Page 52 of Scatter the Bones (Lost Kings MC #26)

Her sympathetic tone suggests she already knows what happened. My cheeks warm and I shrug.

“We’re still waitin’ on Serena too,” Shelby says.

“You bang on Grinder’s door like you did ours?” Jigsaw says to Rooster.

Rooster sweeps his hand toward the door. “Be my guest.”

Jigsaw takes a step forward, then hesitates. “Nah. They’ve got Link with them. I don’t want to scare the little guy.”

“Exactly,” Rooster says, in that slow, exaggerated tone that sounds like a verbal pat on the head.

My lips twitch with laughter I’m holding back.

Shelby catches it and gently bumps her elbow against my side. “They’re always like this. Worse, if you can believe it.”

“It’s fun.” The smile slides from my mouth as I glance at Rooster again. From what Jigsaw’s told me, Rooster’s been an important part of his life—probably even saved his life more than once—for a long time. “There’s a lot of love under all that teasing.”

Shelby nods, slow and thoughtful. “Mmmhmm. They’ll never admit it, but it’s there.”

“Yes.” Rooster throws a patient look in Jigsaw’s direction. “Don’t know why, though.”

Jigsaw widens his eyes and waves his hand toward Rooster’s face. “Who else is going to tell you when that collection of tumbleweeds on your chin is out of control?”

Rooster strokes his hand over his impeccably groomed full beard. “All I hear is jealousy, brother. Keep eating your veggies. Maybe that scruff will turn into a big boy beard one day.”

Jigsaw rumbles with laughter, not the least bit offended. They know exactly how far to push each other, always dancing close to the line but never crossing it. Their teasing always seems wrapped in affection, not malice.

Grinder’s door clicks open and the older biker steps into the hallway.

With his broad back to us, he half-turns and glances into the room, one arm casually braced against the doorframe, waiting patiently.

A few seconds later, Serena emerges, cradling a chunky baby in her arms, her long blond ponytail swaying as she balances his weight against her hip.

Grinder leans in, brushing a kiss over Serena’s cheek, then another against the top of the baby’s head.

He murmurs something to her, too low for me to make out.

When he turns toward us, all softness disappears.

His expression sharpens, posture shifting—shoulders squared, chin lifted, eyes scanning with quiet intensity.

The change is subtle but unmistakable. Yup, it makes sense that he’s the club’s enforcer.

It’s hard to reconcile this commanding, quietly protective man with the way those club girls dismissed him last night—“that old guy who got outta prison.” Casually cruel.

So far off the mark, it’s almost laughable.

I’m so happy he kicked their asses to the curb. I only wish I’d been able to watch.

“Morning,” he says, voice calm but clipped.

His eyes zero in on me. “How’re you doing today, Margot?”

“Much better.” I reach for Jigsaw’s hand, squeezing his fingers to anchor myself.

“Hey, lil’ mama.” Shelby hurries to Serena’s side, giving her a gentle one-armed hug while peeking at the baby. “And good mornin’, lil’ butterbean.”

Serena giggles and Lincoln gives a soft, squawky protest, squirming in her arms.

“I’ll take him, buttercup.” Grinder slides the baby from her hold with practiced ease, tucking him against his chest. He tips his chin toward the hallway. “Why’re we all standing around here? Let’s go.”

“Uh, we were waiting for you, Grumpy.” Jigsaw coughs into his fist. “I mean, Grinder.”

“Keep that shit up,” he growls, cutting a sharp glare at Jigsaw. “You and Z, with the grumpy shit.”

“To be fair, I think Wrath started it,” Rooster says in his most helpful tone. “And you’re kind of proving their point.”

Grinder mutters something low and threatening.

While the guys continue their back-and-forth, Serena slips between them and hooks her arms around Shelby and me, tugging us forward with a conspiratorial grin. “I’m starving. Every calorie I take in, Lincoln sucks right out of me.”

Shelby titters with laughter. “From what I heard, it’s a big ol’ carb fest in there this mornin’.”

