Chapter Four
Nero
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“I wasn’t expecting my car to break down. You really didn’t need to be that rude.”
“She saw Oscar.” I wave my hands in the air.
“And has no idea who you or Oscar are. If anything, you made it weird by telling her to forget what she saw. You realize that will make her wonder more than if you’d thanked her for helping me.”
He’s right. Of course he is. But I will never admit that. When I saw her following Jesse up to the house, my first thought was panic. Why the hell was a nurse coming back with him? What happened at the appointment to make him need a nurse escorting him here?
He was late getting back, and his phone was busy every time I called. Rebel had been texting about when I was going to get to the clubhouse too. He knew I was busy this morning with Oscar but he couldn’t explain that to the others, being one of the few people who know he exists.
The nurse thing made my heart hammer in my chest. Then I noticed the grocery bags. And the fact Jesse arrived in her car and not his. And who the hell walks into a stranger’s house like that?
And also, fuck, she is beautiful. Like, stop you in your tracks gorgeous, with hair the color of corn in a meadow, stunning gray eyes and the kind of body you want to feel yourself pressed up against, preferably naked, with your cock buried inside her.
Shit, now I’m about to sport a fucking erection when I’m mad as hell.
“What happened at the appointment?” I ask, changing the subject. I’ve got to get to the clubhouse, but I need to know he’s okay. We can argue about bringing strangers here later.
He is right, she has no clue who I am, or any reason to spread the word that there is a kid here, at least to anyone who matters.
“Everything is fine. All my levels are good, nothing untoward going on.”
“What about…” How do I ask this question?
“You’ll be pleased to hear Taylor says its unlikely anything medical is causing it. She even queried if I’m attracted to my partner.”
“You fucking with me? She asked you that?” I wave my arm at the front door.
“It was a logical question,” he looks away, his cheeks flushing
Damn, this is hard for him to talk about. And I’m being a self-righteous prick, worrying about me instead of him. Jesse is always there for me, I have to step up now, even if I am in a hurry and the club comes first. Being supportive is what I should be doing.
“I thought you’d be happy, you hate James.”
“I never said that.”
He scoffs and deposits more groceries on the counter. We really need to talk about what is going on. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if he is avoiding something by spending all his time here, with Oscar.
“You don’t have to open your mouth, Noah. You have subtitles written all over your face.”
Can’t even argue with that. With everything except the club, I make my feelings known.
Jesse continues putting away groceries as I grab a T-shirt from the clean laundry pile and pull it on.
It makes me remember how Taylor kept staring at me.
She might have thought she was being sneaky, but she kept looking at my chest, and lower. Bet she hates herself for that.
Shrugging on my cut, I glance at Oscar to make sure he is okay. I fucking hate leaving him again but there is no other way I can deal with this situation.
“We can talk about this later. Or never,” Jesse rounds the counter and looks at Oscar. “Have you given him lunch?”
“Yeah, he probably didn’t need the snack, but you know he’s a gingerbread junkie,” I smile for the first time since he came home.
“The tow company is going to the clinic for my car so I might need a ride there to get the car back.”
“I’ll send someone for it,” I say, heading over to say goodbye to my son, kissing the top of his head. He gives me a toothy grin and shoves a soggy gingerbread into his mouth.
We say nothing more, but Jesse gives me a knowing look. He won’t be expecting an apology. I should give one anyway, I was out of line but I’m still stewing on the implications of that nurse seeing Oscar. And me if I’m honest. Why it’s bothering me so much is a string I don’t want to tug on.
So why on the ride over to Locust Point, do I keep thinking about her, wondering what it would be like to peel that nurse’s uniform off of her?
All thoughts of the sexy nurse leave my head when I get to the clubhouse. Rebel is waiting and we go straight upstairs to the room where we hold Church. There aren’t many rooms in the building, most of it is open plan.
The only thing up here is the large room that holds all of my officers when we need to meet. There are two bedrooms that are used mostly for the brothers who stay here so the clubhouse isn’t empty. Or when someone wants to go fuck a club girl.
No one has been up here the past few nights. After Phoenix, my half brother, caught his mom in here with one of the members and a bag of fucking cocaine, I’d barred anyone from using them for anything other than guard duty. It won’t last long but I was pissed as hell.
