Page 64 of Bear

“You can stay in my room. Leah won’t mind. She hates lockdown—had to do too many of them as a kid, so she’s probably happy for the company.”

“Thanks,” I say. “I promise not to punch her in the face.”

“That’d be good, ’cause my woman ain’t afraid to hit back.”

I laugh and cover my mouth, startled by my outburst. I am just one big emotional roller coaster of crazy right now.God help Tennessee for buying a ticket to this attraction.

I let Bear lead me inside and kiss me in front of Sterling’s room. “I’m probably gonna be gone for a minute. You gonna be okay?” he asks.

“Yeah. I’ll get there.”

“Strongest fuckin’ woman I know.” He cups my face and smooths his thumbs over my cheeks.

I pull his hands away and kiss them one by one. “Don’t keep Chaos waiting. He might throw me to the wolves.”

He dips his head and searches my face. “I’d never let that happen. You know that, right?”

I nod. Sterling kisses Leah on the lips and joins us in the hall. Leah presses her shoulder against the doorjamb and grabs my hand, pulling me away from Tennessee. “She’ll be fine here with me. I’ve already snagged us a bottle of whiskey, and I’ve brought face masks from home. We’re gonna watch Netflix and—”

“Chill?” Sterling asks with a grin.

“No. At least, not in the way you’re thinking anyway.”

“You two should totally speak to Ruin about filming a little girl-on-girl action.”

“No!” we say at once.

Bear and Sterling pout.

“You two better get your asses to church, or Dad’s never going to let you hear the end of it,” Leah says, pulling Sterling in for another kiss. “Be careful.”

“Always.”

I glance at Tennessee, not even wanting to say it out loud. He nods and kisses the top of my head, and then they leave us. Leah shuts the door and grins at me with wide eyes. “Oh my God, he is so freaking into you.”

I give her a tight smile. “I don’t know why. I’m a complete head case right now.”

“Girl, come on. That’s how you know they’re your person. When everything turns to shit, and you lose your freaking mind, but they still stick by you.”

I grimace. “I don’t think I’ve ever had apersonbefore.”

“Well, you’ve got one in Bear whether you want it or not. I haven’t spent a whole lotta time with him, but he’s always around, and I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

“Is it ...” I sigh, trying to calm my frayed nerves. “Is it always this stressful when they leave?”

“Every time, but you know what? Those boys have each other’s backs. All of them, even Crow and Mako, who haven’t patched yet. They treat Bear as if he’s always been a part of this chapter. He’s in good company.”

I hope she is right, because I can’t afford to lose another person I love.Love. God, this level of devotion I have for Tennessee would be alarming if it didn’t feel like I’d been sleeping through my entire life and now my eyes are wide open. But that is crazy. He’s a nomad—not a patched member of the Uprising Kings of Carnage. He could leave at any minute, be sent wherever the nomadic charter needs him, and I’ve already lost my heart to him. I’ve given him everything—body, heart, and soul. I just hope he doesn’t shatter what’s left of me.

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