Chapter Two
Grizz
I drop onto the couch, closing my eyes and letting my head rest back.
“Rough day?” Kelsey asks.
“Something like that.”
The couch dips on the side of me, and I can smell her floral perfume.
It’s sweet and subtle, not that overbearing stuff a lot of women use.
Kelsey is nice. She doesn’t overdo anything.
She’s the right amount of everything. No wonder my brother is so in love with her.
She’s great. Best sister-in-law I could ask for.
“You want to talk about it?” she asks.
I open my eyes and turn my head to look at her. “Where’s Tommy?”
“Muttered something about a new lawn mower and took off.”
“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter, scrubbing a hand down my face.
“Should you have driven home?”
I blink a few times, recalling how many drinks I had. I can’t remember.
“Probably not.”
“You know you can call.”
“I know,” I say. “I know, I just…”
“Don’t want to be a burden. I know that, but we’ve already told you, Grizz. We’re family, and there is no burden, not with family.”
If only that were true.
I chew on the inside of my cheek, once again trying to remember how much I drank.
I don’t feel drunk, but I definitely feel the alcohol.
Still, I can’t remember how many drinks I had.
It happens sometimes. It’s a way to pass time.
Like when I’m bored. It’s not like I do this every day. Just the days I feel like shit.
Which, okay, is almost every day.
Whatever. It’ll be better now that Tommy and Kelsey are here.
“I fucked up one of the guy’s hands.”
“Fucked up how?” Kelsey asks carefully.
Fuck, she would have made such a good mom, and I am so mad at the universe for not giving that to her. She deserves all the good things in the world.
“Stumbled into him. May be broken, I don’t know.”
There is no judgment in her stare, just understanding.
“I bet you’d feel better if you apologized.”
I bark out a laugh. “You don’t know Snapper. If anything will piss him off more than what I did, it’s going back to apologize.”
“Then maybe it doesn’t have to be about him.”
I sigh. She’s right. I will feel better if I apologize. I get to my feet, then lean down to give her a big bear hug. “Thanks, Kels.”
“Anytime, little bro.”
I chuckle and roll my eyes. “It’s not the same.”
She pouts. “I tried.”
Kelsey looks amazing for her age. I swear you wouldn’t think she’s a day over thirty. Her hair is dark, straight, and she has a beautiful round face and kind blue eyes.
“Thanks,” I say before leaving the house.
Snapper may kill me for going to see him, especially at his house, but at least I can say I tried.
Snapper pulls the door open, holding a knife and looking like he’s ready to stab me.
Fuck, I knew this was a bad idea.
“Whoa, I just came to apologize,” I say, holding up my hands.
Snapper growls, gesturing inside the house.
“Get in the house.” I hurry inside, and when I turn to face him, he has the knife pointed at me. “Take your shoes off.”
I quickly do as he says, and thankfully, he puts the knife away. This guy is grumpy as fuck, and he can be a little crazy. I wouldn’t put it past him to stab me.
How awful would Kelsey feel if she found out I got stabbed over this? I don’t want her feeling guilty, so it’s a good thing Snapper put it away.
“Damn, it smells good in here,” I comment as I follow after him into the living room. He stops by the stairs and calls up to say that it’s okay to come out.
Okay, weird… but not the weirdest shit Snapper has done. As far as I know, he lives alone, so I don’t know who the hell he’s talking to or why they’re hiding upstairs. Still, I wait, trying to hide the skepticism from my face.
A moment later, an older man who looks familiar and a younger girl come down the stairs. Well, thank fuck someone is here, and he doesn’t have imaginary friends. That would be one awkward conversation to have with his brother, Shark, who is the VP of the club.
Snapper doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to have friends over, or friends at all, if I’m being honest. He doesn’t have any family, so it can’t be that.
I grew up with him and Shark, so I know their family history well enough, and this is definitely an odd bunch.
So who the hell are these people?
This man… I think I remember him from when we were younger, but I can’t place who he is. He’s dressed well, and because of it, doesn’t look like he’s from this town. Around here, nice is clean jeans and a T-shirt with no holes. Maybe he’s a long-lost cousin from some big city.
But this girl… My attention goes to her, and the earth stops on its axis.
Her hair is the color of milk chocolate, wavy and flowing down her back.
Something in my chest snaps when she looks at me with big, round eyes that are the same shade of brown as her hair.
I notice everything about her all at once, and I don’t know where to look first. Her full lips, the slight curve of a smile, thick eyelashes, flawless skin with a slight pink blush, and a big round belly.
Holy fuck, I think I’m in love.
“Who is this?” I ask, my voice raspy because my throat is suddenly dry.
