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I followed him to the bar and sat down on the stool beside him, my hands still wringing together, but at least I was sitting.
“They’re gonna be okay.” he said quietly.
“I hope so,” I replied, just as quietly. “Maybe they should’ve just let Luke handle this.”
He grinned. “Don’t let Gunner hear you say that.”
I giggled. “That’s true.” I looked directly at Race. “It’s not that I don’t think he can handle it, I just…” I hesitated before continuing. “I don’t want to lose him.”
“We all know that and so does he.”
I saw the sincerity in his expression and nodded. “Sometimes I feel like I brought a whole lot of trouble to your door.”
Race covered my hand with his own. “You didn’t, honey. There was always gonna be a stand-off between the clubs, and you gave us an edge we didn’t have before. We all appreciate that.”
A loud whistle sounded behind us, and we both turned our heads to see Becs standing in the middle of the room. When all eyes were pointed at her, she started speaking. “It’s been way too long, you guys. I think we should load up and go get ’em. Who’s with me?”
A few cheers went around the room before Race shot out of his seat. “No fucking way. Becs, Jesus, Bear would kill all of us if you showed up or any of us fucked with the plan.”
Murmurs of agreement floated through the room, but Becs wasn’t done. I saw the fire in her eyes, but I knew fear was driving her. She loved her brother, and she was just as scared as the rest of us that they’d been gone way too long.
She looked around the room. “Are you guys serious? What happened to brotherhood?”
Race stomped across the room toward her. “What the fuck are you doing, Becs? We all have a job to do, and we’re doing it.”
She threw her hands on her hips. “Yeah, and what’s your job, Race? Why aren’t you out there with them?”
He stopped walking and stood in front of her, but neither one of them lowered their voices and we all watched curiously. “Babysitting you, Becs, because of shit like this, shit you’re doing right now, the same shit you always do.”
She narrowed her eyes and pretended to be mad, but I’d gotten to know her well enough to know he cut her. And because it was Race, I’d say he cut her pretty deep. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
He threw his arms out to the side. “Apparently, you fucking do. Look at the shit you’re pulling.” He put his hands on his hips. “You think I want to be left back to babysit you? You think a twenty-six-year-old woman should need a babysitter?”
She dropped her hands. “Well, consider yourself officially off duty because I’m leaving.”
He grabbed her arm when she turned to walk away. “Oh yeah, where you gonna go?”
She pulled her arm, but he wouldn’t release her. “Home, Race. I’m going home.”
“That’s a fucking lie. You’re not gonna go home; you’re gonna go make trouble.”
She stopped pulling her arm and leaned in, lowering her voice some. “Get your hands off me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “No.”
I stood from my seat when I saw her jerk her arm again. I knew he wasn’t hurting her, that what he was doing was actually best for her, but I still didn’t like that she was out there on her own. “Becs, just come hang out with me and wait.”
She glanced my way, but I could already tell what her answer would be. “I’m good, Maggie. I have my car, and as soon as Race stops being an ass and holding me against my will, I’ll be on my way.”
Race dropped her arm, which seemed to surprise everyone, including Becs who just stood still for a moment. Turned out, it was a moment too long because he wrapped both arms around her chest and pulled her tight against his body, her back to his front. “You’re not leaving.”
His voice was a little low and scary when he continued, but his words were sweet. “I know you’re afraid, Becs, but you can’t help him right now. And if you got hurt, a lot of people, including your brother, would find it pretty fucking hard to forgive themselves.”
She stopped struggling, but I saw her chest moving up and down quickly. “Nothing will happen to me, Race.”
He leaned his head down and put his mouth close to her ear. Most of the others had gone back to drinking and talking because the show was obviously over, but I was still watching. If I hadn’t been watching, if I hadn’t been sitting as close as I was to where they were, I probably wouldn’t have heard or seen what I did, but even my breath caught when Race answered her quietly.
“I won’t ever let anything happen to you, baby.”