Page 17 of Cuckoo (Devil’s Murder MC #7)

“ Y ou really do make the best pancakes,” I admitted, pouring warm maple syrup over the stack of three piled on my plate. I added a couple of sausage links and two pieces of thick, crispy bacon so they could get covered, too. I loved syrup with eggs and breakfast meat. Weird? Maybe.

I’d done this since I was a little kid and got it from my dad.

“I’ll forgive you for drowning your links and bacon in syrup.” Dagger shook his head. “Sacrilegious.”

Brick laughed. “Hesh used to do the same thing. He probably got her hooked on it.”

Dagger snorted. “Yeah, I remember. Never could take him to Denny’s.”

“Yep. He used to make the waitress warm up his syrup so he could pour it hot over his flapjacks and sausage. Made a big deal about it when anyone gave him a hard time,” Brick replied with a laugh.

“He insisted on making that exact breakfast every Sunday morning.” Except for the last one. My thirteenth birthday.

My father promised to make it up to me, but he never got the chance.

An emergency church meeting had been called Saturday afternoon, and when my dad learned about it, he took me on a ride on his Harley, bought me ice cream, and said he’d be gone in the morning, but he wouldn’t miss my birthday party.

It was the last time I ever saw him.

“Ginny?”

I set my fork down, nearly losing my appetite. “I’m okay.”

“Baby, look at me.”

I lifted my gaze, holding back the sudden tears that flooded my lids, threatening to cascade down my face. Brick was almost blurry.

“It’s fine with me if you need to cry. We don’t judge.”

Dagger nodded. “That’s right. A pretty girl doesn’t often have a damn good reason to cry.”

I nearly blinked and sent them on their way. “Isn’t that a line from a movie or a book?”

Dagger waved a hand. “Who fucking knows?” He tapped his temple. “Got a good memory. I’m like an elephant. I never forget.”

Brick slapped his shoulder. “Look at you. All in tune with your feelings and shit.”

Dagger’s expression was priceless. “Fuck. I need to get laid.”

“How is that going to help?” I asked, trying hard not to laugh. The tears disappeared as quickly as they rushed to my eyes.

“Because if I’m going to be sensitive, I at least want my cock to benefit from it.”

Brick’s chest shook with laughter. “This is why I keep you around.”

“Personally, I think Rosy Palm and her five sisters have you covered.”

It was silent for one, maybe two, heartbeats before both men erupted into loud laughter.

“Shit. You got me there, Darlin’.”

Brick’s amused gaze swept over me. “Hesh’s sense of humor.”

“We’re all fucked,” Dagger agreed.

I took a big bite of pancake, chewing as the melted butter and syrup coated my tastebuds. “This is heaven.”

“I’m fucking amazing. What did you expect?”

I winked at Dagger. “You’re so screwed. I’m going to insist on this breakfast every chance I get.”

He puffed his chest. “I’m a keeper. You should ditch Brick and be mine. I need my ego inflated like this every fucking day.”

Brick punched him in the shoulder. “Asshole.”

I bit my lip to hide my smile.

After breakfast, I picked up a book, towel, and sunscreen and headed out the back sliding glass doors.

From the porch, it was a short walk to the pier, where my dad always kept a couple of small boats docked as well as the canoes.

A small one-room cabin housed all the equipment needed for water sports.

He’d built a little gazebo out there and hung fairy lights around the perimeter since my mom had declared it was her favorite spot on the property.

With the passage of time, the paint had faded and chipped a little, but it was no less beautiful.

Potted plants bloomed with color, and the ivy growing around the outside added to the charm.

Sunshine trickled through the gaps as I entered, noting that someone had recently replaced all the cushions.

They used to be pale green but now were lemony yellow, which made the interior feel warm and inviting.

Extra pillows in various shades of green and yellow completed the welcoming décor.

My mom used to hang plants inside the gazebo and on the wraparound porch. It was the one thing missing, and I intended to speak to Brick about it. It felt lacking somehow not to have them adding color and their fresh scents.

I cracked my book open, running my fingers over the spine.

It was one of my favorites, Jane Austen.

My mom gave me her copies as a teen, and I devoured them.

This particular binding was made of leather and a special edition of Pride and Prejudice that I cherished.

Mom must have left it here one summer before my father died.

Maybe she never had the heart to return here, but I’d change that.

We should spend time at this house and the river again.

It would do us both good and help us heal from the past.

Sometimes, I wondered if my mother ever got over his death.

“Ginny.”

So engrossed in Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett it took Brick calling my name more than once for me to drag my eyes away from the pages. “Yes?”

“It’s been hours, Babygirl. You hungry? Thirsty?”

Reluctantly, I closed the book. “Yes, actually.” I shrugged with a laugh. “Darcy never fails to draw me in.”

“I’d be jealous if he wasn’t a fictional character,” Brick joked.

“You should be nervous. He sets the bar quite high, you know.”

Brick didn’t mind I was teasing him. “Is that so? Higher than finding your childhood vacation home, fixing it up, and bringing you there just when you needed a little extra pick-me-up?”

“Oh, you’re good,” I admitted, setting the book on the cushion. “Darcy was rather arrogant as well.”

He snorted. “Does he ride a motorcycle and have all the ink I do? I’ve heard that’s a turn-on.”

Naughty man. I told him that exact thing once. “If he could have, I believe he probably would have done it to secure Elizabeth’s affection.”

“She must have had a wild nature.”

“You’ve no idea.”

Brick held out his hand. “Walk with me.”

I didn’t hesitate to place my hand in his, delighted when he slipped his fingers through mine and led me down the stairs and out of the gazebo. “Wow. The sun is so high.”

