Epilogue One
Club life was very different as a fully patched member, and no longer a damn prospect.
Or at least it would be, if we had a clubhouse yet and could put our focus back on club business.
Instead, I was helping lug supplies back and forth while the second floor was being completed.
There was still a shit ton of work to do, but windows would be going in next, and then doors, and from there it was decorating, and all that other stuff.
“Where’s Stag? He’s supposed to be helping you lug that shit,” Ghost asked, grabbing his bottle of water, and taking a deep slug of it.
“Uh… actually good point. Where the fuck is he?”
“Haven’t seen him.”
I stepped outside and scanned the site, but I couldn’t see the lazy fucker. Screw this. I’m not doing all the fucking work while he sits and plays with himself. I’m not just a prospect anymore, so if I’m working, so should he.
There were about a dozen of us working, but Stag?
Nowhere to be seen. That just left the tent he’d been allocated to, and I have to admit, I desperately searched for any reason not to go in there, even trying to ring him, but he wasn’t picking up.
Fucking hell. If I had to see his dick in his hand, I was going to drag him outside and make everyone see it too.
If my eyeballs had to be assaulted, I was sharing that horror with my new family.
Micro stepped out of his office and waved me over before I could get there, so that was a reprieve of sorts, wasn’t it? Unless I was in trouble for something.
“Hey, you got a minute?” I nodded and followed him inside the hut, watching as he closed the door.
“I’m not getting booted already, right? I only stopped working to find out where Stag fucked off to.”
Micro grimaced, dragging a hand over the back of his neck.
“Not sure what I’m gonna do about him, if I’m honest. He’s pushing his luck with everyone lately. And, I mean, stalking? Seriously. I knew he was a bit pushy with women, but that’s next level creepy.”
I nodded. “His community service is for another few weeks, right?”
Micro nodded. “Guess he thinks he’s doing enough manual labour with his enforced road working, but whatever. At least it’s keeping him from bothering whoever the hell this woman is.”
“Is this why you wanted to see me?”
He laughed, sitting down behind his desk.
“No. We’re uh… potentially getting a new brother joining us soon, moving here from the other chapter, so I guess…
do you have another of those fancy tents you could spare if he does?
We’re still at least a few weeks off of letting people move in yet, of course. ”
I was already manually running through options in my head, but I figured I could swing something if needed. I would make the call when we were done here.
“Pity you didn’t ask when I was still a prospect. I could have had this sweet thing way sooner.” I smoothed my hands over my cut and smirked at him.
Micro offered me the usual shit-eating grin.
“Funny how that worked out, eh?” He sobered and rested his chin on his hand.
“This is a make or break kinda situation for this brother though. Truthfully, I’m not sure we can even help him.”
“With what?”
He sighed. “I did some very bad things before I became the well-rounded man I am today, and one of them was Tommy. I locked him up in the tunnels and left him there for days. I mean, I fed him or whatever, but… yeah, I’m the reason he’s…
Lissa says it’s a form of PTSD, and being there at that club, where those tunnels are…
I mean, it’s probably no better here, because of course I’m here, and I caused it, but he wants to try.
He’s barely been patched in for a year.”
Whoa. That’s a lot.
“What if this doesn’t work for him?”
Micro sighed heavily. “Then he moves on, but I’m really hoping it won’t come to that.
Lissa thinks a change of scenery is going to work wonders for him, and he’s probably going to take some time away from the club altogether, but if he decides he’s definitely coming here, I want us ready to take him in and give him a home. ”
I could see Micro’s guilt was weighing on him, digging away at all the good he’d been doing here, and if I hadn’t known the man for a while now, I might have said it’s what he deserved, but that’s not how it is.
He was a fucking good man, and while it wouldn’t undo the damage he’d done, he was doing everything he could to atone for it, and that had me respecting the hell out of him.
“I’ll make sure we’re set up. He got any trades we can use right now though?”
Micro grinned at last, his eyes lighting up.
“Not for this, I don’t think, but once we have a kitchen? We’re gonna be the happiest fuckers in town. The guy can cook. Like seriously cook. He’s a legend. Reacher’s pissed to be losing him, but apparently they’re already working on replacements.”
