Page 75 of Blackout

I’ll Never Love Again rings through the air. Lady Gaga hits the notes and the lyrics of the ballad strike a chord deep inside me as I stare at the reaper branded to my husband’s leathers.

Pushing Nico off me, I straighten up.

“Ouch!” he groans.

Ignoring him, I call out to Blackie. Without acknowledging me, he takes the remote from the coffee table and shuts the television.

“Oh shit, when did you guys get back?” Nico questions, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His gaze darts around the cabin. “Where’s Bianci?”

Pushing off the table, Blackie stands and turns to us. Keeping his face expressionless, he shakes the hair away from his eyes and bites the inside of his cheek.

“In the car,” he replies. Clenching and unclenching his fists, his eyes lock with mine. “Get your stuff together, we’re going home.”

“Praise Jesus,” Nico exclaims. “No offense but this place is the pits.”

“You looked pretty comfortable to me,” Blackie sneers, pinning him with a glare. “You always fall asleep on the job?”

“Blackie,” I start, standing from the couch. He doesn’t give me a chance to get another word out as he walks away. Reaching the door, he pauses and glances over his shoulder at me.

“Anthony’s got someplace to be, so let’s make this quick, yeah?”

He doesn’t wait for me to answer and walks out of the cabin, closing the door behind him.

“What just happened?” Nico questions, stretching his arms over his head. Not really sure myself, I shake my head in response. Deciding I’ll deal with it once we’re home, I leave Nico in the living room and go pack my bag. Once I have everything, I step out of the bedroom and Nico takes the bag from my hand.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says as he leads me towards the door.

Outside, Blackie leans against Anthony’s SUV with a blank expression. Lifting his eyes to me, he opens the back door and tips his chin, urging me to slide in. I stop in front of him and touch my hand to his cheek.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” he mutters, taking a step backward. My hand falls from his cheek to his chest and that’s when I notice his vice president patch is missing from his kutte. His eyes follow mine and he closes his hand around my wrist.

“We’ll talk about it when we get home,” he says.

Before I can question him any further, Nico steps beside me and goes to slide into the back seat. Blackie reaches around me and grabs him by the back of his kutte.

“Sit in the front,” he growls.

“Are you sure? I’m used to riding bitch, it’s kind of my thing. You know, part of the job description and all—”

“Sit the fuck in the front, Nico, before I shove your ass in the fucking trunk.”

Widening his eyes, Nico obliges and moves around us to climb into the truck beside Bianci. Blackie grabs my hand and ushers me into the car before sliding in next to me.

“Blackie,” I whisper once he shuts the door.

“I’m not in the mood, Lace.”

Well…

Okay, then.

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