BOONE
My dad grew up in a normal suburban family. If life had gone differently for him, Blackjack might have ended up an average guy with a dull wife and boring kids. Instead, one day, he stumbled upon a disgusting crime and chose to react with violence. His life would never be normal again.
Blackjack used to claim that he was a bitter man with no heart for anyone until he met my mom. Yarrow was weird and wrong, and he couldn’t get enough.
Blackjack learned to hide his feelings if they might upset Yarrow. Sometimes, she lost her way as the past dragged her back into the darkness. Yarrow would poke at my dad, almost wanting him to break. Blackjack ignored her attempts and kept her centered on the present.
“Your dad is really smart,” Yarrow told me more than once when I was growing up. “The world would be better if everyone were smart like him.”
I channeled Blackjack’s cool exterior as Nova grew flustered in the family room. She looked like a spooked animal. Lyric saw her mom spiraling and began to cry.
“I hurt my hand,” I told Lyric and swooped her into my arms.
The girl was momentarily startled. I sensed she wasn’t used to men besides Exile holding her. She frowned at me until I showed her a nonexistent injury on the back of my hand.
“Can you help me fix this?”
Lyric studied me like I might be an idiot, yet her tears were over. She finally looked at my hand and nodded.
“You have a bruise,” Lyric said and ran her little finger over the skin. “The Band-Aids are in the pantry.”
“I don’t know where Lula’s pantry is,” I lied. “Can you show me?”
Lyric smiled and nodded. She liked being in charge. I didn’t blame her. The world was often blind to the little sibling of a smart older kid.
After guiding me to the pantry, Lyric showed me how to clean my bruise and dry it before applying the Band-Aid. Nova eventually stopped panicking and watched us. I smiled at her, hoping my cool exterior would do for her what Blackjack’s calm did for Yarrow.
Nova met my smile with her own. I felt her focusing on my presence.
“What about Skylar?” I asked Lula, who finished putting away the surviving groceries.
“Pax and Bebe went to pick up the kids,” Lula replied and checked her phone. “We’re treating this thing today like it wasn’t a few rogue players.”
“Thank you,” I told Lyric and showed Nova the Band-Aid. “Why don’t you two get cleaned up so I can put Band-Aids on you?”
“I should wait for Skylar,” Nova mumbled, getting lost in her bad memories again.
I hugged her to me. “But you look terrible. Your hair is a mess. You smell like stinky bikers. Skylar will think you went bar hopping while she was at school.”
Nova gave me a dirty look before suddenly grinning. “I’ve never gone bar hopping in my life.”
Lula nudged her with her hip. “Add that to your bucket list.”
Nova sighed and looked at Lyric. “Want to take a shower?”
“I got biker stink on me,” Lyric insisted and sniffed her shirt. “Gross.”
Picking up Lyric, Nova snuggled her in that way my mom would do to me when she was struggling to remember the good in the world.
Once Nova and Lyric were out of earshot, Lula muttered to me, “Tricky’s lost control of his club. Or he’s gone insane. Either way, life is about to get complicated in Sleepy Eye.”
“They’ve got to die,” I said, winning a nod. “Even if Clint wanted to show mercy, which he has no reason to do, Zodiac expects blood.”
“Exile does, too.”
“Yeah, but Exile can be talked down. I don’t think Zodiac can be.”
Lula's dark eyes flashed to the front door as she said, “Especially with Ford whispering in his ear.”
“Well, I don’t need anyone whispering in my ear. Those fucks need to die to make things right. The Crimson Guard and Black Rainbow outnumber the LM Jokers. If we battle, Tricky’s going to find himself alone.”
“Jarred is a member of the Jokers,” Lula said, mentioning her ex-husband and Dillon’s dad.
“In name only. Jarred’s not getting in a shootout for the club.”
“No, but he feels loyalty toward Tricky.”
“They’re friends, but Jarred is living a normal life in Little Rock. He barely rides with them.”
Lula scowled hard at me. “I don’t want Jarred hurt.”
My laughter instantly pissed her off. Shaking my head, I rested my hand on her shoulder.
“Jarred is a club kid. He’s married to a club kid. No one is messing with him, even if you don’t ask us to treat him with kid gloves.”
Lula shoved away my hand. “Don’t coddle me.”
“Actually, I was mocking you.”
“Whatever. Don’t talk to me. You’re on my nerves now.”
Chuckling as I walked down the hallway, I heard the shower turn off. While waiting for Nova and Lyric, I started texting people. First up, I asked Goldie where she was currently.
