AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His mouth curls into a disbelieving smile. “You really giving me shit after you just did the same thing five minutes ago?”
“One, no I didn’t. Two, you weren’t even here for it, so shut your mouth. Three, it’s different. I don’t know the dude who was rubbin’ up on my girl and trying to look down her dress. And we’re not trying to patch him into our support club. We know Remy and he’s done a lot to help out our club.” I lower my voice. “Including helping us bury bodies.”
He seems to chew on that for a second. “My reaction woulda been the same if Rav or Hustler or anyone wearing the blue and gray had been all up in her business.”
“Bro, they were standing like two feet away from each other.” At first, anyway.
He growls then shakes his head. “You think we should invite Margot out here one of these days?”
After I recover from the whiplash change in his demeanor and the topic of conversation, I ask, “Why?”
He shrugs. “Funeral home’s another club business. Pine Hollow isn’t actually that far from here.”
“So you’ve given this a lot of thought?”
He scowls at me. “No, I just understand how maps work.” He shrugs. “She’s always cooped up with dead folks. Might be good for her to hang with people her age who are still breathing.”
“How altruistic of you.” Wait a second. “You’re not going to try to hook Margot and Remy up to keep him away from your sister, are you?”
“What?” he asks a few shades louder than necessary. “Fuck no.”
With a finger pressed to his lips, Rooster sneaks up behind Jigsaw. He wraps his big forearm around Jiggy’s throat and yanks him against his chest.
“Whatcha doin’ cock-knocker?” he says against Jigsaw’s ear. “Causing trouble?”
“Get off me, motherclucker.” Jiggy laughs and performs a twist-and-duck move to get away from Rooster.
“What’d you do to poor lil’ Jezzie?” Shelby stomps up next to Rooster. “She’s hella riled up.”
Jigsaw grabs the edges of his cut and shakes it into place. “What I do, songbird.” His voice comes close to stay out of it level without actually saying the words.
Rooster quirks his eyebrows.
“Tag.” I tap Rooster’s shoulder and walk the fuck away.
I find Emily near the grill with Libby, Molly, and Griff. She smiles up at me, thankfully not holding a grudge.
I curl my arms around her waist and she smiles up at me.
“So, you’re all cavemen,” she says, a teasing lilt in her statement.
“It’s part of our charm.”
She shakes her head. “That’s the secret of what actually binds the brotherhood together.”
I press my lips to her neck and enjoy the little shiver her body responds with. “If you mean protecting our loved ones, then yes. That’s part of what binds us together.”
She sighs and leans the full weight of her body against me. It feels like trust and surrender in one simple movement.
At least she’s finally understanding what she’s getting herself into.
CHAPTER FORTY
Emily
After the caveman meltdowns seem to be done with for the day, I stick to hanging out with Shelby, Heidi, Libby, and the other women I recognize. At the moment, it’s just Shelby, Libby, and me sitting on one of the benches. We’re splitting a plate of warm, squishy balls of fried dough coated in powdered sugar.
“All right, sister bear, I gotta question for ya.” Shelby slaps her palms together, dusting powdered sugar off her hands. She’s so cute I want to carry her around in my pocket. She’s so different than some of the ridiculous stories I’ve read about her online.
“What’s that?” I ask, amusement coloring my tone. I pick up another ball of dough and pop it in my mouth, savoring the sweet, fried goodness.
“Well,” Shelby drawls, hugging my sister tight with one arm. “I’m supposed to hire an assistant this summer. Miss Liberty expressed interest in firsthand experience in how a music tour runs.”
Libby’s eyes widen like a pleading puppy and she clasps her hands together in prayer.
“What?” I blink and stare at them.
Shelby wipes the easy southern smile off her pretty face. “We don’t get up to anything crazy out on the road, I swear.”
“Please?” Libby begs, drawing out the word. “It would look so good when I apply for college that I have experience in the entertainment industry.”
I frown at her logic. “But you like theater. That’s not quite the same.”
“It’s a live production,” Libby counters. “So kinda similar.”
“Dex was on my security team last summer.” Shelby’s gaze searches the party. “I’m hoping he’s up for it again—”
Her voice drops as if she just realized Dex being out on the road all summer might throw a wrench in our relationship.
“You’re welcome too,” Shelby says. “Of course.”
“I don’t think my job would let me take off for the whole summer,” I say, kind of hating that I even have a job right now, because going out on the road all summer sounds like something I’ve wanted to do my whole entire life.
