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MARTIN
I consider hanging out in Austen’s room while she sleeps. Her earlier panic left me uneasy. If she wakes up, she might be scared in a new place. On the other hand, she crashes so hard, she might remain asleep for hours.
Leaving her to rest, I head to the living room where Harvey Danger plays too loudly. I take the remote for the sound system and turn it down.
“Austen’s sleeping,” I mutter, flashing a frown at Tomcat. “Where’s Coco?”
“Goose stole her away.”
After the attack on our people, Tomcat got rattled. He seemed to be wising up a little and taking charge. A few days later, he’s back to behaving as if life’s a party and he doesn’t have a care in the whole fucking world.
My club brother’s always lived a charmed life. He got decent parents. His family had enough money for him to never go without. He was also handsome and occasionally charming.
Tomcat and his cousin Ruin had everything easy. At least, our president did more than coast. He’s why we have the Pigsty and Tomcat makes enough money to support his legion of bastard children with random women he never even liked.
“Austen Halvorson is a damn vision,” Tomcat announces in between sucking at a beer. “How did a man like Urick Halvorson make such a gorgeous daughter?”
“She gets it from her mom,” I mutter and flash a look at Dice watching us from the couch.
Dice offers me a grin. I suspect Tomcat’s been getting on his nerves, and he figures I’m about to rip our club brother a new asshole.
“You need to stay away from her, Tomcat,” I insist, erasing the space between us. “Or I’m going to tear off your cock and feed it to Hobo’s cat.”
“That cat won’t wanna eat cock.”
“If I grind it up and turn it into a pate, that mama cat will eat it just fine. I bet Xenia will help me with the recipe.”
Tomcat’s blue eyes shine with amusement over my irritation. “What happened to your oath to be a benevolent dictator?”
Sharing his smile, I don’t hate Tomcat. He doesn’t rub me wrong like he does Armor or Hobo. I can get along with most people, but that doesn’t mean I won’t put this man on his ass if he makes eyes at Austen.
“Tell you what,” I say and pat his head located several inches lower than mine, “I’ll get you nice and wasted first. Rather than tear it off, I’ll slice it off real slick-like, so you don’t feel a damn thing. Is that benevolent enough for you?”
“Oh, yeah, I like that version much more.”
Feeling as if he’s missing how I’m seriously threatening him, I explain, “Tomcat, you and I go way back. I consider you my brother, but I will treat you like my enemy if you mess with that woman in any way. Do you understand?”
“I’m just fucking around. I learned my lesson after Armor and Yazmin.”
Roughly patting his shoulder, I stare into his blue eyes and reply, “Seems like if you really learned that lesson, you wouldn’t need me to threaten you right now.”
Turning away from Tomcat, I look at Dice spread out on the couch. He’s one of three younger members who didn’t run with the rest of the Berserkers when we were kids.
“How’s Yagger?” I ask Dice.
Tomcat doesn’t let the younger man answer before saying, “He’s not doing great. On the day you left, we weren’t sure he’d make it through the night.”
“He was better this morning when I drove over to check on him,” Dice says as he sits up. “Not eating yet. Seemed out of it from the pain junk they’re blitzing his system with, but all his vital stats were good.”
“If he keeps improving,” Tomcat interrupts, “he’ll be home in a week. Two at the most.”
“Irina’s already starting to interview nurses. Yagger will need someone watching him twenty-four seven. Good thing he’s on the main level, so he doesn’t need to worry about stairs.”
I look between the two men and realize I feel disconnected from what happened days ago. With my mind so solidly locked on Austen, I haven’t been able to think of much else. Everything got filtered through my need for her. Even now, while listening to updates, I’m picturing her curled up in bed with her red hair splashed across the pillow.
“Everything’s still locked down here, correct?” I ask, and Tomcat smirks at my dominating voice.
“We were alerted as soon as you came off the road and neared the Pigsty. Security is tight.”
