Page 13 of Crow’s Haven (Savage Legion MC #15)

I exhale slowly, heart heavy and full at the same time. There’s a lump in my throat, but I swallow it down.

“I’m not the flying away type,” I say softly, wrapping my arms a little tighter around him. “I promise.”

He leans into me, quiet now. That feels like enough for him. But his quiet little question sends me spiraling. I’ve gotten really attached to Crow and his little ones. I can’t bear the thought of being separated from them. I really need to tell him the truth, and soon.

I hold Chase a little longer, the heat of the sun warming my back, the noise of the club buzzing faintly behind us. But the loudest thing in the world is the way my heart won’t stop trying to beat out of my chest as I figure out a way to stay.

The back door to the clubhouse opens up and boots scuff across the wooden planks behind me, and a low voice calls out, calm and even.

“Afternoon.”

I look up to see Patch stepping onto the patio, medical bag slung over one shoulder, dark hair pulled into a low knot at the nape of his neck.

“Scout’s cast removal is today, right?” I’m feeling all kinds of awkward around him. After running out on the job interview, I never really explained why I ran off.

He nods stiffly. “Yeah. Unless I miss my guess, it’s ready to come off.”

“That’s great,” I tell him, shifting Chase slightly in my lap so I can stand. “It’s good to see you again.”

Patch offers a small smile. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You too, Sharon.”

There’s an awkward pause between us. I speak first, “I’m sorry,” I say quietly, tilting my head. “I should have called, explained…”

Patch shrugs, adjusting the strap of his bag. “It’s not like you were working for me. So you didn’t leave me in the lurch.”

There’s something about him that makes me want to share. Maybe as a doctor he’d know about medical mistakes, about how hospitals play the blame game.

But I don’t. Instead I say, “I didn’t plan to disappear. I had a panic attack, and things got complicated.”

His eyes search mine for a beat. Whatever he’s looking for, he must find because he gives a slow nod, accepting what little I’m willing to say.

“You did a good job with Scout’s arm. You’ve done that before, haven’t you?”

I look at him, really look. But then I decide I can’t. I want to be the one who stays, and I’m worried that once the truth is out, then I’ll have to leave these boys just like their mother.

Glancing down at Chase, I ignore his question and say, “This is where I’m supposed to be.” Once Chase settles down in my arms again, I explain, “Being with Crow and his boys is a genuine pleasure. That’s the job I want right now.”

Patch studies me for a moment, then gives a small, approving nod. “Caretaking looks good on you. But if you do want a job in the medical field, the offer is still open.”

Before I can respond, Scout breaks away from the group and comes running towards us, holding out his arm.

“You brought the saw, right?” he asks excitedly.

Patch lifts a brow. “Do you want me to bring the saw?”

Scout hesitates, eyes narrowing. “Yes. Cut the cast off, not my arm.”

Crow steps out from the grass at just the right moment, wiping his face on his t-shirt. “Relax, buddy. No saws today. We’re going old-school.”

I let Chase slide off my lap and follow him as Crow waves Scout towards one of the picnic benches.

Patch sets his bag on the table and rolls up his sleeves then begins to cut away the bandage tape with a pair of surgical shears.

I hover a few steps back with Chase, who climbs onto the bench beside me, eyes wide.

“Is it gonna bleed?” he whispers.

“No, Chase. It’s just a cast. His arm’s all better now.”

“Can I touch it when it’s off?” His voice is curious and full of wonder.

“You have to ask your brother about that,” I tell him gently.

Scout fidgets as the cast peels away, clearly expecting more drama. When the final piece cracks free, he stares down at his skinny, pale arm like he doesn’t quite recognize it.

Patch pokes gently along the bone. “Is there any tenderness where I pressed?”

Scout shakes his head.

“Wiggle your fingers for me.”

Scout happily complies, his smile growing wider.

“Good boy,” Crow coos, clapping his son’s shoulder, proudly. “Told you that you were healing like a champ.”

Scout flexes his fingers, then grins and immediately starts looking for a stick to test his strength on. Chase follows him, trailing just a few steps behind, peppering him with questions about what the inside of the cast smelled like.

Patch tucks his tools away with practiced ease and glances over at me.

“You ever change your mind about working for me, just call.”

“You tryin’ to poach our Ladybug?” Crow jokes.

Patch just grins.

I smile at him. “Thanks, but that part of my life’s on hold for the time being.”

Patch shrugs and hoists his bag back onto his shoulder and tips his head towards the boys.

“They’re lucky to have you,” he says.

I watch the twins chasing each other through the shadows. They are so energetic and full of life; it makes me smile. “I’m lucky to have them,” I tell him.

Patch leaves without another word, melting back into the clubhouse as quietly as he arrived.

“Are you okay?” Crow asks, his voice laced with concern.

