Chapter Eight #2
“I’m going to stay up here and help G if that’s okay,” I say, glancing from the staircase and back. I know he prefers to have me close. I prefer it too, but I can’t go down that dark stairwell. It stirs up too many old memories.
Seeing the fear on my face, he nods. “Alright, Birdie. I won’t be long. Stay inside the clubhouse, yeah?” he says it as a question, but we both know it’s an order. He wraps his arm around my waist and tugs me close so he can kiss me.
Slowly pulling away, I whisper, “Okay.”
Patting my bottom, he disappears down into the darkness as Sin starts her teasing. “Damn, girl! That was hot!” My cheeks heat when I turn around to find all the girls smiling.
“Can I help?” I ask, moving around the metal worktable, avoiding Sin’s comment.
“Y’all leave her be. Just ignore them, Sierra. They’re not used to seeing Sparrow happy.”
“Thanks, G.” I slide in next to her, and we start assembling pizzas. I can’t believe how many we end up having to make or the odd combination of toppings. I start to wonder exactly how we’re going to get all of them cooked in time for dinner until she leads me outside to the wood fire oven.
“Okay, this place literally has everything.” I laugh.
“Knox made this last year when I started making pizza for everyone on Monday nights.”
“Aww. He was trying to woo you with a pizza oven.”
“Shhh!”
“Oh, lord . . .”
“Here we go . . .”
“Be quiet!” I quickly whip around to see why the girls are trying to shush me, and they’re looking at me like I let the cat out of the bag.
“What? I think it’s sweet.”
“Think what’s sweet?” G asks, confused.
“You have to know that man has a thing for you . . . Right? I mean, he’s always watching you, and he looks like a sad puppy when you’re with Rock. I even heard them arguing this morning, and I’m almost certain it was because Rock was being an ass to you. You’ve gotta know that . . . Don’t you?”
“No, he doesn’t. Guys, tell her . . .” When she looks to the girls to back her up, they all look sheepish.
“Sapph?” Sapphire bites her lip, looking uncomfortable.
“Sin? Tell her she’s wrong.” Sin looks down at her heels.
I watch as a range of emotions filter across G’s face before her eyes widen. “Oh my God. It’s all starting to make sense now. Why didn’t anyone tell me this until now? This must be why he and Rock are always fighting. What am I going to do? I don’t want to cause any problems between brothers.”
I feel terrible for dropping this bomb on her, but I honestly thought she had to know. Knox isn’t exactly tiptoeing around her. Hell, even Rock knows. You’d think he would have said something to G since they seem to be in some kind of relationship.
Sparrow can say all he wants that their relationship is only sexual, but I’m not so sure about that.
I’ve seen how G looks at Rock, and it’s a lot like I used to look at Sailor.
Like a big brother. A protector. Whatever it is, she cares about him, or else she wouldn’t put up with him when he’s an asshole.
“Let’s get your oven going, and then we can figure out a way to get those boys to get along. Yeah?”
“Thanks, Sierra, but I think this is something I need to figure out on my own.”
“Okay, sweetie.” I watch as she puts in the first round of pies, and within a few short minutes, they’re done.
“Tell me about Candy. She’s the one who’s always looking at Sparrow like he broke her heart, isn’t she?”
“Uhm . . . I don’t know. He’s with you now. Do you really want to go down the rabbit hole of women he’s slept with in the past?”
“I don’t want details. I just want to know if they were serious.”
“Shit! No, they were never serious. He spent time with a few women before Tempy passed away. And after, he and Candy would occasionally . . . you know. I’m not sure how much he remembers.
He was drinking very heavily then. He was a mess, you know?
Just . . . do me a favor. Be careful with his heart, okay?
It’s been through the wringer, and I’m not sure how much more it can handle. ”
“I will. I promise. You’re a good woman, G.”
“No!” Like it was happening in slow motion, one of the pizza pans slides off the paddle and onto the ground. I can’t help but laugh at the look on her face. She turns narrowed eyes on me before bursting into laughter herself.
“What a damn mess,” she whines.
Just as I’m about to tell her I’ll go grab a trash bag, she bends down in front of me, and I see the markings on her lower back. Not thinking, I yank up her T-shirt and see several scars. Scars that look an awful lot like mine.
“Hey! Mind your business, Sierra!” she snaps, yanking her shirt back down.
Turning around, I pull up my own shirt so she can see my scars. I know what those marks on her back are because her stab wounds match my own.
“I’m so sorry. Who did that to you, Sierra?”
“I don’t know. Who did that to you?” I whisper as a tear slips down my cheek.
“My husband. But I’m safe now. He can’t find me here—” Her eyes widen like she didn’t mean to drop that little nugget of information.
“Shit. You can’t say anything, Sierra. My anonymity is what has kept me safe all this time.
Flying under the radar literally means the difference between life and death for me. ”
“But—”
“No, Sierra. You have to promise.”
“I promise, G. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Birdie, are you okay, darlin’?” Sparrow asks.
When I turn around, Sparrow is standing inside the doorway with two other men flanking him.
One I recognize as Kierra’s old neighbor, George.
The other man must be the hacker extraordinaire he told me he was supposed to be meeting with.
If this guy is Dex, he sure as heck doesn’t look like any computer nerd I’ve ever seen.
Actually, looking more closely at George, he doesn’t look anything like he did the last time I saw him, either.
He’s lost A LOT of weight, and his glasses are gone.
Considering the way his shirt is now stretched across his muscular arms, I’d say he’s been working out.
Someone has gone and turned ol’ Georgie into a hottie.
He’s even got a trendy pompadour haircut to go with his new look and vibe.
“Hey, George. You look great, hon,” I say, wiping at my cheek.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Holy shit! You sound like Kane Brown. Can you sing?” Looking at Sparrow, I ask, “Can anyone else around here sing?”
“Babe.” Sparrow laughs.
I throw my arms up in the air and pout, “What? Heaven is one of my favorite songs.”
I see the exact moment Sparrow notices that I’ve been crying. He looks from me to G with narrowed eyes, but before he can say anything, I move toward him and wrap my arms around his waist.
“I’m fine. We were just talking, and I got emotional.” I wink at G over my shoulder.
Smoothing my hair down my back, he searches my face before nodding and laying a soft kiss on my lips. “Come on. Everyone’s shown up, and Nash is looking for you.”
“Oh! I didn’t realize what time it was.” I take his hand and let him lead me back into the common room. When I spot Nash across the room, he’s waiting by the front door with Thorn, Mila, and a woman I’ve never seen before.
“Momma!” Nash shouts as he moves around my sister.
“Nash!” I tease, calling his name.
“We’re going to get some ice cream after dinner. These guys don’t care about the dancing thing show, and honestly, I don’t either. If it’s okay with you and Sparrow, Nash can come with us,” Thorn offers.
“Uhm . . .” I look to Sparrow for the answer because I’m not sure what to do here.
“Sure. Thank you, Thorn.” I start to feel emotional when it hits me that my son now has a huge family surrounding and supporting him. This is what I’ve always wanted for him.
“Come on, boys, let’s get some pizza.” Wrapping his arm around my waist, Sparrow smiles down at me as he leads me over to one of the tables.
I quickly fix our plate and grumble when Sparrow takes them from my hands.
Ignoring me, he moves over to one of the couches and hefts himself down.
Climbing into his lap, I grab my plate and dig in as I listen to these hulking, badass bikers argue over the scoring of a dancing competition.