against the counter.

"We are for you."

"Well, perhaps you failed to notice the hat." Nik states making me nudge him as I sit on the stool next to him.

"I'll take a bourbon, unless Hollis is still serving that moonshine of his?" Hayley tells the man, taking a seat next to me.

"I'll be damned." An older man says walking behind the bar. "I got this." He pats the first guy on the chest. He smiles widely at Hayley and clamps her hand in his. "It's been a long time since you danced on my bar, Hayley Marshall." My eyebrows disappear into my hairline in surprise and I look at Hayley.