Page 35 of Going Home

Why is he telling her all of this? It's not like they're friends, but Gavin knows he wants to get to know her. Really know her. "Nope. Dad was only sixteen, I think, when a rival club killed his mom."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah, club life isn't usually boring."

"Doesn't sound like it."

Leaning forward, he lowers his voice. "Any idea what Lex is so busy doing? Why they had to move back here?"

Shaking her head, Hailey shrugs. "She hasn't said anything to me other than she wishes she could tell Colt. I found her crying on the kitchen floor one night, but don't say anything."

"Shit."

"What?"

"It has to be bad. I figured it wasn't good if they moved back here, but Lex hates crying. She sees it as a sign of weakness. Well, for her. If she broke down, it's big. And not good."

"You know Colt and Lex pretty well?"

He smiles. "Yeah, I grew up with Colt around. And Lex—"

"Gavin!" Colt's voice calls out.

Turning, he wishes Colt and his father could have been gone for just a little longer. Talking to Hailey's the most fun he's had in a long time. Plus, she's really easy on the eyes. He can't determine whether she's flirty or just kind of bitchy. Either way, he likes it.

"Backyard!" he shouts.

"You better not be mackin' on that girl," Ky calls when they round the corner. "I don't need to be a grandpa two times over."

"Coming from the teenage father, that's kind of hypocritical, don't you think?" Gavin says back. "Besides, unlike Gracie, I know how to wrap my shit. One of the only things that stuck from all the learning the school tried to do."

His father opens his mouth to say something, but Colt beats him to it. "Touch her, and you might have a few broken bones. She's part of my family, kid."

His hand slams harder than he intended on his own chest, and he does his best not to flinch from the self-inflicted pain. "Ouch! I thought I was part of the family, Colt."

"That would make anything between us incest," Hailey says. "Not your best argument, dude."

Colt snorts as Hailey gives him a smug look before heading inside, and Ky pushes Gavin's shoulder. "She's got almost as much attitude as Lex used to."

"More, I think," Colt says. "And Gavin looks at Hailey the same way I looked at Lex at that age. Be careful, man. I'm pretty sure she'll chew you up and spit you out."

"Thought you wanted me to keep my hands off her."

"That was more for her than you. I'm pretty sure she can handle herself. You're the one who needs to be on guard."

Gavin feels relief that Colt doesn't actually expect him to stay away from someone as hot as Hailey. "So, what is you need me to put together? Too difficult to do it yourselves? Did the instructions come with too many words and not enough pictures? Or is it something with technology? I know you boomers can't figure anything like that out."

"Fuck off," Colt says and wraps a large arm around his neck, yanking him down in a headlock. "First of all, I'm a millennial, fuck head. Second, I don't have to be nice and give you something less terrible than cleaning up after the drunk assholes at the clubhouse, but if you'd rather scrape jizz off the walls, go ahead and hightail your scrawny little ass back there."

The fact a black light in that clubhouse would keep Gavin from touching anything ever again, he knows he should be grateful. "No, I'm good here. You guys have apartments. Why do the guys have to fuck in the public bathrooms?"

Releasing him, Colt chuckles and lifts an eyebrow. "You've seen the bunnies here. Would you bring them to your apartment?"

"Fair point," he says, although he knows some of the guys do. "I'm ready to build some shit."

"Manly," Hailey says as she walks down the porch. "Colt, Noah's asking if we can get the game to play, but he hasn't given me anything else to know what game he's talking about. Any idea?"

He nods. "Yeah, tell him I'll be in there in a second to help him get it set up. It's kind of hard to explain until you see it."

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