Chapter 3 Skull
SKULL
“Want some company?” Rose asks, trailing her fingers across my enforcer patch on my cut.
I’ve just left the hospital, swapping with Bones, who will stay with Natalia until evening.
I need to have a shower and get some sleep.
But before that, I decide to sit at the bar and have a glass of whiskey for breakfast.
Rose’s pink-tipped fingers drop lower, cupping me through my jeans. “I had to have Bones alone last night, and now I want you.”
I grip her wrist, gently removing it. “Not today, Rose. I’m sure one of the other men would be happy to give you what you need.”
“Fine,” she pouts.
Lore slides onto the stool next to me, his violet eyes following Rose as she walks away. “Not like you to turn down pussy.” He eyes the glass in my hand and grins before pouring himself one. “Fuck it, it’s afternoon somewhere.”
“Atiana know you’re getting drunk before the kids have even gone to school?” I tease.
“I’m a man. I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
“Hey, Atiana,” I say, looking behind him.
He quickly slides the glass over to me, trying to make it look like it’s mine, his face paling. When he turns around and sees that I was playing him, he curses. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”
Meanwhile, I can’t stop laughing. Lore and Atiana moved into their own house so the kids have more room, but they are always around.
Lore proposed to her, so it looks like we’ll be having another Serpents of Chaos wedding after War and Ora’s, which is next week. “We all know who wears the pants, hey?”
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Wait until you find the woman you can’t live without.”
A set of big brown eyes flashes in my mind. I don’t know what it is about the sexy, nerdy-looking nurse, but she has my attention.
“How’s the little one doing?” he presses.
Lore has two kids of his own, but he’s never had to deal with the newborn stage.
I have no idea what I’m doing, but I know I’ve never loved anyone more than I love my little princess.
The club has been so supportive, from the old ladies going shopping to get everything a baby would need to the brothers helping me and Bones set up the nursery and build the crib and furniture.
We are buying a house, but until that’s sorted, Natalia is going to be staying in the clubhouse with us.
“Good,” I reply, smiling as I think of her. “Scorp said Natalia is doing really well. She should be able to come home soon.”
“That’s great news,” he replies, lifting his glass and clinking it against mine. “Natalia is a beautiful name.”
“She’s perfect.” I grin, but then I sober when I think about Daisy and how she’s just walked away from her.
Lore, as if reading my mind, says, “She’s going to have so many people to love her. She won’t be missing out on anything.”
Haze suddenly sits down on the other side of me, resting his elbows on the bar. “Whiskey for breakfast? We haven’t done this since Ora walked into our clubhouse.”
We all laugh. He’s not wrong. Before Ora got here, we lived off booze and takeout. He pours himself a drink. War joins us next, and then Ghost, Suit, Blade, and Angel. We’re all one drink in when Prez, Danger, Omen, Rune, Curse, and Romeo show up.
From the corner of my eye, I see Ora step into the room, baby Zade in her arms, taking us all in. With a small smile, she steps back out and leaves us be.
And that’s why she makes the best old lady.
* * *
Bones and I snap a quick selfie with Natalia. It’s not often we take photos. In fact, I can’t remember if we’ve ever taken a selfie in our lives, but we want her to have these memories. We’re both wearing checkered flannel shirts—mine is red, and his is blue. I hope we remember who is who.
“I still can’t believe she’s ours,” I admit, smiling down at her. “Did you ever see yourself having kids?”
“One day,” he replies, rubbing the back of his neck. “But never with a club girl. I thought it would be with our old lady.”
Our old lady.
Bones and I have shared many women over the years, but I never thought about how that would look when we settled down. Could we share one woman and commit to her forever?
We’ve always shared everything, and yeah, we’re more than a little co-dependent, but we’ve always only had each other to rely on.
“Never thought I’d be a single father,” he mutters, his brow furrowing. “Fuck, I’m glad I have you here, brother. I don’t know how I’d do this without you.”
“Same,” I admit.
“I’m going to head off,” Bones says, clapping me on my shoulder. “Let me know if either of you needs anything. Romeo is in the waiting room, keeping watch.”
We never leave a brother vulnerable.
“I’m going to go shower and get my dick sucked,” he states, flashing me a grin. “Maybe at the same time.”
I shake my head at him, amused. “How’s everything at Viper’s?” I ask, referring to our business. Mechanics by trade, we always wanted to open our own garage, and with the club’s support, we were able to do that.
“Running smoothly. Mase has it all under control,” he calls out as he walks out.
Mase is the manager we hired, and without him, we probably would have had to close the shop until Natalia gets out of the hospital.
We’re both going to have to come up with a schedule to balance work and parenthood between us.
Fuck knows how single parents do it. At least Bones and I can share the workload and make it work.
I sit down and get myself comfortable, Natalia now fast asleep in her crib. I’m reading my book when Isla comes in, and when I raise my eyes to hers, and our gazes connect, tension builds between us. I don’t know what it is about her, but I want to find out.
“I was hoping you’d be my nurse today.” I smirk, putting my book down.
“I’m not your nurse,” she replies, lip twitching. “I’m hers.”
She’s wearing her blue scrubs, and her long hair is in a braid today, with a few wisps of dark hair framing her face. She looks beautiful, naturally so. So different from the women who hang around the club.
Isla is the girl next door, the one you usually fumble with and then try to replace for the rest of your life.
Unable to stop myself, I stand up and close the space between us.
Tilting her head back to look up at me, I catch her off guard, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.
She doesn’t pull away, and I kiss her properly, and when she gasps, I slide my tongue inside.
When I pull back, her eyes are still closed, like she’s savoring the moment, and when she opens them again, they are filled with lust and confusion.
“I know now is not the time or the place, but I had to have a taste,” I rasp against her pouty lips.
Fuck.
If I’m being honest, I’m a little shaken. I’ve never been so fucking hungry for a kiss in my life.
She slowly blinks a few times. “That’s not going to happen again.”
With her hands on my chest, she pushes me back, and I let her. She points her finger at me. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
“You didn’t seem to hate it,” I reply, amusement in my tone.
“That’s not the point,” she whisper yells, her hands going to her hips. “I’m working here, Skull. I’m not here to be your plaything.”
“Isla.”
She checks on Natalia and then storms out without looking at me.
Well, fuck. I grin to myself.
The girl next door has some fire in her.
She’s going to need it.