Page 29

“ B oss, I get the importance of this, but did we really have to get here so damn early?” Sinner takes off his sunshades as he takes his spot around the table, and now that everyone’s here, Raze slams the gavel.

“We all know why we’re here.” His eyes look out the glass window to where Greaser is sitting at the bar, and I notice how Vike’s are focused on him, too. He ain’t looking happy about having him back.

“Greaser came to me last night, apologized for the way he left, and asked if I’d consider taking him back as a member of our charter. As ya all know, that’s a club decision, not mine. So we’re gonna put it to a vote.”

“How does havin’ him back benefit us?” Ruckus asks, still looking bitter over how he left.

“Well, there's strength in numbers, and the way we keep getting tested, having an extra member could come in handy,” Raze points out, not giving away how he really feels about having Greaser back.

“And you believe that he shares your opinion on how things are gonna be run from now on?” Wrath checks, also looking wary.

“I’m more concerned about what's made him wanna come back.” Vike narrows his eyes through the glass so coldly, I swear he could cut through it.

“Well, I’m assuming it’s got somethin’ to do with the kid Griller fucked into Saul’s sister,” Sinner shrugs, massaging his temples. His words aggravate Vike even more, but he does his best to hide it.

“I believe that's true, and I also believe it’s making him view things a little differently. I guess he wants Long Beach to be a safe place for his niece or nephew to grow up in,” Raze points out.

“Niece,” Vike interrupts. “Alicia’s having a little girl,” he growls.

“C’mon, boss, I thought your old lady would have told ya that by now,” Ruck laughs, but the seriousness on Raze’s face doesn't change.

“I want a yay or a nay from each of ya.” He rests back in his chair and looks to Wrath first.

“Yay.” Wrath nods, not looking entirely convinced.

“Dev?” He comes to me next.

“Yay.” I’m down for building numbers, especially if I’m gonna end up bailing on these guys and heading back to Nebraska; from what I heard last night, Greaser’s come back with good intentions.

“Yay from me.” Sinner backs him, too.

“Squatch?” Raze reminds him he’s up next.

“Yay.” He nods, looking back over his shoulder toward the barroom and giving Greaser a look of warning.

“How about you, Rocco?” Raze moves on to our newest member.

“More the fuckin’ merrier, I say yay.” He nods proudly.

“Vike?” Raze looks at him across the table.

“Nay.” His voice cracks and his eyes narrow as he continues looking out the damn window toward Greaser. I look out at him, too, and see he’s got his head down, actually looking a little nervous. Maybe coming home is more important to him than I thought.

“Tawk?” Raze moves on.

“Yay,” he agrees, looking up from the point of the knife he’s sharpening.

“What about you, Ruck?” Raze finally comes to his Sergeant at Arms, and Ruckus looks down the table at Vike apologetically before he nods.

“It’s a yay from me, too,” he answers.

“Then it’s decided. Rocco, go call him in.” Raze stands from his seat at the head of the table and waits until Greaser is standing at the other end.

“We took your request into consideration and made the vote,” he explains.

“And?” Greaser looks as if he’s gonna combust from waiting.

“Welcome home, brother.” Raze tosses the Long Beach patch across the table at him, and we all clap our hands. All of us, except for Vike, who sits with his arms crossed and snarls.

“This is gonna be fun.” Sinner leans across and whispers before standing up and welcoming Greaser back with a pat on the shoulder.

Vike didn’t stick around for the celebrity breakfast Polly put on.

He stormed outta church as soon as Raze slammed the gavel and left the clubhouse.

Raze didn’t hang around for long either.

He said he had some business to take care of, but I could tell from the way he was looking that he just wanted to be alone.

I know how he feels. These days, I much prefer my own company. I like being alone with my thoughts, even if they all seem to be about her.

“Looks like I’m sticking around.” Greaser heads over to the girls' table to tell Alicia, and I can’t read how she feels about that just from her face.

“That's great.” She smiles, looking awkward. I don’t know if she noticed the way Vike left, I don’t even know if she has any idea how bad he’s got it for her.

I guess the girl’s got enough of her own problems to worry about.

Having her kid’s uncle here should help a little with that.

I’ve never been Greaser’s biggest fan, but I know that when it comes to family, he steps up.

I sit with Sinner and eat my breakfast; neither of us has much to say.

He’s hung over, which means it won't be long before he lets Saint take over the suffering.

“Dev, we need to talk to you.” I look up and see the girls all standing in a very intimidating semicircle around our table.

“Can I help you ladies?” I ask, putting down my fork so they know they got all my attention.

“We want to invite Millie to Alicia’s baby shower. She’s been through a lot, and she’s a nice girl. She deserve–”

“Fine,” I cut Peyton off before she’s even gotten started.

“Oh.” She looks at Eden, a little shocked.