“That knife you just saw?” I flick my gaze to Snapper, frowning as I recall the way my balls jumped into my stomach when I thought he was going to stab me for real. Why does he always have to threaten me? He could be nice, and I’d still be loyal. “It’ll be up your ass if you say a word about it.”
Since when does he care about people? Since when is he willing to shove a knife up someone’s ass for someone else? He can’t stand anyone. So this…
My gaze goes back to the girl, flicking down to her belly.
Oh—now I remember.
Now it makes sense.
She’s the girl from the Iron Runner’s bar. I vaguely remember a conversation in the aftermath. Something about Snapper wanting to help her and Prez telling him to leave her.
Well, it seems he didn’t leave her.
And for once, I’m glad he didn’t fucking listen to our Prez. Not that I condone that sort of behavior, but fuck. This girl is pure sunlight.
“Fuck,” I say softly. “I won’t say anything, man. Swear it.”
The three of them stare at me like I’m a science project.
I feel all of their eyes and it’s like bugs crawling across my skin.
I scratch my arm and glance at the older guy, trying to jog my memory.
But I can hardly focus because all I want is to have my attention on this beautiful woman in front of me.
So I turn back to her. She makes my chest warm and fuzzy in a good way.
“Grizz,” I say, holding out my hand.
“Anastacia,” she says, voice like an angel’s. Her hand is in mine, and it’s unreal. It’s so small, so soft, so perfect. I don’t even know why it’s here, in my hand. I’m just grateful I’m touching her. I should thank her for allowing me such a gift. This is fucking magical.
“For fuck’s sake,” Snapper growls. “What the hell do you want, Grizz?”
“Are you hungry?” she asks me shyly.
My heart does a whole flip in my chest.
“Starving,” I say, just as Snapper barks out a, “No!”
Anastacia giggles, and leads me into the dining room, where dishes full of food are spread out on the table, along with a bottle of wine and dirty dishes. They must have eaten already.
“This is not going to be a repeating event!” Snapper shouts behind me, but I ignore him. I have more important things to focus on.
“Let me get you a plate,” Anastacia says. “Take a seat. I’ll be right back.”
I drop into the chair and watch as she walks through the archway and into the kitchen. I barely hear Snapper and that guy talking in the other room because I’m laser-focused on Anastacia and what she’s doing.
When she comes back into the room, I swear my veins light up, warming my body from the inside like a glow stick. If she says I turned neon pink, I wouldn’t be surprised.
My eyes stay glued to her. Fuck, she is beautiful.
“How hungry are you?” she asks once she reaches the table.
“Starving.”
She laughs. “You said that.”
“So starving,” I repeat like an idiot.
Her head shakes as she piles food onto the plate, emptying the dishes that are on the table. Snapper may get pissed, but oh well. I’ll buy him a whole new chicken to replace what I’m going to eat. Hell, I’ll get him a damn chicken farm, just so I can sit here and eat with this angel.
She puts the plate in front of me, then takes the seat across from me.
“Are you going to eat?” she asks with a bright smile.
“Yes,” I say, but I don’t move.
She laughs again, her cheeks turning more pink by the second. “When?”
“When what?”
“When are you going to eat?”
“Oh, right.” I blink a few times, then grab my knife and fork, and start to eat. Her gaze is on me the entire time, and I learn that I like it as much as looking at her.
Okay, slightly less.
A lot less. Looking at her is way better than her looking at me.
I’m nothing special.
But her…
She’s an angel. That’s it. I’ve got nothing else. Nothing crazy or creative. Just an angel. Plain and simple. But that’s good enough for me. Not everyone gets something as special as an angel.
“So, is Grizz your club name?” she asks, resting her chin on her fist, her elbow propped on the table.
I cut into the juicy chicken, stab it, then scoop up some spaghetti.
“Yeah, but it’s been my nickname since I was born.”
“Oh?”
“My name’s Griswold, and that’s embarrassing as hell. Grizz sounds cool.”
“It’s not embarrassing,” she says seriously.
I narrow my eyes and say, “Liar,” before shoving the food into my mouth.
“Okay, maybe…” she says carefully, holding back a laugh.
“It’s okay. You can admit it. I won’t be mad. I know it’s a dumb name.”
“I wouldn’t say dumb…”
“No?”
“No. It’s… interesting. And—”
“Dumb.”
“Earthy.”
I pause, mouth open, food halfway in. I put my fork down. “Like an earthworm?”
She throws her head back and laughs, and I can’t help but smile.
My insides get all warm again, and fuck, I am so in love with this girl. I’m obsessed. Already. Just like that. So fucking simple.
“Like nature,” she finally says. “Rustic.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“Then I believe you.” I wink. “But I’m still going with it because Grizzly bears are cool.”
She bites her lip, her eyes bright as she smiles.
I melt like the cheese on this chicken.