“Getting my fucking hair fixed!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Are you injured?”
“I lost half my fucking hair!”
“Why are you yelling at me?”
“I’m yelling at everyone! You’re not special!!!!” she texted back before adding, “I love you. Mom and Dad are coming. Now leave me alone.”
“Coming when?”
Goldie set her notifications to silent, making me roll my eyes. She was such a pain in the ass.
I texted Nine to check on Dalisay.
“She’s bruised up. I made her go to the hospital to get checked. One of those fuckers put his fucking hands around her throat. I’m going to turn the guy into a skid mark!” he texted before adding, “How’s your woman?”
“Nova’s fine.”
“Goldie’s hair is fucked.”
“She’s getting that fixed.”
“I’ll prepare to lie about her ability to pull off a short haircut.”
Though I wanted to find amusement in his comment, I would never be able to look at Goldie’s shorter hair without thinking about those fuckers taking a blade to her.
“The dickheads are here at the hospital.”
“Do you need back up?”
Rather than answer my question, Nine texted, “I don’t want a tenuous peace. There’s a reason they never come at you or me. It’s always the foxes. It’ll ALWAYS be the foxes until one of our sisters is dead. No peace. Get it?”
“I get it. Clint does, too.”
As Nova and Lyric appeared freshly showered, I asked Nine to keep me updated on Dalisay.
“I want to wear the kitty hat you gave me,” Lyric said, holding the pink-and-purple hat in her little hands. “This was a gift.”
“I liked shopping for it with my sister. I hope Goldie comes here soon. I miss my big sister.”
“I miss my big sister, too,” Lyric said and reached for me to pick her up. She studied me closely before smiling softly. “You brought us home.”
Lyric rested her head on my shoulder while I grinned at Nova.
“Are you okay?”
Nova only nodded, fatigue dripping off her. I hugged her and guided them outside.
“Goldie’s getting her hair fixed,” I told Lyric. “Dalisay is at the doctor, making sure she didn’t get too banged up. My parents are on their way to Little Memphis.”
When Nova’s eyes widened, I stroked her head and hugged her tighter. “Everything will be okay. Our family is almost all together.”
Nova mumbled, “I don’t know what to cook for dinner.”
“Don’t cook. Relax instead, and we’ll order food. Let Lula take charge. There’s no telling how many people will be around. You and Lyric need to think about Band-Aids.”
“You need one on your butt,” Lyric told her mom.
Nova grinned. “I think I’ll be fine.”
“Well, Lyric needs them on her tiny cuts.”
The girl suddenly remembered her earlier lies about her fingers. She looked at her hands and tried to remember which one was injured. Eventually, she decided they both needed Band-Aids.
Ten minutes later, Skylar entered the house to find Lyric bandaged up.
“I had a bad day,” Lyric said and hugged her big sister.
Skylar immediately decided on two things—she also needed Band-Aids, and Lyric should take a nap with her.
I smiled at the sight of them cuddled together in Nova’s bed. They faced each other and hugged the same stuffed animal. Nova exhaled deeply when she realized the girls had dozed off.
We walked to the quiet family room. Next door at Pax’s house, I heard motorcycles arriving. Goldie texted to warn that if I laughed at her hair, she would kick me in the ass. Nine gave me an update on Dalisay, who was now at the Sorority House.
“Is everything okay?” Nova asked when I kept checking my phone.
I handed her the phone so she could read my messages. While she looked them over, I nuzzled her damp hair and inched closer until I was nearly on top of her.
“What happens next?” she asked and handed back my phone.
“No idea.”
“When will your parents be here?”
“I don’t know,” I said and kissed away her frown.
Nova needed to turn off her brain for a while. Tonight was bound to be chaotic, and this might be our last chance to enjoy the quiet together. Nova gripped my shirt and straddled my lap. Our kiss deepened. I groaned when her hips rolled and gave my dick a little caress.
Exile’s voice outside broke the spell. Nova frowned in his direction before sighing in frustration.
Cupping her face, I said with utter conviction, “I’m going to marry you one day, Nova Shaw.
Soon, we’ll have our own home with a room away from the girls, where I can make you go wild as loud as you want.
When we aren’t naked, we’ll spend our time raising those sweet, rowdy little girls into sweet, rowdy women.
But until that day comes, we’ll need to be patient. ”
Nova’s smile promised me a long life of love and pleasure if I kept my eye on the prize.