Page 16

Callie

T hat conversation had been so embarrassing.

I wanted to crawl up my own ass and die.

Sunny had been kind but to the point. I drove back to the house and allowed my angst to drain away.

Keeping hold of negative feelings never worked, and all it caused was drama and grief.

When I had been a child, I’d learned to let go of what most people held onto.

Unwanted, I might have been, but I was a quick learner.

The truth was, deep down, I wanted to belong to someone or something.

Ghost Seekers had filled a part of that longing, but being the centre of somebody’s world was a dream that wouldn’t come true for me.

Hell, I wasn’t looking to be Sunny’s old lady, but I’d hoped he’d appreciated that night as much as me.

And it turned out he didn’t remember it!

I shook myself. I had to stop harping on about it.

Reality was, I was not the only woman who’d slept with a man and then been forgotten.

That shit hurt, but not as much as being lashed with chains or some of the other physical punishments I had received.

Sunny had forgotten about our crazy sex, wit-woo, so be it.

I’d move forward, being careful who I let into my life. Lesson learned.

Sunny

He sat on his bike, trying to drum up the courage to walk up the path and knock.

Sunny had no idea how this would go down, but knowing Chance, it wouldn’t be easy.

He scratched his stomach as he tried to figure out the right approach and jumped as the front door opened and Chance filled the entrance.

“You coming in or what?” Chance demanded.

“Yeah. I need to talk to you about something,” Sunny replied, swinging off his Harley.

“Kids are here, so we’ll speak outside. Won’t get any privacy if we go in,” Chance said and motioned towards some Adirondack chairs. Sunny took one as Chance disappeared and reappeared, holding two bottles of beer.

“How does it feel knowing you’re that much older than Clio?” Sunny asked as Chance sat and handed him a bottle.

Chance looked surprised, but considered his answer. “Truth is, it doesn’t matter. She’s Clio. My woman. I worship the ground she walks on, and it does not bother me who knows.”

“Did you have doubts?”

“Nope. Well, not at first, but sure, I did consider the gap. Especially when I realised I could die, and she might have twenty years left before she joins me. When Clio hits fifty, I’ll be seventy-five.

That’s a scary thought. If I live to eighty, Clio will be fifty-five, young enough to get with someone else.

Yes, sometimes the age gap does a number on me, but then I remember the love Clio brought me, and I’d not swap that for nothing. ”

“I see.” Sunny turned Chance’s words over in his head as Chance gave him space. “I like Callie,” Sunny blurted.

“Callie?” Chance asked, surprised.

“Yeah. We’ve gotten close over the last few years and developed a friendship. But I want more, and I believe Callie does as well. I’m here to ask permission to date her.”

Chance chewed his lip as his gaze raked Sunny’s face. Sunny tried to hide the guilt but knew he was failing.

“You slept with her?” Chance growled.

“A one-night stand eight months ago. I want more.”

“Is that why Callie hasn’t been around?”

“No. She genuinely overbooked her schedule,” Sunny replied confidently, even though he wasn’t sure. Had Callie done that to escape the embarrassment she’d felt and to avoid facing him?

“You are going to meet me in the ring. Callie is a sister to me,” Chance snapped.

“Guessed that was coming. I still want permission to date her,” Sunny pressed.

Chance studied him. “Know you’re a good man. Also aware you do not mistreat women. But you got this suspicion hanging around you, and you ain’t resolved it yet. Don’t know if I can give my agreement on this, Sunny.”

“Oh, shut up,” Clio exclaimed from behind. “Will you treat Callie right, Sunny?”

“Fuck, yeah!”

“You’ll make her feel a queen like Chance does me and ensure she doesn’t go without?”

“I’m not sure what’s in our future, but know this: I want to get to know Callie better and make something with her. I can see a relationship, but Callie’s feelings need to be considered, too,” Sunny answered honestly.

Clio smacked Chance around the back of his head. “Give Sunny permission.”

“Clio,” Chance said, pained. “I’m the president.”

Clip slapped him a second time. “She’s my sister, give him freaking permission or no sex tonight.”

“You have permission,” Chance exclaimed quickly.

Sunny began laughing. “Wow, that’s all it took?”

“Thalia and Bear are having the kids overnight. Chance is going to get loud and dirty sex, but if he withheld permission…” Clio left the threat hanging. “Of course, he’s still gonna beat the crap out of you in the ring.”

“Naturally,” Sunny muttered as Chance beamed.

“Tomorrow,” Chance said.

Sunny nodded, resigned.

◆◆◆

Chance could’ve hit harder but didn’t, and Sunny knew it.

Even so, he’d still have bruises, and Sunny’s ribs hurt.

