Chapter Three
THE SUDDEN CRASH of my feet hitting the floor ripped me out of my dreams, and I came up swinging, fists aimed at whoever dared disturb me. “Ease up, tiger,” Fenix laughed, effortlessly dodging my half-asleep punches. His smirk was wide as he loomed over me. “You planning on making this a regular crash pad?”
I slumped back onto the couch, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The ride last night had been long, and my brother’s place was a hell of a lot closer than the clubhouse. “Do you care?” I shot back, already knowing the answer.
“Not unless you cockblock some hot night I might have had going on,” he shot back with a grin that told me he was half-serious. “If I had a lady planned, you’d have ruined one hell of a good time.”
I snorted. “Bullshit. You wouldn’t risk Mama catching her perfect son with his pants down.”
Fenix shrugged, playing along. “Maybe I’m just picky about who shares my sheets. Not everyone’s as indiscriminate as you.” He’d be surprised to know I hadn’t shared my sheets in months, not since Haddie.
Before I could rib him further, the door banged open and Bo stumbled in, still walking like he was made of old creaky parts. “What’s this? Do I have to start locking my doors now?” Fenix grumbled.
“Saw Kaven’s bike out front,” Bo grunted, his voice tight. “Figured this was the first place to look.”
The tension in the room spiked as Bo’s gaze fixed on me. “How’s Sarah doing?” he asked, though it sounded more like an accusation.
“She’s fine, so drop it,” I snapped back, irritation flaring. “She and Mikie are taken care of, better than you’re thinking.”
“In a damn biker clubhouse?” Bo’s voice rose, anger clear on his face. “That’s no place for a kid, or a woman you claim to love.” I got my brothers didn’t approve of me being in the club, but they didn’t understand the brotherhood, thought it was all one big party and walking the edges of the law.
I stood, feeling my own anger bubble up. “Let it go, Bo. They’re happy, and that’s what counts.”
Bo leveled a stern finger at me. “Watch it, kid. I might be busted up, but I can still take you down a peg. Now, let’s grab some breakfast. Mama’s expecting us.”
Fenix laughed, “Kid? He’s been taller than you since he was sixteen, old man.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make him stronger,” Bo shot back, the tension draining out of him now that we were joking once more.
“Give me a sec,” I said, pushing off toward the bathroom. I checked my watch—yeah, time for breakfast before church. Patch had me on call today, must be up for a run. But first, food. Mama’s cooking was not something to miss, not ever.
Emerging refreshed, I found Fenix and Bo in a deep conversation about one of Fenix’s old flames.
“Selena was something else. Remember some of the crazy shit she used to do?” Fenix asked with a wistful sigh.
“I remember her right hook,” Bo replied, and they both laughed.
Grabbing my jacket off the hook near the door, I rolled my eyes at their reminiscing. “Are we going or what?”
“Don’t worry, little bro, Mama won’t start without us,” Fenix said, his face splitting into another grin as he followed me out the door. Bo shook his head, but was chuckling as we left, the earlier tension forgotten.
When we reached her apartment, she was waiting at the door, her face creased in a smile that could outshine the sun. “About time you three showed up,” she scolded lightly as we walked through the door, though her warm smile betrayed her feigned annoyance. We each received a hug before being ushered into the homey kitchen, where an array of breakfast goodies awaited us.
Stepping into Mama’s kitchen felt like stepping into another world. Warm smells of cooking filled every corner and instantly cheered me up. What would someone like Haddie think of how simply we lived? I shook off those thoughts as I pulled a chair out at the long dining table.
As we settled down at the table filled with mouth-watering biscuits, fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon strips and steaming mugs of coffee, Fenix kicked off another conversation and we laughed and talked about random shit as we ate. After breakfast, we all helped clear up under Mama’s watchful eye before heading off toward our respective lives.
“I’ll see you boys later,” Mama said as we were leaving, hugging each of us tightly in turn. Her eyes lingered on mine a little longer than usual, her concern clear in her warm eyes. I gave her a reassuring smile in return before stepping out into the hallway, she always managed to know when something was wrong with one of her boys.
Outside, I revved up my bike and headed back to the clubhouse, hoping that Patch had a run for me. It would get me out of the clubhouse and take my mind off Haddie.