Page 162 of Burning Ember

“Yeah . . .” I let out a humorless chuckle. “I did.”

“But this girl is helpin’ you find your way back?” He sits back in his chair studying me. “I can see it.”

The corner of my mouth curls. “She is.”

“Maybe I need to find me a little slice of heaven like that to help me find my way back too.” His eyebrow quirks up. “She into threesomes?”

I push him hard enough he nearly falls off his chair. “No. Find your own slice of heaven. I don’t share.”

He gets to his feet and pulls me to mine. We hug and pat each other’s back.

Speaking into my ear, he says, “We’re both gonna heal and get right. But then war’s comin’ brother, and I need you by my side.”

“I’m with you.”

Pulling back, his eyes cast down to my jacket. “Fuck, I almost forgot.” He reaches into his cut and pulls something out. He slaps his hand over my chest. “I was told to kick your ass if you gave me any shit about sewin’ this patch on.”

I take the patch from his hand and turn it over. Shaking my head, a big smile spreads across my face. “Nah . . . no need. I’ll wear it proudly.”

“Can’t believe it’s taken almost ten years to finally give you a road name that sticks,” he laughs. “And instead of it bein’ Saint like the pussy-boy angel you were when we found ya”—he throws his arm around my shoulder—“we have to call you Luce like you’re some badass motherfucker now.”

I elbow him in the gut and he grunts. “Who has the big mouth?”

“Taz. We might have to find a muzzle to put on him.”

“Yeah. Good luck with that.” We exit the Chapel and walk down the hall and into the main room. My gaze travels over the room until it finds Doll.

At the exact moment I find her sexed out in a white tank top, black leather skirt, and wicked as fuck black, high-heeled boots, I see her hand snap forward and make contact with Dozer’s face.

“You got a feisty one on your hands,” amusement laces through Edge’s voice.

“You have no idea.”

“I like her already.” When I’m a few feet away pushing through people to get to her, he calls out, “Let me know if you change your mind about sharin’.”

“Not gonna happen.”

On our trip to hitting rock bottom, we’ll try to take people down with us along the way.

EMBER

Smoothing my hands down my top and the skirt Lily brought me, I ask, “Are you sure it doesn’t look like I’m trying too hard?” I twist my foot out and tilt my head. “If I fall in these boots—”

“Then Mav will catch you. I guarantee from the second he gets a peak at you, he’ll be glued to your side.” She stands behind me and rubs her hand up my arm. “And don’t waste your time worrying about what anyone else thinks. All that matters is how you feel about yourself, and how he treats you.

“What we might have to worry about is you givin’ some poor old bastard a heart attack.” She leans back and looks down. “Not even my ass looks that good in leather.” Her warm smile flushes away my doubts.

Turning, I hug her. “Thank you. Maybe you should show me how to do this so I don’t have to steal you away from Goose every time there’ a party.”

“Hey, you’re already gorgeous. I only added a little sparkle. And don’t let Goose give you any shit. Our sex is ten times hotter when we’ve spent some time apart. So you actually did us both a favor. He’ll come out of that meeting horny, hard, and ready—just how I like him.”

Heat rushes up my face and I shake my head. “Ugh . . . Lily. You really need to work on your oversharing.”

She laughs and then weaving her arm through mine, she pulls me toward the door. “Come on. The guys will be out of church soon.”

Over the course of the last twenty minutes, I’ve concluded my newfound friendship with Lily is not conducive to maintaining a healthy liver. In her eagerness to get me out on the dance floor, she’s forcing me to drink a lot of hard alcohol in a frenzy.

It’ll calm my nerves and make me loose, she says. Help me forget about everyone else and enjoy myself. Which I’m all for, except what if all the alcohol hits me like a Mack truck once I’m on the dance floor?