“You’ve been reading for hours, Babygirl. Thought you could use a break.”

“I’m glad you did.”

We walked toward the river and one of the largest trees that provided ample shade. As we drew closer, I noticed my mother’s red checkered tablecloth and wicker basket on the ground.

“A picnic!” I squealed, jerking Brick forward as I ran.

He laughed at my exuberance. “Glad you’re enjoying this, Ginny.”

“It’s perfect.” I released his hand and dropped to my knees, opening the basket to find a container of chicken salad, grapes, a bag of chips, a bag of pretzels, dip, a loaf of bread, and chocolate chip cookies. “This is a feast.”

“Enough for leftovers,” he agreed, taking a seat beside me.

We ate lunch, staring out at the river as we made trivial but comfortable conversation. Once I had my fill, I sipped on lemonade. Brick put all the food away and then leaned back against the tree.

“Come here.”

I rested against his chest, facing the water as he slid his arms around my waist. “This is nice.”

“It’s a ploy.”

I snorted. “To get close and seduce me?”

“Of course.”

We only had sex once since arriving at the safe house. “I’m beginning to wonder if you’re freaked out by my father’s ghost or something.”

“Nah. Just don’t want to overwhelm you, Ginny.”

I appreciated that. “Makes sense.”

“So, you’re okay, yeah?”

“Being here? Yes.”

He held me a little tighter. “You know what I’m asking.”

He wanted to be sure that I was handling captivity. “It’s not ideal, Brick. The situation sucks. I miss my family.”

“That’s to be expected.”

“Have you heard from Judge? What’s happening?”

Brick didn’t reply right away. “Club business, Babygirl. Gotta be careful how much I discuss.”

“But it’s my father’s death, my family in danger,” I reminded him.

“I’m aware, Ginny.”

“This sucks. You can’t tell me anything?”

“Just know the club is working on it. We won’t rest until Hesh is vindicated.”

“That could take months.” Okay, so I knew that was a possibility before, but now it seemed more daunting.

“And we discussed that.”

“We did, but I guess I didn’t think it would take this long.”

“Sweetheart, gathering intel and putting a plan into action takes time. There’s a lot of moving parts. Judge will do what’s best for the club.”

God. Sometimes, these bikers sounded brainwashed. I wouldn’t say that aloud, but allegiance like that was crazy. Didn’t anyone ever disagree? What about my dad?

“You’ve gone quiet on me,” he observed.

“I’m thinking.”

“About?”

“All the stuff I still don’t know about my father and how he died.”

Brick stiffened beneath me. “What do you mean?”

“He was shot while riding home from the clubhouse, right?”

“Yeah.”

“After church?”

“That’s right.”

“Why was he riding alone? What happened at church that day? Did you all suspect something was going down? Because there was an emergency meeting. My dad told me about it on Saturday when we went for ice cream.”

Brick sighed. “I know this isn’t easy.”

“Don’t placate me.” I spun around, daring him to refuse to answer. “These questions are important.”

“I agree. They’ve been answered at table.”

At table? “Your church?”

“Yes. It’s club business.”

Right. I didn’t mean to get irritated, but it was an inevitable emotion, considering the lack of information. “Brick.”

“You understand that there are things I can’t tell you because it places you in further danger. I can’t divulge club business. It’s in the bylaws.”

Fuck the bylaws right now. “I’m in a safe house because I was nearly killed. I deserve to know why.”

“Rival club. You already know.”

“But that’s not all,” I answered. “It can’t be.”

“We’re still sorting through what we know and what we’re piecing together. The Crimson Skulls are back. That’s fucking dangerous for everyone involved, not just your family.”

“I understand that.” Sighing, I set my empty cup aside. “But why was my father singled out? Why him , Brick?”

“That I don’t know.”

Frowning, I wasn’t sure I believed him. I couldn’t help feeling like he was hiding something. “Do you plan to find out?”

“Of course, Ginny. Why would you think that I wouldn’t?” His voice held tension, and his body language proved he was irritated. Maybe not with me, but with the situation and lack of answers.

“So, what? We wait for the club to figure it out?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t like it. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Judge or the Desert Titans. I just didn’t know if anyone besides me and Brick felt as invested in finding the truth.

Was the club hell-bent on vengeance? Yes. On wiping out the Crimson Skulls? Also, yes. But that didn’t mean I’d ever find out the whole truth of what went down that day.

“Why can’t we do some digging on our own?”

His brows lifted. I surprised him. “Don’t know that you’d get anywhere. Our IT guy has been deep in the dark web for weeks. There’s no way he’s missing anything that you’d find.”

Wow. Rude.

And probably accurate. My shoulders slumped. “I just want to know what happened to him and why he died. No bullshit, Brick.”

“I get that, Babygirl. I do.”

“Then help me.”

“I’m already doing that.”

Debatable. “But we’ve learned nothing so far.”

“It’s not been long enough, Ginny. Give it a little more time.”

Patience was not my strongest characteristic.

“What if staying here is the wrong move? What if placing me in a safe house is preventing us from exposing the CSMC?”

“Doubt it.”

“But I don’t want to stay here. Not after this.”

He shook his head. I knew this wouldn’t work, but I still had to try.

“I’m not risking you, Ginny,” he explained for the tenth time in the last week. “Your safety is my priority.”

“For how long?”

“Until the threat is eliminated.”

Hearing that didn’t make me feel any better.

“Hey, sweetheart. One day at a time, yeah?”

I didn’t have another choice. “Okay.”

Brick gently pulled me back onto his lap, surrounding me with his warmth, and it was the only thing providing peace in the storm raging within.

Brick’s Redemption is available now, click here to read: Brick’s Redemption