Here.
With her.
Because she deserves to have all of my focus, not my wandering, scattered thoughts. “Did you have fun tonight?” My words jostle her slightly and she giggles.
Ezra props her chin on my chest and looks up at me. Even though not a lot of light is streaming through the window, her eyes catch every bit of it and glow.
“I had a great time,” she assures me with a big smile on her face. “I was a little worried,” she begins and bites her lower lip.
I wait.
She’s not done, but she’s choosing her words carefully. I love that about her.
“But no one said anything negative about me being who I am.” When I arch an eyebrow, she pinches my pec and I let out a hiss while batting her hand away gently. “I’m not counting Lola. She’s a pest and a troublemaker.”
When she narrows her eyes at me, warning bells go off in my head. Danger. Proceed with caution.
“You know she’s a bad apple, right?” When I nod, she pushes a little more, “Then why keep her around?”
“People have their own agenda with things. I’m not sure what games she’s playing beyond wanting a patch, but I can’t kick her out just because I find her annoying or because there’s a personality clash. That’s not how family works and right now she’s family,” I explain it to her as honestly and simply as I can.
Ezra rolls her eyes, but huffs out, “Fine. I guess I can see your logic,” from her tone, it’s obvious that her words cost her a little something.
“You good with staying here tonight or do you want to go back home?” I ask the question, my fingers playing with the ends of her hair.
She goes boneless while draped over my body and buries her face in my chest. Her words are muffled, “I’m not moving from this spot or getting dressed again,” there’s a challenge in her words, like she expects me to put up a fight.
My hand slides down her body and squeezes her ass. “Fine by me, Teach. I’d be devastated if I had to watch you get dressed when I just got you naked.”
Her laughter fills the room, and I think it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. My heart feels full in a way the club alone could never have given me.
Now if only Bobby would pop up so we could find out how big the threat actually is. If we find out something else about the dog fighting, great, but it sure as fuck isn’t my primary concern.
Ezra is my primary concern. Always.
CHAPTER 19
RYKER
As we walk into the grocery store, Ezra is beaming up at me. She grips my arm and gives a gentle squeeze. I love seeing her like this—carefree. It’s quite a sight, one I cherish.
Still, I can’t entirely calm down. Even as I take her in, I can’t help but scan around us as well. Normally, I’m on edge and always aware of my surroundings, but it’s even more now. Bobby was seen on the edge of town yesterday, but he never went homeand it wasn’t one of my brothers who saw him.
If it had been a brother, Bobby would already be answering all my questions.
When Ezra knocked on my office door not long ago with hope written all over her face, I knew she was going to ask me for something I wasn’t going to want to give. Still, I was curious and looked up from my computer with an arched eyebrow.
“Opal is headed to the grocery store. I want to go with her,” she blurted out the words without trying to make them pretty or couch them in false coquettishness.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I tried to argue even though I knew I was going to give into her.
Why wouldn’t I? She hasn’t asked for anything and has been laying low on my land. I also couldn’t give in too easily.
Her face scrunched up and her hands landed hard on her hips. “I’m going,” she insisted.
I watched her for a moment and took in her indignation and her frustration. It was adorable.
“I’m going,” she said the words again as if that would push me closer to agreeing.
