I glanced at the innocent little girl sleeping in Kalani’s bed. “I know,” I sighed. “But what in the hell are we supposed to do now?”
“We’ll take care of everything,” Sugar said, appearing behind Kalani. “She’s going to shower, and then we’re all going back to Kahakai.”
“Yeah, okay,” I agreed dazedly.
Coochie helped me to a chair in Kalani’s bedroom.
“Birdie?” Kalani asked worriedly.
“I’m okay. Just a bit of a shock. Go shower. I’ll be fine.”
I held the tears back until she was gone. Then I covered my face with my hands and sobbed. “I don’t know how to help her.”
“She’s fine, Birdie.”
“She keeps killing people! That’s notfine!”
“She didn’t kill her.”
“She’s going to!”
“She kills bad people who deserve it,” Coochie pointed out. “It’s not the traditional career path, but she’s making the world a better place.”
I looked at him incredulously. “Are you really rationalizing this?”
“Yes, I fucking am,” he said defensively. “Most of the members of the club have killed at least one person. We’re not running around killing anyone and everyone, but shit happens. Like when I killed the guy who shot you.”
“Youshot him? I knew one of the Kings did, but I assumed it was Cooter or Pocket.”
“Yes.”
“Well, that was different.”
“Not really. I shot him at the bar when he fired at you, but I killed him later that night.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I cared about you!” he admitted. “I always have. I was going to tell you that weekend, but everything else happened.”
“I think there was a part of me that hoped something would happen between us when I came to Kahakai, but it’s probably best it didn’t. I was still reeling from Carl. I wasn’t ready for another relationship so soon.”
“I know, and I knew it then, but it was the first time we were both single, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I should’ve come to you instead of asking you to come to me. Might’ve been different if I had.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it would’ve been different in a good way.”
“You have a point.”
Leaning back in my chair, I took a cleansing breath and met Coochie’s eyes. “What now?”
“Now we get shit cleaned up and go back to the clubhouse. We’ll deal with the rest of this there.”
CHAPTER 24
SUGAR
Ifollowed Kalani into the bathroom. “Are you gonna be okay while I get a jar?”
Her blood-spattered forehead wrinkled in confusion. “What?”
