Chapter Eight
Emmett
MILES LED him through the patio doors to the screened-in porch and out onto the back porch.
He ran his gaze over the backyard, taking in the mature trees, the green grass covering endless fields, and the firepit surrounded by well-used chairs.
There was a serenity to this place despite all the outlaw bikers that usually occupied the space.
Walking down the steps, he took a deep breath, eyes closing at that fresh smell of trees and the soft touch of a light breeze against his skin.
He could get used to this. He understood why Miles loved it here.
It was as if his heart had been beating hard and uncontrollably until he stepped through that patio door, and now it was a calm, staccato rhythm that spoke to his whole being.
His life had been chaotic for so long that he’d almost forgotten what calm felt like.
What peace felt like. Despite the stress and angst of having to leave the gym the way they had, he’d felt more alive in the past hour than he had in a long time.
It was on the cusp of terrifying him because he didn’t want to lose that again.
He didn’t want to crawl into the shadow of a person he’d become with Heath.
He liked his life bright and bold, and he fucking hated that he’d let someone dull it.
He cherished the soft crunch of their footsteps in the dewy grass as they walked through the backyard.
Neither of them spoke, and that was one thing he loved about Miles: he’d always been able to tell exactly what he needed.
He’d always been able to see right through him.
It was why he hadn’t wanted Emma to tell Miles about Heath.
It was why he’d mostly kept away from Miles over the past few months.
It was the same reason he’d told them to keep it from Kian as well.
Miles, at least, was not as volatile and likely to cause shit.
He knew it would hurt Miles to have been kept out of the loop, but knowing his bullshit could’ve impacted Miles and Kaz’s second chance made that decision an easy one.
If anyone deserved to find his happily ever after, it was Miles.
He was always the first to show up and the last to leave.
He was fair and loyal and a friend he wouldn’t want to be without.
He ran his gaze across the wooded area, taking in the fencing between the trees.
“Is that a paddock?”
Miles followed his line of sight and nodded. “There’s an old barn here, too.”
With a tilt of his head, Miles led the way to what was indeed an old barn hidden by overgrown bushes and trees. The red paint was chipping off, but it was clear it had been beautiful in its prime. Peeking inside, he saw four stalls and old leather saddles hanging on the wall, covered in cobwebs.
It reminded him of summers spent on horseback with his family.
Those were some of his best memories. His father teaching him and his brother to take care of their horses and to earn their horses’ trust before they learned to ride.
There was something special about that connection.
About sharing your fears and dreams with a being that could see right through you.
Building that trust so even when they’re scared, they’ll follow you.
“Why did Wilder bring you back so soon?”
He turned his head to look at Miles. There was concern in the furrow of his brows, and in those golden eyes was a fear that only came with loving someone.
“He said something was about to go down at the gym, and he needed me out of there. At least I know my brother was long gone. If not, I wouldn’t have let Wilder drag me out of there without him.”
“He dragged you out of the gym?”
“Threw me over his shoulder.”
Miles blinked, his lips quirking.
The rumble of engines had them turning toward the driveway to watch as endless motorcycles drove past, and he felt more than he heard Miles’s sigh of relief.
“Guess it wasn’t anything too serious, then,” he muttered.
“Let’s hope that’s the case,” Miles said, though he didn’t sound convinced.
Miles started back toward the clubhouse, and Emmett followed.
“About Wilder… If you want to fuck him, I’m not gonna tell you not to,” Miles said, causing Emmett to nearly fall over his own feet. He snapped his head up to look at Miles, who didn’t seem to notice. “But you should know that he’s a one-time kinda guy.”
He shook his head. “Wasn’t planning on fucking him.”
He wasn’t. He was already fucked up enough, but the thought of it? Wilder’s big hands sliding over his body, those lips teasing him… Fuck. That was the last thing he needed.
They were nearly at the patio steps when the sound of wheels skidding on gravel had them both snapping their heads toward the driveway. One bike had been pulled to a stop, and the biker was throwing his helmet on the grass as he ran toward them.
“Fuck’s sake,” Emmett muttered and opened his arms with a resigned sigh.
Kian slammed into him with enough force that his legs gave out, and they ended up in the grass, that big body crushing him until Kian rolled off him with a deep laugh.
“I hate when you do that,” he grumbled and pushed onto his hands.
Kian was already back on his feet, hand held toward Emmett.
“You love it.”
He knew his glare would have zero effect on Kian, and yet he still threw it his way. All he received in return was an amused smile as Kian hoisted him onto his feet.
“Rather assumptious of you,” he teased, lips quirking up at the corners.
Kian shrugged, those big shoulders lifting his cut and T-shirt. He took a moment to look him over, checking not only that he was indeed in one piece, but also just to take in the man he considered more a brother than a friend.
