Page 21 of Iron

“Ky found a new project,” Mouse said. “He wants to run it by you before he buys it. He says it won’t turn much of a profit by the time he does everything he needs to do, but I can tell he really wants this one. A, uh…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. After a moment of tapping on the screen, he slid it across the table to me. “That.”

“Hmmm,” I hummed as I looked at the picture. The thing was in rough shape. I would approve it just to see what he could do with the hunk of rusted out junk.

“I secretly think he wants to work on it with Chry,” Mouse slipped in there like he somehow needed to guilt me into getting the damn thing.

“Tell him to go for it,” I said handing the phone back to Mouse. “Are you going to get the little guy those tools he asked for? His birthday is comin’ up soon.”

“Of course I am,” Mouse said like it shouldn’t have even been a question. He’d give that kid anything he asked for. But not to the point Chry was spoiled.

“You wanna do a party here?”

“Yeah, for sure. Ingram is going to make him a chocolate cake. I think she’s planning something with the girls so we wouldn’t have to worry.”

“Tell her to get me the list. I’ll have the prospects go to the store and get everything they need,” I told him. I was going to send someone along with them just to make sure they didn’t fuck it up, though. Mouse didn’t need to know that, he had his hands full already with the two kids and the club shit. Anything I could do to make his life easier, I was gonna do.

“Alright,” Mouse said as he got to his feet. “I’m going to get some shit done. I’ll pick up the pizzas in a bit.”

With an exchanged chin jerk, he headed out.

“You still seein’ that woman. What was her name?” I asked Mason. “Cynthia?”

“Yeah, that was it. No, it fizzled out pretty quick. I think there was some guy at her work she wanted to start seein’.”

“You upset about it?” I asked, my head turning so I could take in his expression.

His brows pinched together for a quick second before he answered.

“No,” he answered with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, she was fun. But there wasn’t much else there.”

I chuckled knowing what he meant.

“She was kind of young, huh?”

“Don’t give me shit, I’ve seen some of the women you use to take up to your place.” His brow raised and a knowing smirk spread across the left side of his face.

I didn’t miss the way he said it in the past. I shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d taken notice that I hadn’t had much interest in anyone that came around the club lately.

“Things with her that serious?” he asked me after a long beat of silence had slipped by.

How the hell was I supposed to answer that question?

“Okay, a better question, then,” he said before I could answer him. “Do you want it to be something serious?”

I cut my eyes over to him. He knew Petra well enough to know that it didn’t matter what I wanted. That woman would always have the top. She’d always keep the best hand and play it when she was damn well ready to. No amount of me wantin’ and wishin’ would make that shit change.

“What I get is close enough to what I want. And since my dick doesn’t see anyone else it wants lately, I’ll take what I get.”

“That’s all the answer I need,” he said and had the damn nerve to chuckle.

“I’ve got nothing but time. I’ll make my move when it’s right, and there will be no going back. I’ll make damn sure she understands that.” I pinned him with my eyes so he could see how damn serious I was about Petra.

“No offense, brother, but anyone that falls for a woman like Petra Novak is fucked. And you,” he pointed at me with a mocking finger, “are fucked.”

“I’m not fucked.” I wasn’t. In no way did I feel that way.

Had I fallen for the icy woman with a deadly air?

Hell, I didn’t even know what it was to be in love so how the fuck should I know?