Page 79 of Hell & Back

“But if he’s not here by dark, I’m done. I can’t keep trying to hold onto something he doesn’t want any part of. I can’t live in limbo while he continues to have sex with other women.” She looked up and glanced out the window and saw that the sun had set. She sat up straight and wiped her face one last time. “I guess I got my answer. It’s dark and he’s not here.”

The door to the back deck flew open, startling them both. Darren stood in the open doorway, his duffel slung over his shoulder. He looked like hell.

Tuck was shocked to see how bad his friend looked. It had only been only a few days since the last time he’d seen him and he looked like he hadn’t slept the entire time. He had dark circlesunder his eyes and he’d never seen such sadness in them. Had he lost even more weight since his return to Redemption?

“I know you said to be home by dark or no second chance, but by the time I finished my shower, packed my shit and went out to my bike, I found both tires punctured.”

“What?” Kylie gasped, still sitting in Tuck’s lap.

“Yeah. I think someone was pissed and wanted to get even.” He told them who done it without saying who done it, honoring his pact with Kylie. “I had Race send someone with a trailer to haul my bike to the clubhouse so I can work on it tomorrow. I hurried as fast as I could. Race gave me a ride.” He only had eyes for Kylie. “Am I too late?”

“No. You’re not too late,” she spoke through fresh tears. She jumped off Tuck’s lap and ran for Darren. He had to catch her by the arms before she rammed her stomach into him. He held her at arm’s length, the pain on his face almost more than Tuck could take.

He rose from his seat and moved to lean a shoulder against the doorway to Kylie’s office. The back deck opened into one of the new additions they’d made to the house and it was now her office. The door was still open and letting in cold air. He didn’t care. He waited to see what unfolded.

Darren bent and pulled Kylie in for a hug, dropping his head so his face was in her neck. His words were muffled when he said, “I’m so, so, sorry, Kylie. I love you so damn much.”

“I love you, too, baby.” Her eyes were clenched tight as she hugged him hard.

Releasing the breath he’d been holding, Tuck decided everything was going to be all right and slipped past them both to close and lock the door. He patted Darren’s back in way of greeting. “So glad you’re home, man. Have you eaten yet?”

They slowly broke apart only to have Kylie snuggled into his side and stare up at him. “I’ve got homemade vegetable soup in the crockpot.”

“That sounds great.”

Tuck entered the kitchen first. He pulled some bowls out of the cabinet and filled two mostly full for him and Darren and one only halfway full for Kylie. He dropped spoons in all the bowls and brought them to the table. “She also made some yeast rolls last night. You want me to reheat a couple for you? Throw some ham on them?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” Darren’s voice was rough and his eyes grew suspiciously wet. He’d tease him about it later, but right now, he was just glad he was finally home.

DARREN

Thankfully, they ate their meal with Tuck and Kylie taking up most of the conversation. Tuck filled him in on antics the Black Horsemen had been pulling as everyone tried to entertain themselves while they waited on Preacher and his guys to do their thing. He laughed as he told a story about how Smoke thought it would be hilarious to poke at Jackson by flirting with Calliope. He didn’t find it quite as funny when Jackson flew over the table at him. Realizing he’d crossed a line, Smoke maintained a respectful distance from Calliope from that point on.

Kylie talked about the new program she was working on in her spare time when she wasn’t doing something for the club. She said she thought she could make big bucks once it was finished. That was nice and he was proud of her, but betweenhimself and Tuck, she really didn’t have to worry about money. Anything she made, like the nice chunk of change from the sale of the last program, was all hers to do with whatever she wanted. He didn’t understand a lot of what she said, but he enjoyed the animated way she explained it.

Sitting and eating dinner with his best friend and the woman he loved was all so normal, yet it was like he was experiencing it for the first time. He almost choked on his soup when his throat tightened painfully. He’d missed this so much. He’d missed the easy way they fit together; the way they worked like a well oiled machine. He’d been lucky to be included in Tuck and Kylie’s relationship the first time. To think he could have and maybe still might fuck it all up was almost overwhelming.

“Do you want some more soup, Darren?” Kylie’s sweet voice drew him back from his inner thoughts. Getting stuck in his head could only lead to trouble.

“No, babe. I’m good.”

“Do we have any chocolate cake left, or did Cutter eat it all?” Tuck got up to put his dishes in the dishwasher.

“No, he did not eat a whole cake. There’s plenty left.” Kylie got up and followed him to the dishwasher.

“You want cake?” Tuck asked Darren.

“No. Not right now. Maybe later.” He got up to load his dishes and refilled his glass with tea, then followed the two of them into the living room. Tuck was already sitting at one end, remote in hand, with Kylie sitting in her usual spot in the middle. That left the other end of the couch for him. He set his tea on a coaster and sat down.

Tuck settled on a scary movie that had come out a couple of years back. “You want popcorn?” he asked no one in particular.

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Kylie pulled her legs up onto the couch, her knees pointed his direction.

“Be back.” Tuck got up and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Darren alone with Kylie. She snuggled a little closer. Leaning into his arm, she dropped her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you came back. I’ve missed you.”

Fuck. With just a few simple words, he felt like she’d ripped his insides out. His voice was a little rough when he responded. “I missed you, too.”

“You doing okay?”

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