“I won’t be attending no baby shower, anyway.” I shrug, getting up to take my plate to the hatch.

“Well, we’re holding the shower here,” Freya points out, causing me to stop and turn around.

“Here?” I check I’m hearing her right.

“Yeah, here. Why not here?” Eden bites back, shocking me a little with her tone. “Sorry.” She must see the way I step back because she bites her lip. “Hormones.” She giggles, and I look over toward Wrath, feeling fuckin’ sorry for him.

“But she has a point, why not here?” Peyton questions me with ‘Prez’s old lady energy’ oozing outta her.

“Ummm, let me think. Because this is a biker’s fuckin’ clubhouse,” I remind her and everyone else who’s listening. “Surely you can think of a better venue to hold one of those shower things than here?”

“It’s safe here. Polly can easily do the catering, and we plan on having it out on the balcony,” she states her case.

“We’re gonna dress it up real pretty,” Lettie adds with an excited smile on her face.

Sinner bursts out laughing, and suddenly all the girls’ eyes fall on him.

“What’s funny, wise guy?” Eden challenges him.

“You girls are what’s funny.” He shakes his head and places a cigarette between his lips.

“Sin,” Wrath calls out from the bar, and when Sinner looks over, he’s got a stern ass look on his face. “You're gonna swallow that thing lit if you spark it up near my wife,” he warns.

“Excuse me while I go bash my head against a wall till Saint comes back.” Sinner gets up off his chair and heads out the door, leaving me to deal with the girls by myself.

“Look, you all know how I feel about Millie being here. If you wanna invite her to the shower, hold it somewhere else.” I turn my back and go to follow Sinner; I’d better go check that he ain’t really banging his head against a brick wall.

“You're so selfish, you know that?” I turn around and see Freya looking at me in disgust. “Don’t you get that she’s lonely?

She needs friends around her right now. She wants to remember all the good things she shared with Corey.

You need to find a new way of coping, Dev, because being cruel to her ain’t fucking cool.

” She storms her way across the bar to be with Ruck, who simply shrugs his shoulders at me like he agrees with her.

“Fuck this,” I mutter under my breath, barging out the door to my bike so I can get outta here. Instead of banging his head into the wall, I catch Sinner going inside the motel with Trinity; moving on past them, I get on my bike and head back toward home.

I’m not feeling like company today, in fact, I don’t feel like doing anything at all.

I hate the fact that Freya is right. I am being selfish.

Millie deserves better, but I just can’t let her have it.

Having her at the club has already had its consequences.

I fuckin’ kissed her, and I would have killed that kid last night if she hadn’t told me not to.

I don’t like the way some of my club brothers look at her. I hate that the fact she’s unclaimed makes her anyone’s game, and having her there makes me wanna write mine all over her fuckin’ forehead.

I spoke to Sinner a few days ago about heading back to Nebraska.

She wouldn’t be a temptation there; she could hang out at the clubhouse, and get the kinda friendships outta the girls that she needs.

Coming here to Long Beach was mine and Corey’s fresh start, now he ain’t here, it don’t feel the same.

“What the—” I get irritated all over again when I see Millie sitting on my doorstep in her cute little diner dress, and as I pull up onto the drive, she stands on her feet, straightening it out and looking embarrassed.

“What the fuck are you doin’ here?” I ask, kicking down my stand and balancing my bike. Why does she have to be so damn pretty? It makes keeping my hands off her so much harder to do.

“Don’t leave.” She looks at me desperately, her eyes puffy from crying, and her chest rising and falling frantically. “You can’t leave. I?—”

“How the hell did you…Where has all this come from?” I start wondering if the girl can read my fuckin’ mind.

“Beatrix heard Sinner talking about it; he said you might go back to Nebraska. But you can’t. You can’t leave Long Beach, Dev. I need you here.” She shakes her head and swallows the lump in her throat, and her eyes look up into mine like she’s petrified.

“Please, Dev.” She takes a step forward, and when she places her hand over mine, I ain’t got the strength to stop her.

“You feel that, don’t you?” she asks, gripping me tighter. “Your mind is telling you it’s wrong, but everything else–”

“No!” I cut her off before she starts trying to make how I feel seem okay.

“Stop lying to me, and to yourself,” she begs.

“Millie–” My voice comes out weak

“No. Don’t you dare do that. Don’t tell me I’m wrong or that I’m imagining this, because it makes me crazy.”

“Millie, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go inside.” I glance over the hedge where Jean is pretending to check her mail and listening in.

“Oh.” She drops her shoulders and looks a little surprised. “Fine, if that's what you want.” Keeping her head up, she waits until I’ve opened the door before marching past me victoriously, and I can’t help but check out her ass as she does it, even if it does earn me a judgmental frown from Jean.