We might move drugs and other illegal contraband, but I don’t want it touching this place. It’s ironic that I help people shift drugs all over the state, but won’t let my men use it here.
If I had my way, no one would do it on their own time either, but I’m no one’s keeper. Unless they fuck up because of it. Like Grim did, even worse, taking Phoenix’s mom upstairs to fuck while doing it.
This has been my life from the moment I signed on as a prospect, following in my dad’s footsteps. If all I can do is keep it out of the local community, I’m going to make damn sure no one in my club is using it.
That whole incident fucked up my relationship with Phoenix. He's asked me more than once to keep his mom away but I've dropped the ball because of all the other shit I've been dealing with. Phoenix is yet to answer any calls I’ve made to him for days.
Rebel closes the door behind us and goes to the table, dropping his lanky frame into the chair that the VP has always occupied.
He’s a good man, methodical thinking, cool in a crisis and someone I know I can rely on, no matter what.
We were friends before we became officers together.
That doesn’t mean we slack in our roles.
He taps his finger against the table as I take my seat. This has been a long time coming. It’s going to be impossible to blow him off again.
“I’ve kept everyone in line, but questions are being asked,” he says.
“What have you told them?”
He shrugs. “Can’t answer what I don’t know.”
He’s right. I’ve kept this close to my chest for years. Rebel knows I am protective of Phoenix and will do anything to make sure the shit here doesn’t touch my half-brother. What I’ve kept from Phoenix over the years doesn’t even touch the surface of what he thinks is going on.
My mother namely. She’s a fucking psycho when it comes to Phoenix. We share a father, different moms. Mine was his Old Lady, Kate was a club whore. It goes on, the majority of the guys here make use of the women that hang around.
Dad was notorious for it. Mom let it slide, until he knocked one of them up. The stupid bastard accidentally shot himself eleven years ago when he was drunk and cleaning a gun. He left a hell of a fucking mess behind when he did. And I’ve been cleaning up mom’s messes ever since.
The worst time was when she put Kate in the hospital after beating the shit out of her and stabbing her in the leg. Phoenix blames me for his mom still coming around the club. After the whole drug fiasco, I can’t blame him for avoiding me.
Kate is upstate at a rehab place now. I’ve offered to pay, but he’s shut me out.
“Last night was a fuck up and rightfully so, people are asking why Dutton is nothing but broken teeth and old shoes.”
My lip curls in distaste at that visual. Pigs will eat anything. Except teeth apparently.
Might as well be blunt. “He murdered Ghost’s sister fifteen years ago.”
Rebel stares at me in silence for a few seconds, then he swears under his breath.
“If we didn’t do it, he was going to.”
“As was his right, don’t you think?” Rebel asks. He’s pissed. On both counts, finding out what Dutton did, and that we had to take him out when he could have potentially been useful.
Rebel’s sister works at the bar next door. Raven grew up in the club like Rebel. Like with other women, she’s not a member, but she is such a fixture around here that no one bothers when she gets into shit.
She is feisty as fuck and has had a few run-ins with the brothers but it’s more entertaining than annoying. Rebel keeps her in line if she goes too far, so I don’t worry. He's a protective bastard when it comes to Raven, hearing about Ghost’s sister makes him rethink the annoyance.
He’d tear apart anyone who hurt his sister with his bare hands.
“Ghost isn’t going to be an issue anymore. I've released him from the club.”
His brow lifts. “You need him.”
“He never was a true member.”
“Which is also something you’ve never fully explained.”
“Is there any point?”
He leans back. “Are you kicking him lose so you don’t have to explain what he did for you over the years?”
A smile curls my lips. Rebel shakes his head.
“What about the other idiot you were following that led us to Dutton?” he asks.
“He was a go between, he doesn’t know what the fuck is going on. Nashville scared the piss out of him last night. He’s being encouraged to move out of the apartment block.”
“After you left, I managed to get something out of him.” He ignores my glare and I let it go. “I’ve put feelers out about the name he gave us.”
“And?”
“Nothing, yet.” He rubs a hand across his jaw. "Blaze is working on it."
“We can figure it out.”
After a long hard look, he gets up. “Stryker needs a word. Shall I send him up?”
“Gimme ten minutes, I’ve got some calls to make.”
Rebel nods and leaves.