Huh. A cook. Well, if we were going to have a cool kitchen here, we’d need one. The thought of home cooked meals that I didn’t have to make, and Glory didn’t have to make, sounded pretty damn good to me.
“Okay, I’ll make a call, and have something on standby. I’d need like a day’s notice to get it shipped here, so keep me posted.”
Micro nodded, and waved me off, my work here apparently done, so that just left finding Stag, since he clearly hadn’t reappeared while I was busy.
What I found was just weird. He was standing in the middle of his tent with his back to the entrance, his arms waving and making shapes, and when he heard me in the doorway, he froze, one arm still up as he spun, looking for all the world like he was trying to cast a spell.
Or cheerleading. At this point, him doing wizardry would be way less disturbing.
“You trying to curse me or something?”
His arm dropped, and his cheeks flushed.
“Course not. Why, do you deserve it?”
“No, but you do, you lazy shit. Why the fuck aren’t you out there helping us?”
He groaned. “Seriously? I just did a fucking nightshift out on the motorway clearing rubble. Everything hurts, man.”
“What’s your point? You stalk girls, you have to pay for it. That shouldn’t mean we take on more work to ease your fucking burden. Get out there in five, or I’ll kick your lazy ass out there.”
“Hey, Henley?”
He was already smirking, when I paused at the tent opening.
“What?”
“You’re so hot when you’re ordering me around.”
Glory
I’d missed art. I’d missed tattooing. I’d missed so much from my old life, before him, the man I no longer even intended to put a name to, because he didn’t deserve one.
What I’d missed the most was Henley, the man who, right now, was groaning with pain on the sofa.
He’d stepped into helping with manual labour before he was fully healed from getting his ass kicked, but he wouldn’t admit to it.
I rubbed the heat rub into his shoulders and massaged them with both hands, feeling him sagging in my grip, a low groan falling from his lips.
“My god, Glory. I’m not being crude here, but that’s better than sex. Keep doing that.”
I put more force into my fingers, and particularly my thumbs, working on the knotted muscles around his spine as I tutted at him.
“Better than sex? You must be doing it wrong then, because I disagree.”
He was holding his long hair over his shoulder, but he still managed to tilt his head and wink at me. So cute, even when he’s suffering.
“Maybe I need to do it more, just to compare, you know.”
I lifted my hands, coated with heat rub, and grinned at him.
“Want me to give you a hand job? I think you’ll enjoy how this stuff heats you up.”
He jerked away from me, horror painted across his face, and I giggled at that typical man reaction. Heaven forbid we threaten their precious ‘junk’.
“Are you fucking insane? My dick likes to not be on fire, thank you so much.”
I shrugged. “So you don’t want hand jobs, I get it.”
A sly look crept into his eyes then, and I could almost hear the words before he said them.
“Your mouth’s nice and warm.”
“Ohhh so you’re in so much pain, but you can get it up for a blowie?”
I’d never been that fond of doing that, but for him, I’m sure it wouldn’t be so bad. He grinned widely then though, and I knew he had something worse in mind. Worse? Maybe not worse. Maybe less acceptable.
“Well, I mean, you offered me a part of you that’s never been pleasured before.”
I knew it. “So you’re in pain, but you can get it up if you get to fuck me there?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’d do it for you. I’m a giving kind of guy.”
I got up to wash my hands before I did accidentally touch something that caused one of us pain, and he followed me, completely misunderstanding my behaviour.
“I’m not pushing you, sweetheart. I was just bantering or whatever. You’re right. I am in pain, so rest is probably best.”
I dried my hands and tossed the towel aside, cupping his face and leaning close to kiss him.
“I didn’t want to get heat rub in places, Henley. I was being sensible. You’re welcome.”
He grimaced. “We’re not old enough for sensible yet, are we? I’m still young and reckless.”
He’s almost thirty, but whatever, I guess that is still young. Young enough for us to have a whole life together, without the missed years being such a huge problem. It gave us time to grow up enough to recognise we were each other’s forever.
“What if we go fool around and see where the evening takes us?”
“It’s like we have the same brain, sweetheart. You read my mind.”
Neither of us expected him to doze off within minutes of being on the bed together, but clearly it’s what he needed. He’d been on high alert for so long, watching over me, waking up at all hours when I’m screaming, and then getting attacked.