Chapter Twenty #3
He'd been on my mind constantly. I knew his fever broke but he was on stronger antibiotics, which couldn’t be great for him.
If I was there, I’d be able to spend more time speaking to the doctor and nurses caring for him, find out what kind of thing we should expect for when he comes home.
Plus, I could talk to him about Warren. Someone needed to do it.
This was the perfect plan to keep me away and I knew it had to have come from Hudson.
“We need to get something straight here,” I set my cutlery down and leaned forward in my chair. Hudson, the infuriating bastard just remained where he was, one hand around his coffee mug, staring at me nonchalantly.
“Okay,” he took a sip of coffee.
“No lies, no secrets. If we can’t be open and honest with each other, this isn’t going to work. I’m not some weak-willed little bitch you can pat on the head and send away whenever anything scary happens.”
“No one has ever said that about you,” he pointed out.
“I may not need to know the finer details, or be a part of the plan,” I went on as if he hadn’t spoken.
“But I don’t want to be lied to, or appeased.
I may not like what you’re doing but I can’t spend my time losing my mind worrying something is going to happen to you, or Warren.
I need to know what the possibilities are and not be blindsided, by anything.
I hated it when we were kids and you three would disappear with no explanation.
I’m not that kid anymore and neither are you.
If this is going to work,” I indicated between the two of us. “It has to be based on trust.”
“Are you done?”
“I could go on for another half hour at least,” I scowled at him.
“No need,” he leaned forward and set his mug down. “War and I talked earlier and we are going to keep you up to date, but like you said, no involvement, no details, if we can’t tell you, we won’t, but we’ll never leave you uncertain about where we are.”
Well. Okay than. That was easy. Too easy.
“Jesus, we can’t win with you. I see you thinking there is some ulterior motive even now,” he smirked.
“If you only believe one thing, believe that this,” he pointed between us, the same way I had earlier.
“Is real and trust is a two-way thing. We made a lot of mistakes before, we didn’t communicate, and we messed up,” he scowled thinking about how things were way more messed up on his side, blaming himself when he shouldn’t be.
“I agree completely, which is why I was going to tell you that we have a plan in place to entrap Nytro tonight.”
I was itching to ask about it, he could see it written all over my face.
They’d took some photographs of me tied up the other day, Hudson was apologetic about it, but they were using it to lure the Kingsmen out.
It wasn’t like I would be in any danger.
It was part of the reason they wanted me away from Sussex.
I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Are you going to ensure Mace gets through it alive?”
His eyes narrowed but if there was something he wanted to say about that, he reined himself in. “Before you freak out, it benefits the Devil’s to keep him alive,” he added begrudgingly. “Have a little faith in us.”
I scrunched up my lips, pressing them tightly together and Hudson laughed.
“You are so desperate to ask what the plan is right now.”
“Shut up.”
“Maybe if you’re a good girl, I’ll tell you.”
“Asshole.”
He laughed again. “Come on, eat up. Your ride will be here in about twenty minutes.”
“My ride?”
Turned out the person driving me to Paterson was Cassie, and Rosa was along for the ride too. Once I’d collected my overnight bag, I stood on the front porch with Hudson, while Rosa talked to Ballistic and Cassie was doing everything within her power to avoid making eye contact with Handlebar.
He was leaning into the hood of a car someone brought in for him to fix.
There was steam coming out from the engine and he’d put both palms flat on the side, his triceps were all pumped up the way he’s leaning.
If he was aware of Cassie, he wasn’t showing it, but she couldn’t stop her eyes flicking over.
Hudson saw me watching and eyed me suspiciously.
“So how long am I being exiled?” I distracted him.
“So dramatic,” he grabbed my bag off the floor. “And just a couple of nights, that is as long as I want you away from me.”
I preened a little at that but didn’t let him see it. “You’ll call?”
He leaned into whisper against my ear. “I’ll keep you posted.”
I arched a brow when he pulled back.
“It’s the best I can do, I might not be able to call. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for blowing the whole thing because I was calling to tell you I’m okay, would you?”
“You’re not funny.”
“I’m fucking hilarious,” he deadpanned. “I’ll call,” he grabbed my neck and pulled me in.
I was tempted to fight but I gave in and let him kiss me long enough that someone started hooting at us. When I turned I saw it was fucking Rosa. Cassie was beside her with her fingers in her mouth like she was going to puke.
“Have fun,” Hudson slapped my ass making me yelp.
I grabbed my bag from him and started towards the stairs.
“Wave,” he came after me. “Tell Connor I’ll see him soon okay.
And I’m sorry I’ve not been able to get in and see him yet.
” I nodded. “Tell him I’m gonna knock him on his ass if he doesn’t sort his shit out with War. ”
He knew that wouldn’t happen. But I did have my own plans for dealing with that mess. He kissed me again and then headed up to the clubhouse without looking back.
“Guy’s got swagger, I’ll give him that,” Cassie told me, pushing away from the car she was leaning against.
She shoved on her sunglasses, casting one quick, furtive glance at Handlebar, who this time, was looking right at her.
She ducked into the driver’s side as Rosa finished up saying goodbye and got into the back of the car, leaving me the passenger seat.
I had a perfect view of Handlebar watching the car as we pulled out, never taking his eyes off Cassie, not even when three bike engines roared around us, following us out of the compound.
Fuck keeping things to myself. Something needed to be done about those two. And I’m bored enough to be the one to step up to the plate.