Page 19

Sauntering in, I wiped my sweaty face on my sleeve.

It had been a scorcher today. I’d sweat my ass off.

Because it was Friday night, the common room was packed.

My brothers hollered out greetings and asked where the hell I’d been.

I waved but didn’t answer. I was too busy looking for her.

When I didn’t spot Blythe, I turned to leave. I almost ran into Agony.

“Did you get your shit straightened out?” he asked.

“I did. Sorry, it took so long. I had a lot to think about. I’m heading to the house. I thought Blythe might be here. We need to talk.”

“She was here for a couple of hours, then excused herself an hour ago. She wasn’t pleased. Can I ask what you plan to do? You argued and walked out earlier.” His displeasure was evident.

“I’m apologizing and then asking her to sit down and discuss this. I’m telling her how I feel.”

“About damn time,” Agony muttered.

“You know why this is so difficult for me, Pres. But I’m not allowing that to ruin this.”

“Will you tell Blythe about your past?”

“I don’t see a way not to. Unless she outright says she feels nothing for me, then there’s no need for her to know. That’s for the woman I end up with as my old lady if I’m lucky to have one.”

“You’ll be telling her. Now, a piece of advice.”

“Sure.”

“You stink. You’d better get a set of scrubs out of your treatment room and shower before you go home to see her. The way you smell, she’ll run for the hills.”

He was right. I stunk from all the sweating and had a layer of grit on me. I laughed. “Roger that. Let me get cleaned up, and then I’ll go home.”

“Good, get,” he said.

I wound my way through the bodies as I got to the corner of the hallway where my treatment office was.

I saw hang-arounds coming in. It looked like they were out in full force.

My brothers should be happy tonight. I turned my back and continued.

I thought I heard my name yelled, but I didn’t stop. I was a man on a mission.

Since my treatment office had been a bedroom, it had a bathroom attached to it.

I rummaged in a cabinet until I found spare scrubs bottoms. I didn’t need a shirt.

Taking it with me, I went into the bathroom.

I put the shower to lukewarm. I was too hot for it to be warmer.

I stripped and entered the stall. It felt good on my hot skin.

I wet my head until it was soaked, then applied shampoo.

Tonight wasn’t the first time I’d showered in there, so I kept it stocked with my brand of shower gel and shampoo. It didn’t take me long to be washed.

I heard voices in the treatment area as I shut off the shower. Who the hell was in there? I heard a woman’s voice get loud before I could yell and tell whoever it was to leave.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” the woman asked.

I tried to recognize her voice. It was familiar. I stepped out and grabbed my towel, but didn’t say anything. I recognized the person who answered her immediately. I wrapped the towel around my waist, not bothering to dry off, so I could rush out there.

“I came to find Bones. What’re you doing here?” Blythe asked.

“What do you think? I came to keep him company. Since you always seem to be in the way, we had to find a way to be alone.”

I ran and almost slipped on the floor because of my wet feet.

I grabbed the doorframe and took in the sight in front of me.

There stood an upset Blythe. A few feet away was a hang-around I recognized.

Her name was Mariann. She’d been coming to the compound for six months or more.

She’d made her way through most of my single brothers.

She’d tried with me, but I never found her appealing.

She reminded me of someone too much in looks and attitude.

“There you are. I brought us something to drink,” Mariann said, holding up a bottle of whiskey. I wondered how she got it. No way would the prospects hand her a whole bottle. “And I see you’re ready for me.” She licked her lips as she scanned my body.

I felt like a piece of meat. Anger hit me. I saw the hurt on Blythe’s face. It gave me hope, but at the same time, I hated to see her that way.

“No worries, I’m leaving,” Blythe said as she turned her back on me.

“Blythe, you stay. Mariann, I didn’t invite you in here, and I sure as hell don’t want to drink or do anything else with you. Leave,” I ordered.

Mariann pouted out her bottom lip like a petulant child.

God, that was so familiar. “Bones, you’re not being fair.

What’s with her? Every time I see you, she’s up your ass.

I’ve been waiting for weeks for us to be together.

Someone said she lives with you. She can’t be your old lady.

” She curled her upper lip as she glanced at Blythe. Her derision pissed me off.

