Page 83 of Her Brother's Keeper

“And how do I become one?” he asked, and Maren turned her head.

“Sage,” she said, warning to her tone.

“What? I’m not trying to be rude! For real, I’m just asking. I’ve never asked before.”

Dray chuckled, “You gotta be eighteen for one,” he said.

“And have a bike,” Duracell chimed in.

“What else?” he asked curiously.

“You have to prove yourself,” Connor said, staring into the flames with a level of resolve out of character for his thirteen years. Reaver stared over at his son, pride shining in his icy blue eyes and it made me smile. Connor was definitely a kid he could be proud of. Despite his batshit crazy mother, he was somehow turning out right.

Maren lifted my arm and put it over her shoulders, I hugged her into my side and listened as my club brothers and my family explained to Sage everything involved with what it was to be one of us. Family, honor, loyalty being just the tip of the iceberg.

Maren made us smores and when I bit into mine it was with surprise. She smiled, laughing, and I shook my head and chewed. Salty sweet, I’d already forgotten about the conversation Sage and I had about using peanut butter cups rather than straight chocolate in his sister’s s’mores.

“Told you they were good,” he said, laughing, and he had me there. They really were. It was a perfect first night so far.

Chapter 30

Maren

Music and laughter. Zeb played his guitar by the fire and sang songs from New Zealand that were beautiful, even though they were in his native tongue and we couldn’t understand a word. The guys drank beer, the women drank wine, except for Melody, who couldn’t. She sipped iced tea along with me. Everyone said I could drink around them, but I wanted to set a good example for Sage.

Unfortunately, that good example now lead to my bladder crying out for relief when I was comfortably, and languidly, lounging against Nox with no desire whatsoever to actually move. I sighed piteously and stirred which caused Nox to kiss my temple and ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Have to pee,” I whispered. He chuckled and relinquished his hold on me. I sat up, out from underneath the blanket we had covering us and stretched.

“Be right back,” I said and got up.

“Inside the back door, follow the signs to the ballroom, and take a right down the little hall just before the doors. It’s the closest one, Sweetheart.”

I smiled, “Thanks, Dragon.”

“No sweat.”

I followed his directions and took care of things quickly, washing my hands and drying them, running the damp paper towel over my face which was tight from the heat of the campfire. I slipped back out and went back the way I came.

I slipped out the back door into the cool night air and very nearly smacked right into Rush.

“Oh, geez! I’m sorry,” I stammered. He looked over my zipped up jacket and vest with distaste and I leaned back, surprised.

“You have no idea what that really means,” he mumbled. “You’re too young. You’re just gonna get bored and break his fuckin’ heart and I don’t want that for him. Why don’t you stop using him and just leave him alone?” he slammed his shoulder into mine on the way past me, knocking me off balance. I stood there, stunned, and blinked once, long and slow.

I had no idea that Rush thought that way of me, and I found it both distressing and depressing. I looked down the trail, speechless, and locked eyes with Nox, who instantly scowled and waved me towards him.

I couldn’t make my feet move right away, turning Rush’s words around in my mind. I was worried, I mean,was it true?It was as if he had flipped a switch and the whole perfect day shattered around me, like some kind of illusion.

I felt like I had just been sucked down into a black morass of these awful feelings, sadness, anger, bitterness, worry, concern, fear; all of them twisted into a Gordian knot of awful in the center of my chest. I didn’t know what was happening.

Nox stood up and I just stood there and stared, my eyes welling up with tears.No, it wasn’t true!I loved Nox more than I had ever loved anything in my life. I not only loved him, I relied on him… butdid I rely on him too much? Was I indeed using him?

Panic welled up, sharp and fierce. The serrated edges tearing me up from the inside even as Nox’s hands landed gently on my shoulders.

“Angel, Baby, what’s wrong?” he murmured, cupping my chin and raising my face to look at him.

His eyes locked onto mine and some order was restored, the panic ebbing just long enough for me to burst out, “You don’t think I rely on you too much, do you? That I’m using you?”

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