Page 76 of Preacher Man

Direct hit, baby. He knew, but still.

Red Light laughed humorlessly and strode across the shop, somehow, despite the tension in the air, people had started back at the work again, power drills and hammering started, the noise finally penetrated through his ears. “Babe, how many chicks do you think he puts on his bike?”

“That's none of my concern and I don’t care.”

“Zero. So, when I say you needed to know what he’s capable of. I mean it. You matter to him, that much is clear.”

“Is your sister damaged in any way?”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’m trying to understand why you’d be a giant dick about this. Sure, he did a shitty thing, from what I can see, it wasn’t his choice to do that, crap happens, right? So, is your sister ruined by what happened, is that why you’ve kept up this vendetta? Because, Red Light, is it? As far as I can tell, you’re being cruel for dick’s sake. I mean, that just might be your personality, I don't know you, but as an outsider, I only see cruelty.”

A tick worked Red’s jaw. “No, she’s fine.” He answered reluctantly, but it didn’t even register with Preacher.

Holy fuck.

Ruby. His sweet Ruby going to bat for him.

Some of the tautness in his torso lessened and he breathed finally, letting air in and blowing it out.

“Babe. Believe whatever you want, you’re gonna anyway, you’re on the back of his bike.”Excuse me? Her eyes seemed to convey. He adored that look on her.

“What the hell does that even mean? Preacher?”

“It’s nothing, Ruby. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“It means you’resomethingto him. And someone to him only gets hurt.”

“Oh, fuck you, Red. Seriously, fuck you. Haven’t you ever made a mistake?“ Hissed Preacher stepping back into this nightmare conversation, Red was stomping all over his last damn nerve. “I forgot you’re so damn perfect. I’m fucking done trying to fix this. Go fucking boo-hoo to someone else. The next time you see me I won’t be apologizing. I’m never saying sorry again, are you hearing me, brother?”

Red Light’s face was flushed It was a hot day, made hotter still from the fraught tension bouncing between them. Preacher meant every word. There was no forgiveness where acceptance was not offered, he couldn’t atone if Red wouldn’t meet him halfway.

It sucked. It fucking sucked. He considered him a club brother and he knew this shit was going to piss Rider off because he wanted Red back in the Colorado chapter one of these days. It would come down to it that Preacher needed to leave, both men wouldn’t coexist in the same town without coming to hateful blows.

His pulse arrested for a second then drove into high gear catching the understanding glance from Ruby.

She was flooring him. Why wasn’t she scared of him? Why wasn’t she running from him?

He walked over to her, caught up her hand, lacing her long skinny fingers through his and felt another blow when she squeezed his hand.

Goddamn, he was a second away from blubbing like a baby for her support.

“I’ll say one more thing then you can consider me a ghost, Red. We are club brothers, you might not want it, or like it, but you ever get in trouble I’ll be there. But this here between us, I won’t participate it any longer. You need anything, you can call. You wanna hate me until I go toes up, that’s fine, I won’t get in your face again and If I come through town we’ll keep it strictly club business.“

Preacher always hated silence. He’d rather a person come out and say whatever they had on their mind, because why keep it in? It just sat stagnant inside a person growing poison. He had emotional pain right in his breastbone, it was constant. Being hated by a brother was one step down from pond scum.

Red’s gaze held his. His body language relaxed now as if nothing volatile had occurred between the men.

He ignored Preacher altogether. “It was good to meet ya, babe.”

Pity I can’t say the same.Her gorgeous eyes said with the prettiest brow arched high on her forehead.

Fuck. Preacher was done for. He grinned and felt the pressure in his sternum release. He gripped her hand and walked them out.

“Well that was a turd full of laughs,” she remarked once they reached his bike. He helped her on with the helmet.

“I’m sorry he dragged you into that, Ruby,” he wore a grimace waiting until she climbed on the bike behind him, he touched her thigh briefly and felt her arms go around him. Perfect skinny arms that fit his body perfectly. He was still vibrating from head to toe, mostly frustration for this goddamn Groundhog Day show that never seemed to see his shadow, it was an endless loop of nagging antagonism, the tit for tat was growing old.