Chapter 28 #2
After we eat, I wander around both outside and inside the clubhouse with Sarge, meeting people as we go. There is no way I’m going to remember all the names that go with all the new faces, but thankfully, most of them have their road names stitched right onto their vests.
I like what they have here. This close-knit, built-in feeling of family. I’ve always quietly searched for it but never really found it—other than with Ellie, of course. Even Martin is hit or miss when it comes to the dependability and loyalty that should come with “family.”
But this group, these people, you can feel it in the way they are together. They’d take a bullet for one another if it came down to it, and there’s something beautiful about that... in a morbid kind of way.
Making our way around the crowded room, I spot Ellie again.
She breaks free from Gizmo for a minute and makes her way over to Sarge and me, “Hey, do you need to use the bathroom? I could use company.”
Uh-oh, I know that’s girl code for I need to talk to you away from everyone else.
“Oh my gosh, yes. That coffee went right through me.” Turning to Sarge, I dismiss myself and follow after Ellie.
We get to the bathroom, and I am relieved to see that it’s a standalone room, one-person-at-a-time kind of deal. Offering us some privacy.
Once the door is shut, Ellie paces the small tile floor before turning to face me, arms folded and one hip popped.
“Okay,” she says, her voice barely a whisper. “So, I know this is crazy...”
A small smile tugs at my lips; the direction of this conversation is already clear. “Go on.”
She throws her hands down to her sides and lets out an exasperated breath.
“You’re going to think I’m absolutely insane.
” Shaking her head, she covers her face with her hands.
“It’s just... Giz makes me feel different, Hannah.
Like I’ve never felt before. I don’t know what spell he’s cast over me, but it’s strong. And I don’t want it to stop.”
Slowly, her hands drop from her face, her eyes searching mine. “I’m crazy, aren’t I?”
Had she said this a few weeks ago, the answer would have been a definite yes. I would have told her she was likely ovulating and to check back during her luteal phase to see if the “magic” had worn off.
“Oh girl, if you’re crazy, then I’m crazy too. What is it with these biker men?”
Ellie’s entire body relaxes, the tension melting from her shoulders.
“I’m so glad you have Sarge. Not only so you don’t think I’m insane, but because of how happy you look.
It’s been too long since you’ve had that light in your eyes.
Real happiness.” A soft smile plays on her lips as she reaches out. “It looks good on you, babe.”
“Aw shucks, you do love me,” I say in a mocking tone, though the warmth in my chest is real. Ellie is my family; knowing she’s in my corner is everything, and I would do anything for her.
“Of course I do. You think I’d put up with you if I didn’t?” She pulls me into a quick hug.
Releasing me, she lets out a long sigh. “So, is it safe to say we’re both just one leather jacket away from getting their names tattooed on our foreheads? Or is that just me?”
“I’ll be in the chair right next to you. Any time I’m around Sarge, it’s like my prefrontal cortex has left the building, and pure dopamine has taken over.”
“Ugh, fuck. Yes. Same.”
Joking aside, the look in her eyes confirms it—she’s just as far gone for Giz as I am for Sarge.
“Best of luck to you, my beautiful best friend.”
“May the odds be ever in our favor,” she jokes back, quoting one of my favorite books.
With that, she pulls the door open, and we step back out into the crowd.
Sarge is easy to find, standing near the hallway as if he’d been counting the seconds until my return.
“Hey, do you have a minute?” I ask, reaching him.
“Always for you, Butterfly. What’s going on? Is Ellie okay?” He steps in close, his physical presence acting as a shield against the room’s noise. Breathing him in, I almost forget what I was going to say.
“Oh, she’s fine,” I answer with a small laugh. “Gizmo... how well do you know him?”
“You worried about Ellie?”
Pursing my lips, I nod. “I am. I haven’t seen her this head over heels for anyone. Ever. I just want her with someone who deserves her, you know?”
Large hands find my waist, pulling me flush against him.
“I do. I really do. All of my men are solid. They know how to respect women and protect what means most to them. As for Gizmo? He hasn’t been here as long as some of the others, but he’s proving to be a great addition to the Saints.
From what I’ve learned about him over the last year, I’d say he’s going to be great for her.
If he’s not, he’ll have me to answer to. ”
A soft kiss lands on my forehead, and I nearly lose my train of thought at the small, sweet gesture.
“Well,” I say, clearing my throat to find my voice again. “I may look small, but I’m scrappy. He’ll have to answer to me, too, if he hurts one single hair on her head.”
With eyes squinted and brows furrowed, I try my absolute best to look intimidating. It isn’t quite working; Sarge is clearly fighting back a grin.
“Oh, absolutely, Butterfly. I have no doubt you’d make him pay for his wrongdoings, and I hope for his sake it doesn’t come to that.
” He says, his voice thick with amusement.
He lets the silence settle for a beat, his gaze softening as he looks down at me.
“Hey... would you like to see where I live?”
The question hangs in the air, something so simple yet also so intimate. It’s an invitation into his private world—a place away from the noise of the crowd and secluded behind closed doors.
“I’d love to,” I breathe, allowing the tough version of myself to surrender to the butterflies in my stomach.