AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A chuckle escapes me. “That isn’t the type of woman who runs.” I nod in her direction.
She is seated between Viking and Hadley, drinking tequila shots, shooting the shit, and laughing even though it visibly hurts. “No, that’s the type of woman to take the war to you, not try to hide from it.”
To my left, Mad Dog takes a seat beside me, and Justice heads off to serve other people down the bar. I wait patiently for him to speak. I’m pretty good at reading people and I know he has something on his mind.
“I need Gunner and Tatum to stay with you and Justice for a couple of days.” He isn’t asking because he knows he doesn’t have to. I’ll always do whatever my club and my brothers need me to do.
“Sure. Trinity is at college until spring break. You know they’re always welcome.”
“Thanks, brother. I knew Irene was coming for an impromptu visit, I just wasn’t aware of the condition she was going to be in when she got here.” Mad Dog rubs his forehead.
“Don’t think anything of it.” I click my beer against his. “Has she said anything yet?”
“No. And from the little bit I do know about her, she isn’t going to. She isn’t the type of woman to rope other people into her problems. I do know that whatever happened, happened in Louisiana. And she didn’t go to her older brother to help her out either.”
“So, you think she’s running?” Could I have read her wrong?
Mad Dog watches her closely as she hugs a teary Kaiya before handing her a tequila with a smirk. Kaiya shakes her head before smiling and downing the shot.
“More like regrouping,” he says before heading over to the women.
****
I’m not used to having children in my house, so this is quite an adjustment for me. Luckily, they aren’t small and don’t require my constant supervision and attention, because I would probably lose one of them.
I left the clubhouse early last night. I was dead sober and hadn’t gotten laid, but I needed to pick up Tatum and Gunner from Mad Dog’s house and get them over to mine before they headed off to bed. Now I’m faced with getting them ready for the day and thanking God it’s a weekend. Hopefully, I won’t have them for the week when school is in session because that is way too early for me to be awake.
But let’s deal with one problem at a time. After hopping through a quick shower, I get dressed in a t-shirt and jeans before heading into the kitchen to start breakfast. I need to feed them.
To my surprise, breakfast is already made and both the boys and Justice are using the dining room table for the first time since Trinity went away to college.
“Are you trying to kill Mad Dog’s kids?” I ask Justice as I move to take away the food. “We both know you can’t cook worth shit, and they will probably end up in the hospital with food poisoning.”
“Don’t worry,” Tatum says around a mouthful of eggs. “Gunner and I cooked. Justice almost set the kitchen on fire just making toast.”
Gunner laughs from the other side of the table almost spitting out his food and earning a glare from Justice.
“You should ask Kaiya to teach you how to cook,” Gunner says after swallowing, pointing his fork at Justice. “She says no woman wants a man that can’t take care of himself.”
“Whatever, dude.” He dismisses Gunner before scarfing down his food, dropping his plate on the counter, and walking out the back door.
“Was it something I said?” Gunner asks with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
“You’re just like your dad. Always stirring the pot,” I say with a laugh.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Gunner nods before taking his plate and Justice’s to the basin and rinsing them off before popping them in the dishwasher.
“Do you know how long we’re going to be here?” Tatum asks while texting on his phone.
“No clue. Probably just a couple of days.”
Both boys nod but don’t ask any other questions. When they’re done eating and everything has been cleared, they plop down on the couch, grab a console remote, and start up some first-person shooter game that soon has them shouting at each other.
Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do now?
Chapter Six
The Morning After
