Page 8 of Georgie (Sons of Hell MC #10)

Josie

“Mom?”

The voice startled me, and I shot up, my eyes blinking furiously. “It wasn’t me!” I declared, feeling accused by the universe itself.

My dad’s laughter filled the room, and I groaned again.

“A little too much fun, huh?” he muttered as I rubbed my temples.

“You smell funny.” Jasmine scrunched her nose, as if she’d just discovered a new species of mold.

“That’s the scent of regret, girl. Remember it well,” my dad said, always full of life lessons as I glared at him. I took the glass of water and aspirin from him. “Unless you’d prefer the hair of the dog?” He winked, and I rolled my eyes.

“Shut up, old man,” I grumbled affectionately.

As I swallowed the pills, my head throbbed in time with the chorus of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.”

Great, now I had an angry metal band in my head.

“Thanks, Dad,” I muttered, downing the whole glass of water.

The pills felt like tiny buoys, keeping me afloat in a sea of self-pity and beer-induced haze. I knew I had to pull myself together, but the couch seemed to have other plans, keeping me glued to its comfort.

My dad’s chuckle rumbled through the room, a familiar sound from my childhood, usually followed by a lesson on life.

This time was no different.

“You know, your mother and I—”

I held up my hand, stopping him mid-sentence. “Please, Dad. Not the ‘when we were your age’ speech. I get it; I screwed up. Now I have to fix it.”

Jasmine chose that moment to jump onto the couch, her gangly limbs and boundless energy a stark contrast to my sluggish state.

“Jump again,” I cautioned, glaring at my daughter, “and I will ship you off to boarding school.”

My daughter, so much like my dad, narrowed her eyes and smiled sweetly. “And I will tell Jasper how Grandpa bribed Mrs. Cohen—”

My dad moved fast, slapping his hand over Jasmine’s mouth. “Girl, are you trying to get me killed?”

Frowning, I looked at my dad. “What is she talking about?”

“Nothing. Just silly nonsense. You know how little girls are,” the obviously guilty man said, shoving Jasmine out of the room, but not before slapping a few twenties in her hand as my daughter smiled happily up at the guilty party before skipping out of the room.

Shaking my head, I was in no mood to figure out what the hell those two were up to. Knowing them, it could be anything.

“You know, sometimes you just have to embrace the chaos, kiddo,” my dad said.

“Life’s a wild ride, and you can either hang on for dear life or enjoy the view.

Your choice.” I smiled, grateful for his wisdom, even if it was delivered with a side of cheeky humor.

“Now, enough moping. Let’s get you some food.

Can’t fight the world on an empty stomach. ”

“Where is Jasper?” I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.

And just like that my father groaned. “In his room with another one of those stupid bird books.”

At least one of my kids had the decency to be quiet this morning.

“There is nothing wrong with an educational book, Dad,” I muttered, a faint smile crossing my lips as I thought of my son, Jasper. His quiet demeanor and love for nature always brought a sense of calm to the chaos that often surrounded us.

“That boy needs more friends,” my dad moaned.

I shook my head, knowing he was right. Jasper was my mini-me, a quiet, observant soul in a house full of loud, chaotic personalities.

“And what about Jasmine?” I asked, only half-joking.

My dad’s laughter filled the room once more. “Oh, I ain’t worried about her. She’s going places.”

“Yeah, straight to the Virginia State Women’s Correctional Facility.”

Hungover, I sat behind my desk regretting every one of my life’s decisions when Devlyn walked into my office, all smiles. “Good morning, bitch!”

“Go away, Dev. Not in the mood.”

“I heard the most delicious news this morning,” my best friend said, plopping her ass on my desk. “I heard that a certain scrumptious doctor hooked up with the town’s most eligible heiress.”

“Who told you?” I muttered, laying my head on my desk.

I should have known my indiscretion would hit the Rosewood Gossip Hotline before sunup.

“Oh, girl.” Dev chuckled. “It was pretty obvious last night by the way you were trying to climb that man like a tree. But I heard it from a reliable source that you were seen doing the walk of shame as you left the clubhouse early this morning. Tell me, Josie, inquiring minds want to know. Is the good doctor’s bedside manner just as good as his customer satisfaction rating? ”

“I swear, if you sing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” I will throw this stapler at your head,” I groaned, lifting my head from the cool surface of my desk.

The fluorescent lighting in my office wasn’t doing my pounding headache any favors.

“And for the love of God, Dev, move your butt. That’s a stack of important paperwork, not your personal throne. ”

Devlyn just cackled, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh, Josie, you know I can’t resist a good scoop.

Now, spill the tea. Was it true love’s kiss or just a one-night stand?

Did he sweep you off your feet or was it a ‘wham, bam, thank you, ma’am’ situation?

And more importantly, how was the aftercare?

We all know that’s a true testament to a man’s character.

” She waggled her eyebrows, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“Ugh, do we have to do this now? My brain feels like it’s trying to escape my skull and I’m pretty sure I’m still drunk,” I moaned, rubbing my temples.

“Fine, yes, it happened. But it was a mistake. One that I deeply regret.” I paused, remembering the way his lips moved over mine, his hands touching every inch of my body, the way I screamed out his name many, many times.

“Okay, maybe not that much of a mistake. But still, it’s complicated. ”

“What’s complicated?” Dev asked. “You’ve been in love with that man for months. Now his cock is focused on you. What more could you want?”

“It’s not like that between us, Dev. He doesn’t like me that way.”

“Bullshit,” my friend snarked, jumping off my desk. “I saw the way he was looking at you last night. We all saw it. That man is in love with you.”

“We’re just friends,” I moaned. “It was a one-off. It will never happen again.”

“Friends don’t look at each other the way he did last night, Josie,” Devlyn said, raising an eyebrow. “And they definitely don’t spend the night breaking in a mattress. Face it, you’re head over heels for each other.”

I sighed, knowing she was right. “I just don’t want to jinx it,” I muttered. “Besides, it’s not like we made any grand declarations of love. It was a moment of passion, that’s all.”

“A moment of passion that could lead to something more,” Devlyn insisted. “You two are perfect for each other. And I, for one, cannot wait to see where this goes.”

I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. “You’re incorrigible, you know that? Always meddling.”

“I’ve got nothing better to do. Besides, I can live vicariously through you, and it won’t bite me in the ass in the morning,” she said with a wink.

“Gator still bothering you?”

“Not talking about him,” she huffed, immediately changing the subject. “Now, enough about me. I have a feeling your hangover isn’t going to cure itself. Let’s get you some coffee and aspirin, and we can figure out your next move.”