He was sure they were bruised. Funnily enough, Chance had left his face alone.

Chance had stated that he did not want Callie getting with Sunny out of sympathy for his poor, injured features.

Nor did Chance want Callie embarrassed if Sunny took her out by the marks Chance would’ve caused.

Either way, Sunny knew he could be in a lot worse pain. Chance had taken his pound of flesh and walked away happily. Sunny didn’t blame him. Family members were off limits, and they all knew it. You had to get permission to date someone related to a brother. Sunny had that now.

He headed for a flower shop and looked around, bewildered. He’d not really bought flowers before. Cherry liked glittery things, and Liv preferred a book or Punko Pop.

“Who did you upset, and how much do you want to spend?” the woman behind the counter asked.

“Not upset anyone that I know of,” Sunny responded, bemused.

“Wow, a Hellfire brother in my shop for a reason other than pacifying their old lady?” she teased, and Sunny laughed.

“Guess my brothers give you a lot of business?”

“Yup, me, the jeweller’s a couple of doors down, and the soap and candle shop,” she replied. “I’ll say this, when you guys apologise, you do it properly.”

“Thank you. This isn’t an apology. This is I want to date you,” Sunny said.

The woman blinked. “Well, thanks, but this is the first time we’ve met, and I don’t know you.”

“Oh shit. No, I do not want to date you, but the lady I’m sending flowers to.”

“Ah, that makes sense. I was about to hit the panic button then.” She laughed. “So, this is a woman you want to date?”

“Yup. And I’ve no idea what to buy her. She’s also younger than me.”

“No old lady flowers then.”

“Is that a thing?” Sunny asked, and the girl laughed again.

“No. I was teasing you. How big do you want to go?”

“Enough to attract her attention, but not too big it frightens her,” Sunny replied.

“Okay. Would you like to wait?” the woman—her name badge said Lilac—inquired as she rounded the counter and began picking flowers.

“No. Do you deliver?”

“Yes, if you want to pop to the soaps and candle shop, it’s called Heavenly Delights and add a gift bag to your order, we’ll deliver that too,” Lilac offered.

“Thanks,” Sunny replied and headed in that direction.

◆◆◆

One hundred and fifty bucks lighter, Sunny hoped Callie would enjoy her gifts. He’d signed the card with a simple message. ‘See you soon, Sunny.’ That would get Callie wondering.

As he walked to his bike, he paused as he saw a man watching him.

Sunny’s eyes narrowed; the guy looked familiar, but Sunny couldn’t place him.

He turned away and disappeared into the crowd.

Sunny frowned but carried on toward his Harley.

He switched his mind to the problem of the traitor. It was time to check in with his team.

◆◆◆

“You can rule out Chance, Bear, Big Al, Rooster, Diesel, Chatter, and Celt,” Solace stated.

“Sure?”

“Yeah, we’ve followed them for several months, they ain’t dirty,” Acker’s replied.

“We haven’t cleared many,” Sunny mused.

“Nope. But you’ve got us focussing on one person at a time. And we’re taking it in shifts to watch them. They might not do anything illegal at once, which is why we guessed we’d need at least four to five months watching them,” Diaz explained.

“Acker, have you picked any scuttlebutt up as a candidate?”

“No, but some of them are fuckin’ assholes. If Hellfire vote for them to prospect, you’re idiots,” Acker’s replied.

“Give me names at the end of the meeting. I’ll make sure I vote nay,” Sunny said.

“We’re getting there, Sunny, but you knew it would take time,” Diaz added.

“We’ve got Shee, Levi, Pyro, Tiny, and Shotgun left,” Solace mused, tapping her finger on the list.

“Still too many to point the finger at.” Sunny sighed.

“You got a gut feeling or something?” Acker’s asked.

“They all know why I am back. I’m feeling the pressure,” Sunny admitted.

“If we speed up the surveillance, we risk missing something. I’m pretty sure we can clear Pyro from the list, but boy does he have a fucking secret,” Solace muttered.

“He has an alter-ego called Justice? Figured that one out myself.” Sunny shook his head in disbelief and discovering that little gem.

“The man is fucked, but if he weren’t messing with the guilty who the law let off, I’d have a problem. As it is, justice is being wrought, not got a problem with that,” Diaz commented.

“Do we keep going? You’re paying us for this, and it’s costing a fortune,” Ashford asked.

“I got money. That ain’t an issue. This has been hanging over my head for twenty years. I just need to know who it is,” Sunny replied.

“Then we will keep watching and digging. We’ll get him,” Diaz said reassuringly.

“Yeah, and he’ll pay when I find out who,” Sunny promised.

“Amen to that,” Ashford muttered.

Callie