CHAPTER SEVEN
HONEY
“So,” Memphis leans closer, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “How long have you and Dread known each other?”
My cheeks flame as I take a sip of my White Claw to buy myself a few seconds. “Um, actually, I just met him last night when my boys wandered into his garage.”
The women exchange glances, and then they all burst into laughter.
“What?” I look around, wondering what I’ve said that’s so funny.
“Nothing, honey,” Cora grins. “That just seems to be the M.O. with these men. When they know, they know.”
Mac nods, shifting baby Saint in her arms. “Seriously. One minute you’re minding your own business, the next you’re married and sitting at this table with a baby.”
I bite my lip. That doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. And yet… “I’ve never met anyone like him before. He’s so...”
“Bossy?” Memphis bumps my shoulder playfully.
All the women laugh, nodding in agreement.
“God, yes!” Cora exclaims. “Chief thinks he can just tell me what to do, and I’ll magically fall in line.”
“Rage is the worst,” Mac says, rolling her eyes. “Sometimes I swear he thinks his word is law.”
I laugh along with them, but shake my head. “Well, no. He’s just so confident.” ”Just wait,” Mac smiles. “That quickly turns into bossy biker.”
“Yes!” Memphis exclaims. “That’s exactly it!”
The women dissolve into laughter again.
“Welcome to the club, honey,” Cora says, lifting her drink in a mock toast. “They’re all the same. Possessive, protective, bossy as hell—“
“That’s the magic,” Memphis says with a dreamy look on her face. “Our men might be bossy as hell, but they’ve got this way about them that makes you want to do what they say because you know it comes from a place of love and care.”
I laugh, taking another sip of my drink. “I wouldn’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone.”
“How long?” Memphis leans in.
Oh boy. The truth is so embarrassing. “Uhm… six years?”
Mac’s eyebrows shoot up. “Six years? Girl, you must be ready to climb the walls!”
My face flushes with heat. “I’ve been busy. Two kids, working, school.” Trying to keep my head above water.
“Well, Dread will certainly take care of that drought,” Memphis says with a wicked grin.
I peek over where Dread is standing, and my stomach flips. I’m not sure I even remember what sex is like.
Mac’s expression suddenly changes, her eyes fixed on something behind me. Her brows inch up her forehead.
I turn to see what she’s looking at. A stunningly beautiful woman with glossy brown hair and a tall, lanky guy in an expensive-looking sweater are standing in the doorway. The woman scans the room, her eyes landing on our table. Her face lights up as she lifts a hand and waves.
When I turn back around, all eyes at the table are on me.
“What?”
The women exchange a look, their eyebrows doing some kind of silent communication thing.
Memphis finally says, “That woman who just walked in is Sarah.”
I glance over my shoulder again, then back at the table. I’ve never seen the woman before, and I’m positive Dread hasn’t mentioned anyone by that name. “Okay…?”
Memphis and Mac exchange another look. Memphis gives a slight nod and says, “You might as well tell her.”
My brows snap together. “Tell me what?”
Mac’s eyes drift over my shoulder. “That’s Sarah... We used to live together before I met Rage.” She bites her lips like she’s not sure how she’s going to deliver the next bit of news.
“That sounds nice.” I mean, I’m not sure what else to say here.
She exhales. “Dread sorta used to have a thing for her.”
“Apparently not anymore since Miss Thing here showed up,” Cora says.
“Cora!” Memphis gasps before turning back to me with a softer expression.
“What? That’s a good thing. He was always moping around here like someone ran over his puppy.”
My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. Why would he bring me here if he’s got a thing for another woman? And why did he kiss me?
I suddenly feel like the biggest fool on the planet.
God! I’m such an idiot.
I’m the rebound girl—the distraction.
My heart starts racing. I need to get out of here.
“Honey…”
I shake my head. “I can’t stay here.” I move to slide out of the booth, my mind already racing with how I’m going to get home, when my phone starts ringing.
Pulling it out of my pocket, I frown. There’s an email address on the screen instead of a phone number.
What the heck?
Swiping the answer bar to the right, I answer hesitantly. “Hello?”
“Mommy.”
I furrow my brow. “Tommy?”
“Mommy, I want to come home.”
“Where are you calling from, sweetie?” I press the phone tighter to my ear.
“Dad’s iPad. I used FaceTime.”
iPad? Why didn’t he— “Baby, where’s your dad?” I can feel my blood pressure rising.
Tommy’s voice drops to a whisper. “He left a long time ago. He hasn’t come back.”
I grip the phone tighter, frantically looking around the room. “What do you mean, he left? When, baby? Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. He said he had to meet someone. He said he’d be right back, but that was after dinner, and now it’s really dark outside.”
