Page 62 of Iron Will

“Yeah. Anyway, for now Indio gave me the new location of the drop-off. So we got a few days before we have to worry about it.”

“You need me to go on the run?” I ask.

“Nah. I got Dante on it. He’s got enough men to go with him.” For the first time, some semblance of humor appears on Axel’s face. “How’s your ass, anyway?”

I snort. “It’s still attached to me.”

“Good to know. So, what’s the story with bringin’ that hospital chick here last night?” he says then, lifting his chin toward the door.

“Laney? Yeah. I brought here to see the kid and her mom. Figured she’d wanna know they’re safe.”

“You sure it was a good idea? She seems kind of… straight arrow.” He huffs out a laugh. “Never would have taken her for the type to wanna take a walk on the wild side, you know?”

“She ain’t as buttoned up as you’d think.”

“Never would’ve taken you for the type to go for a chick like that, either.”

I bristle. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Aw, calm the fuck down, Rourke. You know what I mean. You seem to like your chicks… easy, for lack of a better word. Uncomplicated.” He shakes his head. “That gash? She looks like a motherfuckin’ complication. Too much fuckin’ effort for pussy, if you ask me.”

His words broadside me completely. A wave of fury rises up inside me, making me want to leap out of my chair and fuckin’ waste his ass. My fists clench tight against my thighs. My prez notices.

“I hit a nerve?” he asks mildly.

“No,” I lie, my jaw tensing. Blood starts rushing in my ears.

Axel bursts out laughing, throwing his head back as he slides back into his chair. “You’re a fuckin’ pathetic liar, brother. You’re about a second away from kickin’ my ass. Not that you could.”

“Jesus,” I hiss, clenching my fists harder. “You really want to head down the path to where this is gonna end up?”

Axel raises his hands. “Naw, brother. I just wanted to figure out how far gone you were for this chick.” He chuckles. “Looks like the answer is, pretty fuckin’ far.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my business,” I growl.

A tap on the door jamb interrupts us. Scowling, I turn, just looking for an excuse to beat someone’s head in. It’s Yoda. He frowns, looking from me to Axel, then back at me.

“Shit, what the hell did I interrupt?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I growl. Axel just laughs.

“Uh, okay,” Yoda says dubiously. “So, Rourke, I’m gonna go take Bethany to get her car. She wants to take Paisley back to school this afternoon. Then I guess she’s gonna go over to the hospital to talk to Laney about some shit.”

“Okay,” I grunt. “Thanks for letting me know.” Roughly, I push back the chair I’m in and stand. “We done here?” I shoot at Axel.

He smirks. “Sure thing, brother.”

I flash him an angry glare, then turn and brush past Yoda and out of the office. I’ve had enough of my brothers meddling in my business for today. I don’t need to stick around and give Yoda a chance to start in, too.

I’m muttering to myself as I make my way out the door of the clubhouse. My plan is to head back to my place, grab a shower, and then take the bike out on a long ride somewhere out of town. I need to clear my head for a while. And there’s nothing better for that than the open road.

Because as fucking pissed off as I am right now, I have to admit, Axel was right when he said he hit a nerve.

Outside, I straddle the seat of my Harley and fire it up. The deep rumble of the engine under me is as familiar as my own heartbeat.

Having Laney at the clubhouse last night and this morning felt… good. Natural, even. You wouldn’t really think Laney would fit in here, but somehow, she did. And I liked having her here, with me. Seeing here there, shooting the shit with Gage’s old lady. It was like she belonged.

Like she could belong tome.

---