Chapter Nine
Wilder
THE SECOND he heard the sound of motorcycles coming up the driveway, he was out the door, shoulders tense as he watched everyone pull up. He ran his gaze over every single person, noting who was there and whether anyone seemed hurt.
His insides were wreaking havoc on him. He was used to always being in the middle of things, not tucked away in safety while everyone else faced whatever danger they were in.
He watched as motorcycles parked in a neat row across from the house, bikers pulling their helmets off and dismounting.
He crossed his arms as most headed past him into the clubhouse, his eyes on Kaz, who shared a few words with Killian before Killian took off toward the garage, most likely to grab Ezra for Church.
It was a bit of a dilemma to have him present at their meetings because while he was the club’s treasurer, he wasn’t a full-patch member.
In fact, he was pretty sure the only reason Ezra wore his prospect cut was that he thought he looked good in leather.
One more bike pulled up, the last engine cutting off. The all-gray motorcycle was a beauty that most envied Emma for.
A frown formed between his brows as he did another count of the bikes, noting exactly who was and wasn’t present. Of the three people missing, he was only worried about one. The enforcers were always last to show before Church.
Wilder walked toward Emma and Kaz, noting the bag slung over Emma’s shoulder.
“Hey. Where’s Kian?”
The man was a trouble magnet. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was the only one who’d managed to get hurt.
“Tackling Emmett in the backyard,” Emma said, her amused smile the only reason he managed to keep his reaction under wraps.
“Why is he tackling Emmett?”
He knew he hadn’t succeeded in keeping the bite out of his voice when Emma frowned at him. She looked ready to question him, but Kaz cut her off before she could.
“They’re quite close, I think,” Kaz said, lips pursing in thought. “Miles told me Em is the same age as Kian’s younger brother.”
“He’s got a brother?”
He’d never heard Kian mention a younger brother, and Kian usually did a whole lot of talking.
“Had,” Kaz corrected him.
“Oh.”
Shit. No wonder Kian didn’t talk about him.
He could feel the heat of Emma’s glare even though it was aimed at Kaz. Not information he was supposed to share then. He glanced at Emma, catching her gaze before he mimicked zipping his lips. She rolled her eyes, but the tension seemed to seep right out of her.
They all walked into the clubhouse, heading toward the meeting room. He stepped through the door and walked to the giant table in the middle of the room, pulling out his usual chair and sitting down.
Solo and Nicky stepped through the door less than a minute later with matching unreadable expressions.
Solo’s gaze landed on Wilder, and he turned away, his teeth clenching and his shoulders rising.
He was much too aware of Solo pulling out the chair across from him and sitting down with a soft sigh.
Kian was the last to enter, right behind Kaz and Killian, closing the door to start Church. He eyed Kian with renewed interest. For some reason, he wasn’t a fan of Kian tackling Emmett. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, just that it made him want to throttle the other man.
He shook his head, hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to push those feelings down where they belonged.
“So, what happened?” he asked Kaz as he sat down next to him with a low groan.
Gray eyes met his gaze. “They just drove by. Slowly.”
“They made a real show of it,” Killian added, fingers tapping the tabletop in agitation. “They wanted us to know they’re here.”
Wilder crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, teeth grinding. He didn’t like that one fucking bit. They were already well aware of the gang’s presence, and the fact that they hadn’t retaliated for the loss of a whole lot of their men had everyone in the room on edge.
“We need to be vigilant,” Nicky said, her voice low, though it might as well have been a knife with how it cut straight through the chatter. “No galivanting off alone.”
Her sharp gaze found him, and he had to take a deep breath and clench his hands into fists under the table to keep from flipping her off. He wasn’t sure he liked that she knew. Had she followed him? Had Kaz told her to keep an eye on him? He was usually the one keeping an eye on everyone else.
Had he skipped out on most barbecues as of late?
Yes. Not because he didn’t want to spend time with everyone.
He just… he’d needed that time alone. To think.
To at least try to come to terms with his feelings.
There was too much pain still for him to do much else other than stare out at his lake, the silence like a soothing balm.
“I want eyes on Emmett at all times,” Emma said.
“We should have someone at the gym in general. Especially while we still have people working there,” Solo said.
He clenched his jaw tight at the sound of Solo’s voice, trying to keep from snapping at him, until his and Emma’s words registered.
He sat up straight, his heart beating just a little faster at the prospect of spending more time annoying Emmett.
He wanted to see that blush again. Well, that, and he planned on making Emmett teach him sign language.
He didn’t like not being able to do things.
Being called ignorant by Emmett had hit him right in his pride.
He was going to rectify it, and Solo had just given him the perfect opportunity.
He spotted Kian straightening and Nicky opening her mouth, both likely to claim the job, so he did it before they could.
“I’ll do it. I’ll watch Emmett.”
A pair of gray eyes watched him with slight confusion while Solo’s brown ones held caution.
“You sure you don’t have better things to do?” Jane drawled, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms, one brow raised at him. “Like being a little bitch?”
He heard a few curses from the others, and Solo shook his head at Jane, who rolled her eyes, but he ignored them both and met Kaz’s gaze with a raised brow.
“Well?”
Kaz stared at him for a moment, then he cleared his throat and said, “Sure. Sounds good.”
He nodded, leaning back in his chair. He barely listened as Kaz gave orders, already knowing exactly where he’d be the next few weeks: right next to Emmett.
He looked across the table, his gaze meeting Nicky’s, and he wasn’t a fan of how closely he found her watching him with those keen eyes of hers.
He knew most of these people had grown up with Emmett and were rightfully protective of him.
He should’ve let one of them take the job, but some selfish part of him wouldn’t let him.
A rap on the door silenced everyone, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Miles popped his head inside, dark blond hair flopping over his forehead.
“Everyone alright?” Miles asked, worry clear in his voice and in those golden brown eyes of his as he ran his gaze over everyone seated at the table.
“We’re fine, Sweetheart,” Kaz said and crooked his finger at Miles.
A smile spread on Miles’s lips as he crossed the room, and Kaz pushed his chair back just enough that Miles could sit in his lap.
Kaz cupped Miles’s face with one hand, and the second they started kissing, the sound of chairs scraping across the floor filled the room. Meeting adjourned, then.
He pushed his chair back and stood, walking around the table, and just before reaching the door, he glanced over his shoulder.
Kaz had lifted Miles onto the table in front of him and was stepping between his legs, their mouths fused together.
He shook his head, a smile on his lips as he stepped through the door into the living room.
His smile slipped the second his gaze landed on Solo with his hand on Jane’s back, directing her toward the staircase.
Solo glanced over his shoulder as if he felt Wilder’s gaze on them, a twitch to his lips when their eyes met.
Wilder flinched, anger and something decidedly bitter filling his stomach.
Emma walked past him, Emmett’s bag over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs behind Solo and Jane.
He wanted to follow her. He wanted… He shook his head, and when that didn’t clear the strange haze he found himself in, he walked into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge.
Drowning his feelings hadn’t worked before, but he was willing to give it another shot.
Who knew? Maybe it would work this time? He doubted he’d be that lucky.