The main room’s packed again, but thankfully the giant-screen TV is dark—no pornos playing on a loop this morning. No garish red lights either. Just weak sunlight sneaking through the tinted windows and the white glare of the overhead lights.

Serena edges behind the empty bar and motions for us to sit at the short side of the counter, near the wall. The corner’s cozy and out of the way, which I appreciate after last night. The guys sort of form a loose circle behind us, talking in low tones.

Serena pulls three bottles of water from somewhere under the bar and I accept one gratefully. The condensation chills my fingers as I twist the cap open and take a long sip, enjoying the cool rush down my throat.

Serena glances around the packed room, then rests her elbows on the counter, leaning closer to me. “Gray said you had some trouble last night. I’m so sorry we got separated.”

I set down the bottle, grateful it’s only the three of us tucked into this corner. “It all happened so fast, I’m not sure you could’ve done anything.”

“Bonnie’s been askin’ for trouble lately,” Shelby mutters, picking at the label on her water bottle. “She used to be okay. I dunno what crawled up her butt.”

“Well, Gray assured me they won’t be coming back.” Serena pats my hand, her tone firm and big-sisterly.

“Uh, one of them, Amanda, said you used to be friends?” I wince. “I’m sorry if I got her in trouble.”

Serena stiffens at the name. “We haven’t been friends in a while, unfortunately.”

“Oh.”

“No, no.” She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry if she said something awful to you.”

“Eh.” I shrug, then remember how awful it actually got. I stick out my tongue and gag. “She bragged about…” I swallow hard. Seriously? Am I really saying this out loud? “Jigsaw fucking her so hard he bruised her spleen.”

“Ewww, what the hell,” Shelby groans. “Who says that?”

I pat my stomach. “Well, she was pointing to the wrong organ. I was five seconds from pulling my knife and giving her a splenectomy.”

Serena lets out a sharp huff of laughter.

“Should be a lobotomy since she clearly ain’t usin’ that organ, either,” Shelby says with a dramatic eye roll.

Serena’s gaze flicks past me. Probably checking if Jigsaw’s listening.

“I’m not sure if this helps or not, but I don’t even think that’s true.

” Her cheeks turn pinker underneath her carefully applied makeup.

“Way before I met Gray, when I used to…” She glances around, voice dipping.

“Visit here—she wanted to hook up with Jiggy.” She shifts her gaze to Shelby.

“And Rooster. But she never did. That I know of.”

I shrug. “I’m not worried about anything that happened before me.” I hold up one hand. “I don’t want to hear about it in graphic detail, but I don’t care. That wasn’t the worst anyway. Bonnie and Nikki were much nastier in the personal attacks.”

Serena rolls her eyes. “I can only guess. Don’t believe any of the trash they said.”

The quick squeeze of her hand lingers. I don’t know what I expected—maybe a polite smile and generic apology. But she’s warm. Genuine. Like we’re already friends, not two women thrown together because our boyfriends wear the same patch.

Shelby leans in. “I’m sorry I wasn’t with you this time.” Her lashes flutter as she glances over her shoulder. “Jiggy’s been on the market so long, I guess some of the bunnies are losin’ their dang minds.”

I snort, then dissolve into full-on giggles behind my hand. “Yes. He made it clear that he didn’t ‘do relationships’ when we first started…” I clear my throat delicately. “Seeing each other.”

Shelby angles her body slightly and shoots a slow, deliberate stink eye at Jigsaw.

“What’d I do, songbird?” he asks, cocking his head in exaggerated innocence. He leans over and taps her shoulder with the tip of his pinky.

She ignores him, smiling sweetly at me instead. “He’ll deny it, but he needs someone with steel in her spine to tell him when he’s actin’ a fool.”

Jigsaw slides his hand over my hip and squeezes lightly. “You do call me out when I need it.” He leans down and kisses my cheek. “I love that about you.”