“Yeah, I was just thinking. I still feel bad for running out that day.”

He steps closer, puts his hands around my waist and tugs me forward. “If you hadn’t run out on him, you wouldn’t have ended up working for me.”

I gaze up at him and nod. “I know that. Working for you has been my favorite job ever. Your boys are adorable.”

He sighs, jerking his chin to the grassy area. “You sure about that?”

That’s when I realize they used the garden hose to create a mud pit and are rubbing the mud onto their faces with both hands.

I flash him my best grin. “I’m going to let you deal with that, while I run to the restroom.”

He jogs out to pull them out of the mud and begin washing them off with the water hose.

The hall to the bathroom is narrow and dim, lit only by a flickering overhead bulb.

After finishing up I pause at the mirror near the sink to give myself the once over.

I expect to look tired and overwhelmed. Instead, I look flushed and happy, like someone who’s been smiling for most of the day without realizing it.

“You’re the one they’re calling Ladybug, right?”

The voice is smooth and sharp with an underlay of snark. Wondering what I’ve done to piss her off, I turn around slowly, bracing for some awful insult.

The woman leaning against the wall near the doorway is tall, curvy, with her bleached blonde hair pulled into a high, polished ponytail. Her lipstick’s matte and perfect. Her expression is equal parts knowing and amused.

“Yeah,” I say cautiously. “That’s me.”

This club girl has her claws out. “I’m Roxy,” she says, crossing her arms. “Been around the club a while.”

I nod, offering a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she says. And for a brief second, I think she’s giving a friendly greeting.

But when she doesn’t turn to leave, I get a bad feeling that all isn’t what it seems with this girl.

She tilts her head slightly, eyes narrowing what can only be described as derision.

“Listen. Since no one else is gonna say it, I figure I will.”

My heart rate speeds up, but I do a good job of not showing what I’m feeling. Instead, I keep my face neutral. “Say what?”

“Don’t get your hopes up about Crow,” she states flatly. “He not the kind of guy to do relationships.”

Her words feel at odds with the playful flirtatious biker I’ve fallen head over heels for recently. I blink, trying to keep my voice calm. “That’s fine, we’re not in a relationship.”

Roxy outright smirks at me. “Sure. You just live in his house and ride on the back of his bike and show up at the clubhouse wearing his spare helmet, right?”

I open my mouth to set the record straight, but she’s not done.

“He comes here to get his needs taken care of. No matter what’s going on in his life outside the club, he always comes to us because we understand the brothers better than any outsider ever could.

Crow swore off serious relationships the moment his baby mama flaked out on him and his twins.

He said he didn’t have time for feelings or attachments.

And believe me, I’ve seen him at his most vulnerable and tended to him in ways you can’t imagine. ”

I don’t know whether it stings more that she’s implying she’s his go-to girl for sex and emotional soothing or that I’m just one in a long line of side pieces with delusions of grandeur. This is her way of letting me know that I’m just the latest girl riding a wave that’s gonna crash fast and hard.

Roxy leans in slightly, lowering her voice enough to drive her point home. “Don’t let him turn you into a maid. Cooking, cleaning, wiping noses and all, while he’s saving the best part of himself for me.”

I’m stunned by her bold claim of ownership over him, and the casually cruel delivery.

Her words are ugly and crude, but they also have a ring of truth to them.

I find myself kind of believing her because I don’t really know what he says to the club girls when I’m not around, how he acts around them, or if maybe Roxy is his favorite among them.

I think of the way he looks at me, the lingering glances and subtle flirtation I always thought meant something was heating up between us could just be part of his core personality. But maybe he does the same with them.

“You’re sweet,” Roxy says. I look up to find that during the few seconds I was turning this over in my mind, she’s moved from the doorway to stand right in front of me.

She pats my shoulder, but it feels less like a friendly gesture and more like a subtle warning.

“But sweet doesn’t mean true love, especially not around here.

The brothers aren’t like other men, so the same rules don’t apply.

Why do you think they’re part of an MC? It’s because they like having things their own way. ”

Her words are painful to hear, gut wrenching really. I want to say something snappy back, something to put her in her place. But who am I kidding? It’s not like I know more about what’s going on around here than she does.

Thankfully, she finally pulls back, turns and walks out, her heels clicking down the hall, her hips swaying. Roxy is a beautiful woman, catty and snide, but drop dead gorgeous. And it’s clear that unlike me, she’s truly in her element strolling around the clubhouse.

I stand there for a long moment, staring at the door, as I realize that all the safety, security, and warmth I felt being with Crow is now gone. That soft glow of happiness I’ve been carrying around all morning has vanished now that the rose-tinted glasses have been ripped away.

Now I just feel cold, na?ve, and a bit stupid for thinking a ridiculously hot biker like Crow would fall for a woman like me.