Page 21 of Property of Bones

“Who mattered to him?” Susan asks, her voice soft with curiosity.

“Our Sunny-girl.”

Marv and Cheryl step forward from behind the row of bikers, coming to a stop beside Jack. Marv’s face is solemn but kind. Cheryl smiles at me with those kind and wise eyes of hers. She’s always been so sweet and soft-spoken. The opposite of Marv who always acts rough and tough.

“Me?” I ask, confused, glancing between them. “I didn’t know him well enough to mean something to him.”

“He wasn’t with us for very long,” Marv says. “But he always mentioned how nice you were. Told Connie once that every time you smiled his way, he felt your care melt away his fears…even if just for a second. I’m only sorry we didn’t see those fears sooner.”

Susan turns to me, tears streaking freely down her cheeks now. She reaches out and takes my hands in hers, gripping tight.

“My boy didn’t care about much,” she whispers, voice cracking with grief. “But your kindness… I just know that it meant the world to him. Thank you for giving him that.”

I swallow hard, the burn in my throat spreading to my chest. “I only wish I could’ve done more.”

“You did enough,” she says, pulling me into a gentle embrace. “You made him feel seen. That’s a gift most people never get.”

Pulling back, she offers the most genuine smile I’ve seen from her all evening. It softens the sorrow in her eyes…if only a little.

“So, you belong to this group, huh?” she asks, glancing toward the gathered bikers.

“She does,” Spike answers before I can open my mouth to protest.

“I do?” I blink, confused.

“You do,” Jack grunts, his eyes steady on mine.

“Shesodoes,” Riley adds with a wide grin like this was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’m really confused,” I admit, looking helplessly at Susan.

She lets out a watery laugh, the kind that’s half joy and half ache. “You might be, dear… but I don’t think that handsome man with the scars is.” She nods toward Jack. “He seemsveryconfident in that claim.”

I glance back at him. He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t blink. Just looks at me like he already made up his mind. But what is it that he’s decided?

“Come,” Susan says, linking her arm with mine. “Let’s go bury my son… and I’ll tell you all about the time he tried to sell lemonade in January because he thought he could corner the off-season market.”

A small laugh bubbles up in my throat. And just like that, surrounded by chrome, leather, and grief, I walk beside her, heart heavier and lighter all at once.

Chapter Nine

Bones

“It’s not a good idea to go on your own.”

“Regardless, I’m going, Tank. I don’t need a freaking babysitter to shop for fabric. Stop trying to parent me.”

“Trust me, woman, parenting you is the last thing on my mind.”

“Bubby, get control of your friend before I throat punch him.”

“You can’t reach that high, baby sister.”

Typically, I’d tune out the background noise around me. Filter out the petty bickering, the back-and-forth banter that comes with clubhouse life, but watching Tank slowly lose his mind over a woman he swears he doesn’t deserve?

Yeah. Mildly entertaining.

Mostly because I know the feeling.

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