Page 80 of Rowdy & Kat

“But your friends know you too well and spotted your lies. So, maybe, you should explain that you and this guy want to keep things simple. So, they need to back off, or they’ll ruin this special little moment in your life.”

“Rowdy’s right,” Elle said as Clint arrived to force Sabrina off his sister. “Kat is smart. We should all be reasonable like her.”

I smiled at her praise, even if I sensed she was mostly messing with Sabrina.

“Explain what’s got you wrestling,” Clint told the women.

“Goldie’s got a secret lover,” Dalisay said. “We thought to beat the information out of her, but Kat helped us realize that the truth will only ruin Goldie’s horny fun.”

“I’m not so sure I agree with that assessment,” Sabrina muttered.

Elle shook her head. “You have an excessive amount of love in your life. It’s made you insensitive to other people’s needs. What an asshole.”

Sabrina looked to Xandy. “Am I insensitive to other people’s needs?”

“Yes.”

Unhappy with her girlfriend’s answer, she looked around. “Where’s Moe? I feel like she’d lie to protect my feelings.”

As Sabrina and Xandy searched for Moe, Goldie thanked me for the kind words.

“Let’s get food,” Elle said and gestured at the remaining women. “Tooker sisters, you’ve been forgiven. Let’s try out a bunch of catered foods.”

Clint studied us as we walked as a group into the house. When I glanced back, he smiled as if he knew I was curious about Rowdy’s location.

Inside, I joined the women around the kitchen island, where we sampled food. Ivy and Nova soon joined us. Finally, Maria found her way back to me. Despite sticking close together, my sister and I had clearly found our footing with these new people.

ROWDY

Once I freed myself from Jennifer and Lupe, I couldn’t find my woman. I ended up wandering like a lost kid.

As the boys slept in their nursery, I overheard my parents bragging about their amazing qualities. Still wandering, I walked past my uncle Ford telling someone about a testicular injury he caused a guy back in the day.

I spotted Dillon kicking the ball around the backyard with her cousin, Sutter Cane. Out front, Nine chased Ben down the street. Though I considered asking what was going on, I felt restless and didn’t want to goof around.

Wandering in and out of houses, I spotted Kat and Maria surrounded by foxes who acted like the twins were curious creatures to be studied. Zadie was leading the weirdness, but I assumed she was happy to know her brother had found a normal woman.

I ended up back at my parents’ house. Pax saw me standing near the nursery and nudged me toward the back door.

“Run free, kiddo,” my dad insisted while blocking my attempt to check on the boys. “You know they’re fine. If you want to peek, use your phone.”

Forced outside, I spotted Clint and Rock talking quietly in the corner of the yard. In the next yard, Kat spoke with Nova and Lula. She looked so relaxed and happy. I wished I felt the same.

Embracing my sullen mood, I walked over to my president and VP and asked, “What’s the word with Bob?”

Rock grunted. “The fucker’s paranoid and rides everywhere with other people.”

Hiding his irritation better, Clint explained, “We hoped to set up a car accident. Get him alone somewhere and end him, but that hasn’t been easy.”

“Do you think he’s on to you?”

“No,” Clint replied quickly. “We think he’s afraid of Zodiac and the Black Rainbow. The other two dipshits are also twitchy lately. Since the fight in the quarry, they’ve skipped their usual rides down to Baton Rouge to see their families. I suspect they know Zodiac won’t be satisfied with a simple beating.”

“If we hit Bob, won’t Zodiac get the blame?”

“Yes,” Rock said instantly. “He knows they’ll hit him back.”

“Is he okay with starting a war and putting a target on himself?”