AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After tossing my bags on the bed, I stepped closer to her and lifted her chin to make her look at me. “Hey, it’s a win-win situation. I need a place to stay and I’m happy to be able to help you in the process. It’s me and you, kid. Always has been, always will be.”
Tears welled in her eyes before she threw her arms around me again. “I’ve missed you so much, Royal.”
The sound of the nickname she’d given me as a kid had me tightening my hold on her before I rested my chin on the crown of her head.
“Me too, kid, me too.”
She sniffled, then stepped back. “I’ll go heat up a bowl of soup for you.”
I watched as she left, and I could hear her rummaging around in the kitchen. While she did that, I tossed my shit into the dresser drawers and shoved the bags into the closet. Then I washed up and made my way to my noisy little sister.
“Sit,” she demanded.
“Woof,” I teased when I took a seat, and she grinned as I’d intended. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tossed it on the table.
She placed the bowl in front of me, then set a spoon next to it. “Want a glass of milk?”
“Sure. Thanks,” I replied as I dumped some of the small crackers she’d always loved into the bowl. Then I dipped the spoon in and blew on the steaming soup. “Is this Nana’s recipe?”
Proudly, she shot me a wink and put the carton back in the fridge before bringing me my drink. She took a seat and snagged my phone.
“Hey!” I chastised playfully after taking a bite of the thick potato soup. “No respect.”
“Not my fault you’re so predictable. My birthday? Still?” Wickedly, she smirked.
I rolled my eyes and continued to eat. “You did good with this,” I praised as I continued shoveling each bite in one after the other.
“Thanks,” she looked up from my phone to blow me a kiss, then she was back to being nosy.
“Having fun?” I asked as I finished the last of the bowl.
“Oh yes,” was her devious reply. My gaze narrowed as I studied her gleeful expression. Alarm bells immediately went off in my brain.
“What are you up to?” I asked, making a grab for my phone. She twisted to put it out of my reach. I could’ve gotten it back, but I had nothing top secret in there, so I let her have her fun.
Finally, she handed it back to me and snagged the bowl to rinse and place in the dishwasher. It looked as old as I was. I’d have to talk to her about getting a new place. I hated that she’d been living in this neighborhood alone. Now that I was here, we could afford to get a better place. She was stubborn, though, so it might be a fight. I’d have to get creative.
“What did you do?” I asked as I picked it up.
“I signed you up for a dating app,” she announced as she plopped back in the chair and clapped her hands in comical glee.
“Great,” I muttered as I sighed. Not that I’d use the damn thing.
CHAPTER 2
ROYAL
“WHAT DO YOU DO FOR MONEY HONEY” — AC/DC
I rolled past the pick-and-pull at the front of the clubhouse property thirty minutes prior to the time Smoke had told me to be there. As I made my way up the long drive, I glanced around at the place I would call home from now on.
The shop was my first stop. There were several bikes lined up under a metal awning, and I could hear power tools being used inside. Behind it was the large metal building that I knew was the clubhouse from the one party I’d attended here a couple of years ago.
They had offered me one of the rooms at the clubhouse, but I knew Lacie would be heartbroken if I didn’t stay with her. The thought of helping her out appealed to me, as did being away from the chapter at times.
I liked my space.
When I stopped on the concrete in front of one of the bay doors, one of the guys looked up from the bike he’d been working on. Initially, he was assessing, then he grinned, set his impact wrench on the ground, and stood up.
