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37
FAITH
“How’s it going, lazy?”Ripper grins at Blade and jabs him on the side where he got shot.
Calling him that doesn’t really make sense anymore since Blade’s up and walking just fine now. A little tenderness in his side, he says, which could be anything from an annoyance to blinding agony, knowing what he’s like, but he’s up and walking and that’s way more than we expected nearly watching him die.
“Fuck off.” Blade gives him the finger with both hands.
“Ooh, I see what you fucking did there, you asshole,” says Ripper with a laugh as he drops into the couch next to him and hands him one of the beers trapped between the fingers of his good hand.
We’re in the common room, in one of the sitting areas in the back, where the most comfortable chairs and couches are while a game’s on the massive projector TV. Blade and Ripper are on the couch, and I’m draped comfortably across Alpha’s massive lap, snuggled into his broad torso and feeling oddly happy. It’s a feeling I’m still getting used to after everything that’s happened.
“Why don’t you two fuckers get a room,” says Alpha.
Ripper makes kissy noises. “Do you want me to come sit in your lap?”
“Fuck off,” he says good-naturedly and pulls me in closer, nearly spilling my beer.
“Easy!”
“God, I can’t believe you’re living here,” gushes Nicky from her chair.
She’s up for a few days to visit. She was super disappointed to learn that the Cleanup Crew were already quite happily pledged to Alessa after their rescue operation, which apparently included some pretty impressive beat downs and other over the top macho things, which seems to be the order of business for any of the bikers around here.
She’s been keeping a close eye on the rest of the bikers and flirting a little like she’s hoping to be noticed, but the old naive teasing is gone. Her rose colored glasses have well and truly fallen off, but she’s not completely against the idea. I just think it might take her a while.
After all, if I ended up a biker chick, just about anybody could.
But life isn’t all sunshine and roses. Even with the three guys I’ve fallen head over heels for, I still miss my store. Carrying on a relationship with three guys at once takes up a lot of time, but I miss actually working.
Not to mention that it would be nice to get out more. I like getting to know Dad better again, but it’s as strange for him to see me with the Strike Team as it is for me to watch him and Miriam.
On the TV, the ref calls the game, and both Ripper and Alpha cheer. Every time their teams win, it’s like that. My favorite part is the part that comes after.
“Time to fucking celebrate, honey,” Alpha says so close to my ear I get goosebumps.
“Guys, Nicky’s still here” I’m only protesting a little, because we all decided we were going to wait for Blade getting better before our first true celebration, so to speak, so he didn’t miss out on it, and while I appreciate their camaraderie and brotherhood and all that stuff, I’m as freaking horny as the rest of them.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Nicky says with a wide grin. “Anyone want to play pool?”
A few guys drift over, cautiously checking her out. They all know who she is, and that she’s not off limits, but not quite free game, either.
I hop off Alpha’s lap, and I slide right over to sit on Blade.
“What the fuck?” he asks, but his hands go to my hips to pull my ass right into his lap, where there’s no doubt he’s more than ready to celebrate. I notice it even through his jeans.
“You guys go on ahead. We’ll be right there,” I say to Ripper and Alpha and wave them on their way.
They look at each other, then back at me. “Okay,” says Ripper, “but you’d better fucking hurry. We’re not starting without you.”
“So what’s the deal?” asks Blade. He eyes me curiously.
I wet my lips, trying to figure out how to explain this. In the end, I take the simplest route. “Do you remember what we talked about back when we were trying to escape?”
“We talked a lot, babe. What in particular?” He looks at me in confusion.
“You… you told me you loved me,” I say quietly. “But I didn’t say it back. I was—that day was a lot, and hearing about what you’ve done.Seeingit? I didn’t know what to think.”
