11. Bones
BONES
“She’s not going to call the cops,” I assure Skull as I follow him to the club car he’s arrived in. I see the car seat in the back and smile. I miss Natalia and can’t wait to see her.
Skull rests his hands on the back of his head. “I just… For the first time in our lives, I don’t know where your head is at, and it’s driving me insane. I’m worried about you, brother. And I don’t know what to do. I didn’t think that loving Isla would mean that I lose you.”
Fuck. In this moment, I’m not so lost in my head, not so numb that I can’t feel the pain in his words. My brother is hurting, and I’ve been fucking selfish.
“You aren’t going to lose me, ever, okay? I felt lost. I didn’t know how to handle not being your… person. I know it sounds fucked,” I mutter, my jaw tightening.
“You are still my person. We shared a fucking womb, Bones. You’ll forever be my person, but I have room for Isla and Natalia too. But it doesn’t change us and who we are.”
“I know. Or at least I’m beginning to.”
He steps forward and rests his forehead on mine. “Love you, brother. Now go back to your woman. Seems like she’s helping you, since this is the first time you’ve actually spoken about this.”
“I didn’t know what to say,” I admit, pulling away and watching him get in the car.
“Still pissed that you came here instead of coming to spend time with us,” he calls out through the open window.
“Next time.”
When Doc said that Skull has been trying to include me in everything, she wasn’t wrong.
He even shared his old lady with me.
But I guess the hard pill to swallow is that it was usually him and me trying to include other people.
He’s happy, though, and that’s all that matters.
And I haven’t lost him.
He’s still here, driving two hours in the middle of nowhere to make sure that I’m okay.
And for the first time in months, I feel like I might be.
We didn’t have sex last night, but she tried to convince me to change my mind.
It was hard. Fuck, it was hard, but I went down on her a few times and left it at that. I want to drag this out with her, and I want her to want more when we get back home. I know it’s a gamble, but I said I wanted to take my time, and I meant it. She’s more than just a casual fuck to me.
We left the cabin after I made her breakfast and are now driving back the two hours to Rest Falls.
“The Great Divide” by Noah Kahan plays, the lyrics loud between us. What will she do with my soul if I give it to her?
“This is the music you like?” I ask her, and she nods.
“Yeah, he’s amazing. What do you listen to?”
“Mostly rap, but I like a bit of everything.”
“Me too. So what now? Are you dropping me off at my house?” she asks casually, glancing out the window.
“Yeah, if that’s where you want to go.”
“I called in sick for work today. I have to go to the shelter this afternoon, and then back to reality for tomorrow.”
I could be wrong, but she sounds a little sad at the prospect.
Maybe I’m just hopeful.
“How did you get involved with the shelter?”
“About a year ago, I saw a social media post asking for volunteers, so I went in and offered to help. Most of the time, I go in and help walk the dogs. There are so many of them looking for homes, you know? Sometimes I take them out to the beach for the day,” she explains, shrugging like it’s nothing.
“I know it’s not much, but they get really excited to get out of the kennels.
When Sadie needs a short-term foster carer, I take them home until they find their forever homes. ”
She has a heart of gold.
“And now when you go there, Pyro is there,” I grumble under my breath, and she laughs.
“Sometimes he is. He’s a really good trainer,” she says, studying my profile. “You two aren’t close then?”
“I don’t know him that well, but he’s still my brother.” And that means something to me. However, that might go right out the door if he doesn’t back off from my woman. “He moved here recently from another chapter of ours.”
“I had no idea you were a biker when I first met you,” she says, her eyes going to my cut. “Why did you try to hide that from me?”
“I didn’t want you to be even more scared,” I admit. “And I wanted you to get to know me for me, not just because I’m a biker.”
“Women do that?”
“Yeah, some do. They only want the patch and don’t care who’s wearing it. Skull and I are the enforcers for the club, so they seem to like that.”
“Really? Why? It’s not like you’re the president,” she teases, laughing at her own joke.
“You wound me, Doc.” I grin, shaking my head at her.
“Although you have a hot twin, so I guess there’s that.”
I decide to quickly change the subject because I’m not touching that one. “Ah, come on now. I have a few other redeeming qualities, don’t you think?”
“I suppose you’re okay with your tongue.” She smirks, making me laugh.
“Okay? That’s not what you were screaming last night. I heard something along the lines of, ‘Oh God. Yes, more!’”
She gasps and covers her face with her hands. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Now, now, don’t lie, Doc. Doesn’t that go against your ethical code?”
She laughs, amusement dancing in her hazel eyes. “Well, I’m not exactly on the clock right now, am I?”
Reaching over, I rest my palm on her thigh, my thumb stroking on her skin. “How about tomorrow night after work, I’ll take you out for dinner?”
“Like on a date?” she asks, arching her brow. “I’d be kind of crazy to accept that after how you got me to your cabin in the middle of the forest, wouldn’t I?”
“I’m hoping you can look past that,” I reply, flashing her my most charming smile.
“How about we do Friday night?” she suggests, placing her hand on top of mine. “I need a little time to think about everything that’s happened in the last two nights. It’s kind of a lot, Nate.”
Time.
I don’t fucking like it, but if she needs that, I can try to give it to her. Or at least the illusion of it. I feel better knowing I can keep an eye on her via the cameras. Ghost was really onto something with those.
“I know,” I rasp, swallowing hard. “Friday night it is. I’ll pick you up on my bike. Have you ever ridden before?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I’ve always wanted to.”
“You’re going to love it,” I promise, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze. She shifts on the seat, and I smile, knowing that I’m turning her on.
When we get to her house, I get out of the car, open her door, and then walk with her up the pathway to her house.
Sliding her phone out of my jeans pocket, I hand it to her. “My number is in there. Call me if you want anything, okay, Doc?”
“Okay,” she replies, staring at the phone in her hand before going up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to my cheek. “Well, it’s been an interesting weekend. One I’ll probably tell my grandkids about one day, and they won’t believe me.”
As long as it’s not the cops she’s telling. I don’t think she would, but you never know, do you?
When she’s away from me, will she change her mind?
“Bye, Doc.”
“Bye, Nate.”
I wait until she’s safely inside before getting back in my rental car. Yeah, I tried to cover all my bases and didn’t want to use one of the club cars.
And they still found me.
I’ve only taken one step inside the clubhouse when Prez grabs me by my shirt and slams me into the wall. “What the fuck were you thinking, Bones?”
“I wasn’t,” I admit.
He lets go of me and starts to pace. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You go off-grid and with a fucking woman? What if we needed you? You don’t get to fucking disappear whenever you feel like it.”
“I assumed you’d think I was away with Skull,” I admit, and he laughs without humor. “Your brother was worried about you. He was looking for you everywhere. You can be a selfish fuck. Don’t let it happen again.”
“It won’t.”
“And Pyro says there is a woman?”
Ahh, fuck.
“Yeah, she’s mine.”
He looks up at the ceiling as if praying for patience. “You claiming her?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, fuck.” He studies me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Does this mean you’re done pining over the fact your brother has an old lady?”
“I wasn’t fucking—”
“Does this mean you’re sorting your shit out?” he grits out, cutting me off.
“Yeah.”
“Good,” he rumbles, narrowing his eyes. “Good, but don’t pull that shit again, Bones.” He storms off, and I exhale deeply.
Fuck.
I’ve claimed her to my president.
Do I even want an old lady?
I want her.
Now I need to get her on board.