“Blythe isn’t up my ass as you call it. She’s with me because I want her to be. As for your clear disbelief that she could be my old lady, why would that be so hard to believe?”

Mariann’s mouth dropped open. She didn’t answer for a few seconds, but then she waved her hand toward Blythe.

“Look at her. She’s boring. Look at the clothes she wears.

Her hair is nice, but she doesn’t wear makeup.

I don’t believe you want this in your bed or on your arm.

You need someone adventurous and exciting.

I’m that. If you’d give us a chance, you’d see that.

I’ve been trying for months to get your attention.

Why won’t you give me a chance?” She pouted.

“Because you do nothing for me. I know your kind and how a woman like you acts. I don’t want that. I’ve repeatedly told you I’m not interested. The fact that Blythe doesn’t display all her charms for everyone to see is refreshing. And she doesn’t wear makeup because she doesn’t need it.”

Blythe gave me a stunned look. Mariann, on the other hand, was outraged. She stomped her foot like a toddler. “It’s not fair! I want you. You’re sexy and handsome, a biker, and a doctor on top of it.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” I asked.

“She wants to be able to brag and lord you over her friends. To claim that she has a man who’s all those things. She wants them to be envious,” Blythe said.

Mariann didn’t deny it, which made me groan.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. What is it with some women and all that shit?

Why do you go from one man to another in search of one who can give you more material things?

Get out. You’re making my head hurt. That means you, Mariann, not you, Blythe. You and I have unfinished business.”

Mariann stormed out after casting a hateful look Blythe’s way. She slammed the door behind her. I watched Blythe. She was nervous. Her eyes didn’t want to meet mine.

“Blythe, you and I need to talk, and I don’t want to do it here. I need to get dressed. Stay here, and then we can go home together.”

“Maybe we should wait,” she softly replied.

“No, we shouldn’t. I want your word that you won’t take off as soon as I go into the bathroom. If you don’t give it to me, we’ll walk through the clubhouse with me wearing nothing but this towel.”

“If I said I wouldn’t run, would you believe it?” she countered.

“Yes, because I know you don’t lie, and if you give your word, you won’t break it.”

My answer seemed to surprise her. She nodded. “Go change. I’ll wait here. You’re right. We do need to talk. We might as well get it over with.”

There was something in her tone I didn’t like, but I didn’t remark on it.

Instead, I went back to the bathroom. I mainly had drip-dried, so a rough scrub of my wet hair and a few spots, and I was able to pull on my scrub pants.

I picked up my dirty clothes, cut, and boots.

I’d walk barefoot home. She was where I left her.

After she entered the hallway, I shut off the lights, then closed and locked the door.

We went down the hall away from the common room.

This way had another exit. Blythe didn’t say anything, and I was okay with letting it ride until we were home.

It wasn’t a long walk. When we entered the house, she took off for the family room. I hung up my cut and put my boots on the mat. I dropped my dirty clothes in the laundry room off the family room and returned to her.

When I entered the family room, she swung around to face me.

She launched straight into her speech. “I’m here, and it seems you’ve calmed down.

I didn’t want this to become ugly between us, Bones.

However, that seemed to be how it was heading when you left.

Now, you come back and act all nice to me.

Was it just to run that woman off? And why were you showering at the clubhouse? Or should I not ask?”

“Have a seat. It’s gonna take a while,” I informed her.

“It doesn’t have to. The bottom line is I’m leaving.

After you left, I spoke to Agony. He’s agreed to allow one of the prospects to stay with me at a hotel of my choice until I find a place.

You’ll get your house back and have no one disrupting your home and life.

Dimitri is following me there tomorrow morning.

I wanted to tell you myself, so I didn’t go tonight.

I appreciate what you did more than you can know. You’ll always have my thanks.”

She wasn’t about to let me explain. Well, I had news for her, she would. I stalked toward her. She tried to move backward, but the couch was in her way. When she bumped into it, she groaned. As I reached her, I raised my hands and gently wrapped them around her upper arms.

“You won’t leave until we’re done talking. I don’t care if it takes all night and all day tomorrow, but we will do it, and there will be no holding back. No matter how embarrassing and difficult it is, we swear to answer truthfully if asked a question.”