For him to say that in front of his friends—not that I think they heard his low murmur—means a lot. I turn and press my lips to his. “Anything I do is out of love.”

“I know.”

“Awww!” Shelby squeals, grinning like she might explode from secondhand happiness.

Jigsaw rolls his eyes at her, but he’s smiling as he eases away and drifts back to join the guys behind us, his hand trailing off my back as he goes.

Our conversation shifts, light and easy.

As we move on to talking about other things, I discover that Serena and I share a mutual obsession with Pretty Pout lip glosses.

“We need to get together soon,” Serena says, excitement bubbling in her voice. She leans closer and squeezes my arm. “They just sent me a box of their whole spring line.”

My mouth drops open. “I would love that.”

“You have to come see our house,” she says, practically bouncing. “I have the studio where I film?—”

“Oh my God, I love those shelves you have in the background!” I say, remembering one of her recent videos. “With the backlighting and the acrylic risers? Gorgeous.”

She beams, glowing with pride. “Gray found the house and knew I’d love that room for filming.”

I swivel on my stool a little, sneaking a glance toward Grinder. The older, gruff biker who practically growled at Rooster earlier had picked out a home for his fiancée with the perfect filming room for her beauty videos? It doesn’t get any sweeter than that.

“But,” Serena adds with a gleam in her eye, “I have my own private makeup room, totally separate. I never show it in videos.”

“You have to see it,” Shelby chimes in. “It’s spectacular. And I say that as someone who has her own makeup room—thanks to these two.” She jerks her thumb at Rooster and Jigsaw over her shoulder.

Jigsaw holds up his hands and turns them over for us to see. “So. Many. Blisters.”

Rooster smacks Jigsaw’s arm. “I told you to wear gloves, chucklefuck.”

A completely unwanted sliver of jealousy slides under my skin. Not over what was said—just the way they all fit together so easily. The shorthand. The history.

Before I can unpack it, the air behind us shifts—charged and heavier somehow.

“Hey, Wrath,” Serena says with a quick nod and smile.

Shelby and I both spin our stools around.

Wrath’s joined the group. He claps Grinder on the back, says a surprisingly sweet greeting to baby Lincoln, then slings one arm each around Rooster and Jigsaw’s necks, dragging them into a tight huddle. “Got my security team for Vegas?”

Jigsaw flicks an annoyed glance at Wrath.

“Ooo!” Shelby says, waving her hand in the air. “I can’t wait to talk to Griff at his party. Dawson wants to sponsor him, and he offered his private jet for Vegas.”

“Nice.” Wrath nods with approval. “Thanks, Shelby.”

“No problem. He was pretty tickled that I had a personal connection to a hot, new fighter he can brag on.”

I frown at Jigsaw. “Griff, my mechanic?”

“One and the same,” Jigsaw confirms with a weary sigh. He shakes loose of Wrath’s grip and steps closer, wrapping his fingers around mine. “I was going to ask if you’d come to the party with me.” His thumb brushes over my knuckles. “And Vegas.”

“Oh.” My heart performs a wild stutter. He wants me by his side at more events. Not only around his club brothers but other friends outside of his MC. And a trip to Vegas? Traveling together seems like a big step as a couple.

But my rush of excitement is quickly smothered by reality. The party? Maybe. Vegas? Not likely. I can’t fit a trip like that into my schedule on short notice.

“Oh.” Shelby slides a look toward Jigsaw. “Jezzie wants to come to Griff’s party too.”

“What?” Jigsaw scowls. “Why?”

Shelby shrugs. “I have no idea.” Her mouth twitches with amusement, suggesting she knows exactly why.

“How does she even know about the party?” Jigsaw asks, suspicion clear in his voice.

A smile sneaks over Shelby’s lips. “I mighta mentioned it last time we talked.”

Jigsaw really can’t seem to wrap his head around this.

But that’s a problem for another day.

Right now, I’m excited there’s another party to look forward to.

Since it’s not technically an MC party, hopefully I won’t get myself into any trouble this time.