The smile on his lips reached his eyes, emerald green twinkling back at him. He was wearing a dark T-shirt that showed off the tattoos on his arms, including the one that was still a bit red around the black lines.
There wasn’t a tattoo on Kian’s body he hadn’t designed.
Despite the seven years between them, they had always gravitated toward each other.
Kian was like that annoying big brother with the philosophy of ‘I can hurt them, but no one else can,’ and despite the bruises, he’d always loved that Kian didn’t treat him like he was breakable.
He got enough of that from everyone else.
“Kian,” someone yelled from the top of the back porch.
“Shit,” Kian muttered, giving Emmett and Miles a crooked grin. “Church. Gotta go.”
Kian jogged back to his bike and got on, driving to the front of the house, and when his big form disappeared around the corner, Emmett turned to Miles, noting that the worry was back on his face.
“Kaz is alright.”
Miles blinked, lashes fluttering as he sucked in a sharp breath. He cleared his throat and met Emmett’s gaze, a smile finding his lips. “I know. Saw him riding in.”
They walked up the stairs and into the clubhouse, Miles’s gaze locked on one of the doors to the left of the living room as they passed it. He could hear the hum of voices and figured that’s where everyone had gone because the place was otherwise empty.
Miles led him upstairs and gave him a more in-depth tour than last time.
From the hallway, there were doors on the left side leading to a right turn, where he knew Emma’s room was, because they’d stayed there last time.
It had been a strange experience. Usually, if they had to share beds, he shared with Miles while Emma and Travis shared a bed.
Miles went to bed earliest, and when the three of them stumbled into Emma’s room, Emma had gone straight to Miles’s bed.
He still wasn’t sure what had happened between Emma and Travis then, but he was glad they seemed to have figured it out.
Miles pointed at the first door to their left and said, “That’s Talon and Spencer’s room. Next is the bathroom. We just finished renovating it.”
Emmett nodded as he followed Miles down the hall.
“That’s Ezra’s room, and yours for your stay. Mostly because no one else wants to room with Ez,” Miles said with a small teasing smile.
Emmett shrugged. He didn’t mind rooming with Ezra.
While he was up at ungodly hours working on his computer, it didn’t bother him one bit.
Despite Ezra’s prickly personality, he was a good man with a kind heart, even if he tried not to let anyone see it.
Ezra had always treated him like a whole person.
While Ezra claimed he’d only learnt sign language so he could piss Travis off in his own language, he knew there was so much more to Ezra and his reasonings than he claimed.
“The twins and Coop are in the room at the end,” Miles said, pointing straight ahead at the door there.
“I can’t decide if it’s genius or madness putting those three together,” Emmett mused, arching a brow at Miles, who shook his head. “You might want to put a hazard sign on that door.”
“Oh, trust me, I’ve considered it. They’re better at keeping their room clean than I expected, though that’s probably because my sister and Remy are next door.”
Miles stopped where the hallway turned and pointed at the different doors, starting with the one across from Emma’s. “Killian’s there and Kaz and I are next door, Solo and Jane in the room across from ours. Wilder’s got the room downstairs, and the rest live on their own.”
The mention of Wilder had his heart racing. He needed to get a grip. He wasn’t here to get laid, and although it had been a while, he knew getting with Wilder would be a mistake. Not that he was even sure if Wilder was flirting for real or if that was just how he always was.
“If you need anything and no one’s around, then Ez is generally in the garage. There’s an office above it. Just don’t comment on his decorating. He gets a little peeved when people question his taste.”
Emmett huffed. “I remember.”
He followed Miles back down the hallway.
Miles opened the door to Ezra’s room, showing Emmett inside.
It was bigger than he’d expected, practically split in two by the furniture.
It reminded him of a much better and bigger version of his college dorm room.
The mini fridge under the desk definitely gave dorm vibes. It was so Ezra.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Miles said, his smile turning almost devious. “I’mma go see if I can get some answers out of Kaz.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Don’t need it,” Miles said with a wink before disappearing out the door.
Emmett shook his head, smiling to himself. He was so damned happy for Miles. He deserved all the love in the world.
He walked to the bed on the left side, sitting down with a loud sigh. Nothing about today had gone the way he expected. Getting rushed out of the gym and riding behind Wilder were experiences he hadn’t foreseen acquiring.
He wasn’t quite sure what to think about Wilder and his flirting.
He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had flirted with him.
In retrospect, perhaps he shouldn’t have liked it as much as he had.
Perhaps he should’ve told Wilder to knock it off, but…
he’d liked it. Despite himself, he’d liked Wilder’s attention.
There was no way he could afford to let it go beyond harmless flirting, though.
Even if he’d felt more alive in the past hour than he had in almost a year.