Fury burns through my veins as I get to my feet. That son of a bitch. After all his posturing, all his demands to have the boys this weekend, all his talk about being their father—he left them alone?
I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice calm for Tommy’s sake. “How long ago was dinner, sweetie?”
“I don’t know. A long time. We had pizza and cake.”
Oh god. That’s way too many carbs for Jackson.
I check my watch. It’s after ten. If they had dinner at a normal time, that means Eddie’s been gone for hours.
“Tommy, where are you? What’s the address?”
“I don’t know the address. It’s Dad’s friend’s house. There’s nobody else here.”
I knew I shouldn’t have backed down when he refused to tell me where he was staying. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I forgot the cardinal rule. They’re my kids, and it’s my job to advocate for what’s best when it comes to them.
That’s a mistake that won’t happen ever again.
I press my palm to my forehead. “Where’s Jackson? Is he okay?”
There’s a pause that makes my heart skip a beat. “Tommy?”
“He’s asleep. But he wasn’t feeling good, Mom. I gave him his medicine like you showed me, but he still said his tummy hurt. I’m scared.”
Panic claws at my chest. Jackson’s diabetes can be tricky, and a stomach ache could mean his blood sugar is off.
Thank God Tommy’s been paying attention all these years. He knows how to help when his little brother’s having an episode. “You did exactly right, baby. I’m so proud of you.”
“I wanna come home.”
My eyes connect with Dread’s, and he grins. He really is handsome when he smiles.
As if reading my mood from across the room, his lips turn down. I watch as he says something to the men he’s talking to and stalks in my direction.
“Tommy, sit tight, sweetie. I’m coming to get you.”
I hear my son sniffle, and my heart squeezes. “Okay.”
“Do you know what street you’re on?”
“It’s a yellow house. And there’s a big tree out front.”
That doesn’t help me at all. “Can you look outside and see any street signs?”
“Hold on.” There’s a shuffling sound as Tommy presumably moves to look out the window. “I see something. Uhm…Pine... Pine Creek Drive? I think that’s what it says.”
“Good job, buddy. Now, is there a number on the house? Maybe on the mailbox?”
“402,” he says after a moment.
“Good job, baby,” I’m trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic racing through me. “I’m coming right now, but I need to try and call your dad, okay?”
“No! Don’t hang up.” His voice wobbles.
I swear to God, if it’s the last thing I do, Eddie will never be alone with my boys again. Jesus. I should have known better.
Pulling in another breath, I try to calm my sweet boy. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’ll only take a minute. I’ll call you right back. I promise.”
I can hear him fighting to be brave. “Okay,” he says softly.
My eyes close. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” I disconnect the call.
“What’s wrong?” Dread growls, standing toe to toe with me like he’s ready to do battle.
“Everything.” Scrolling to Eddie’s number, I hit call. It rings and rings before finally going to voicemail.
Son of a bitch.
“I need you to take me home. My boys are in trouble.”
Dread’s eyes rake over my face for a split second before he turns and scans the room. “Reign!”
A tall and lean man with piercing blue eyes looks over. “Yo!”
“Need to borrow your truck.”
I watch in awe as the man tosses Dread his keys without asking any questions.
“Let’s go.” He takes my hand and pulls me out of the clubhouse.
I barely have time to call out a hasty goodbye to the women before I’m being whisked outside. Dread leads me to a black Ford F-250 and opens the passenger door for me.
He waits until I’m inside before closing it and jogging around to the driver’s side.
“What’s happened?” he asks, starting the engine.
“Eddie left the boys alone.” My voice cracks. “Jackson isn’t feeling well, and Tommy’s scared.”
Dread’s jaw tightens as he puts the truck in drive. “Where are they?”
“Eddie’s got a place on Pine Creek Drive in Daytona.”
Dread nods and pulls out of the compound, tires throwing gravel. “How long ago did he leave?”
“Tommy said hours ago.” I dig my phone out of my pocket. “I need to call him back.”
I call the email address back, and Tommy answers immediately. His little face appears on the screen, eyes red like he’s been crying.
“Mom? Are you coming?”
“Yes, baby. We’re on our way right now. We’ll be there as fast as we can.” I push back the panic. “How’s Jackson doing?”
Tommy turns the camera toward his brother. Jackson is curled up on a mattress on the floor. “He says his tummy still hurts.”
“Has he thrown up?” I ask, my heart in the pit of my stomach.
“No,” Tommy answers.
“That’s good. Can you check his blood sugar for me? Remember how I showed you?”
Tommy nods, his face serious beyond his years. He props the iPad against something and disappears from view for a moment. I hear him talking softly to Jackson.