Page 89 of Pirate

“I believe they call themselves ‘ninja detectives’,” Jumper corrected. Looking down at his fiancée, Jumper asked, “Is this what you want? If we do this, it means no escaping Sophia. You’ll be stuck with her forever.”

Jasmine laughed. She kissed her man and then turned to her bestie. The two embraced tightly. “Yes,” Jasmine exclaimed. “I love this! I’ll have you and my Sophia and all the dogs and room for any others we adopt along the way!”

“What am I?” Pirate asked, indignantly. “Chopped liver? And she’smySophia.”

“I can honestly say I licked her first,” Jasmine told him with a smug smile.

Pirate’s eyes narrowed but then said, “Yeah, but I guarantee my licks give hera lotmore pleasure.”

Sophia burst out laughing. Her smile confirmed Pirate’s words.

Jasmine looked ready to argue but shrugged. “I guess you can move in too. If you insist.”

Sophia reached back and took Pirate’s hand without letting go of her hold on Jasmine. “Iinsist,” she told Jazz. She looked toCage. “Tell me more about this house. What features will it have and can I add a swimming pool?”

Pirate took a deep breath.He’d been putting off this conversation, so it was past time to be had. The atmosphere around the clubhouse hadn’t been the same since the day of the bridge attack. The tension always intensified as soon as Bulldog entered the room. Despite the two of them spending time together in the cellar with Fletcher, they hadn’t talked. Not really. Not about the elephant in the room.

Pirate raised his hand and knocked. Jumper, Jasmine, and Sophia were at the clubhouse, the girls showing off the pictures of their new house to the others.

Pirate was ecstatic about the idea of moving in with Sophia. Officially. Though she’d been living in the apartment with them and spending every night in his bed, they’d never had that “will you move in with me?” moment most couples have. Now there would be no question. It was no longerhisbed, buttheirs.

He really loved the sound of that. Which was ironic, since they’d gotten divorced that morning.

Bulldog opened the door, his one-year-old daughter in his arms. Upon seeing Pirate, he took a wordless step back.

Pirate entered the house, shutting the door behind him. He followed Bulldog into the living room. His SAA put Georgie down in a playpen with her older brother, Caleb. Pirate didn’t know where Lila, Cassie, or Abby was. He figured he might as well get this conversation over with before they were interrupted.

“I’m sorry.”

Bulldog didn’t turn around.

“I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through. If I lost Jumper, it would be excruciating. I don’t know how long you and Scar knew each other for and it doesn’t matter. He meant something to you and I know you’re in pain. I’m sorry I couldn’t save him. It took me some time, and a hypnosis session with Dr. Rutenberg, for me to remember something I’d been suppressing and it’s something you have a right to know, Bulldog.”

Slowly, his SAA turned around to face him. The depth of pain in the older man’s brown eyes made it difficult to look at him, but he did. He had to. Pirate owed Scar this much.

“Scar knew he was dying,” Pirate told Bulldog evenly. “I saw it in his eyes. I was trying to hold onto him, but his weight was pulling me down. With the rain and my grip slipping on the guardrail, I believe he knew I wasn’t going to let go. Scar made me release my hold on him, Bulldog. He knew he was going to die and he refused to take me with him. Scar saved Sophiaandmy life that night.”

Bulldog didn’t say anything for a long time. When he did finally speak, his voice was laced with grief. “If Scar had to die, I know he would have wanted to go out saving someone he loved. At least I know he didn’t die in vain or for some asshole’s selfish stupidity. Thank you.”

Not knowing what else to say, Pirate nodded once. He started for the door but paused and then turned back around. “Did Scar have family? Besides us, I mean?”

“He had a sister down in Texas,” Bulldog answered gruffly. “But the two weren’t close. They’d stopped speaking before he’d joined the Army when he was eighteen.”

It was hard to think of Scar as an ordinary child with parents and a sibling. Even now, after his death, it seemed to contradict the mysterious man.

Pirate cleared his throat. “If you do reach out to her, please pass on my condolences.”

Bulldog nodded solemnly and then sat down on the couch, focusing on his youngest children.

Pirate left the house and headed towards the clubhouse.

Sophia and Jasmine were sitting on barstools next to each other. They were showing off the pictures of their new home. Sophia laughed at something, throwing her head back with vigor. Fuck, he loved that woman.

She was everything he could have hoped for and more. He knew there were going to be some difficult days ahead. The club needed time to heal, to mourn. What had meant to be a weekend of celebration had turned into a horror beyond imagining. Scar might not have worn theVia Daemoniacolors anymore, but he was no less a part of them.

He always would be.

Time would pass. Wounds would mend, but there would always be the memory of the silent man in their midst. The man in the shadows.

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