Page 129 of Devil's Due

“Pregnant again.”

Beer flies out of my mouth. “So fuckin’ fast? How old’s Rose?”

“Six months.” He shrugs apologetically. “What can I say? I don’t like wrapping it up, she wants loads of kids. Got Viper onto building a house for us now.”

“Looks like it will need plenty of space.”

“Yeah.” Unrepentant, he grins. He swallows a mouthful of beer, then sets the bottle down. “I was worried you were staying away because of me.”

“You?” My eyes crease.

“Well, me and Becca. Look, man. I never said anything, but I know how you feel about her.”

“Nah,” I contradict, “you don’t. I used to wish I’d seen her before you, but you two were always a pair, even when you weren’t.” I check, but luckily I’m making sense to him. “I wanted what you had, but now I know, it wouldn’t have worked.” I point to my old lady sitting with Theo on her lap. “Always believed there was one woman for me, just didn’t know who. Now I’ve found her. What I thought I’d felt for Becca, hell, for Sally too, wasn’t the real thing at all.”

Rock’s hand lands on my back. “Pleased for you, Beef.”

I’m pleased for me too.

“Ever miss Tucson?”

“Of course.” I’m wistful for a moment as I look into the rearview. “But we’ve all got to move on. You’ve got your family, and I’ve got my VP flash and a job to do.”

“Fuckin’ proud of you, Brother.”

I’ve heard that a lot over the past few weeks, but falling from Rock’s lips? Means one hell of a lot.

“Proud of you, too, Brother. Seems we’ve both got new lives which suit us both.”

Picking up his beer, he clinks his bottle against mine. “Had to grow up and settle down one day, man.”

I lean in closer. “Give you a tip? Try blindfolding Becca sometime.”

He chuckles and winks. “What makes you think I don’t?”

Snorting with laughter, I look around the room and see Steph’s face turned toward mine. As if she knows I’m watching, a smile slides over her face.

I turn to my friend. “You, Tucson, all the brothers there, will always have a special place in my heart. But that woman there? She’s my home.”

As his face softens, I translate he’s agreeing. He’s feeling the same way about Becca.

“Well, what’s the gossip from back home, Rock? How is everyone?”

My question opens the flood gates as he runs through what’s been going on. Luckily no particular problems for them to deal with, his update is more who’s pregnant and who’s not. Money’s been placed that Heart and Marcia are expecting another pair of twins. I hand him a twenty saying my guess is they’re not. Drummer and Wraith seem content they’ve completed their family. Hyde, at last, is going to claim Sarah officially.

“How’s Truck doing?”

Rock’s eyes shutter. “Can’t tell you that. He won’t have contact with anyone. Shut himself off from the club and his firefighting crew. He’s alive and will stay that way, but that’s about as much as we know. We’ve tried to see him, Slate, his captain has too. But… nothing.”

I sigh heavily. Man needs his family around him when the chips are down. But what can be done if he doesn’t let help in?

“Yeah, well. We’ll keep trying.” Rock raises his chin.

“Yo, Rock. Beef tells us you’d like to try your hand at cards.”

Oh fuck.I glance at my best friend and see his mood has risen, laughter twinkling in his eyes as he calls back, “Yeah, Ro. Deal me in.”

I start shaking my head. “I live here,” I hiss.

---