Page 61 of Gypsy's Lady
“Okay, Gypsy.”
He stared at her a moment longer, then brushed his thumb across her lips in lieu of what he wanted to do, which was kiss her until those lips were swollen and red, until she could only whisper his name,until she arched against him, wordlessly asking him to fuck her until they were both sweaty and sated.“I love you,” he mouthed, and she pursed her lips, pressing a soft kiss against the pad of his thumb.
On the way to the apartment, Slate was full of talk about the chapter, how well Fury was doing with the president office he’d recently been appointed to. Everything was peachy, it seemed, andGypsy knew what his friend was doing, appreciating the effort. “I know the chapter will be fine,” he interrupted one particularly convoluted tale and Slate choked. “Mason’s too smart to have any one chapter too dependent on a member, regardless of their position. Jase will get someone to run Marie’s, and Fury will get someone to cover my club shit. In a year, it’ll be as if I wasn’t here at all,except when you get feelings stuck in your ass and cry because you can’t see me anymore.”
“Fuck you,” Slate shot back, amused and annoyed. “I don’t get feelings stuck in my ass.”
A little girl’s voice yelled, “Daddy’s not supposed to say the ef-ue words.” Gypsy laughed at Slate’s face then, as he reddened and blustered. “Or the ef-me words. Mommy paid me to tell her how many times Daddy wasbad.”
“Fuck me.” Louder, he asked, “Dani, what’d she promise you if you nark me out?” Slate focused on the street in front of them, making the final turn towards the apartments.
“Half a dollar.”
“I’ll double it for you to not tell her.” Gypsy laughed at his heavy sigh. “Woman’s trying to get me to not cuss around the kids, says it’ll corrupt them. I reminded her how she grew up around a groupof men who didn’t mince their words and she came out fine, but no, she doesn’t want the mothers of the other kids at school to think our kids are heathens.” He raised his voice as he called, “Allen, you know better than to say the ef-word at school, right?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“See? If my boy knows better, the girls will follow, and it’ll be a fucking non-issue, but not to Ruby.” He pulled the vaninto the parking lot, angling into a spot in front of Gypsy’s apartment.
“I’m gonna miss you.” Gypsy laughed. “You’re the most ridiculous man I know.”
Slate grinned back, his lip curling into a fake sneer. “Now who has feelings stuck in their ass?”
“You coming in, man?” Gypsy asked as he swung out of the vehicle and reached back to open the side door for Kelsey.
“Nope. Gonna get my terrorsback home, check on the old lady.” Slate leaned on the steering wheel and glared at him. “No talking you out of this path, is there?” Gypsy shook his head. “Fuck me. I’m gonna miss you, too, asshole.”
Kelsey pressed against Gypsy’s side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “See you tonight,” Gypsy said. Slate tipped his chin up and Gypsy closed the doors, standing andwatching as Slate backed out and drove away. “Let’s go up.” He sighed, turning her with him. “Sounds like you’ll have company tonight. That’s good.”
“Mmhmm.” She yawned and he smiled, watching as her nose scrunched up. “Still seems a bit odd, but I’m game.”
“Gypsy.Oi, wait a minute, mate,” a familiar voice called across the parking lot and Kelsey stiffened beside him, her back going straight,taut lines of muscles and tendons pressing against his arm. Twisting, Gypsy looked to see Bulldog trotting across the lined cement headed their direction. “A word, yeah?”
“Bulldog.” He pointed towards the building. “We’re headed up. Let’s take it inside.”
“Sounds good enough.” Bulldog walked beside Gypsy, angling his head to look at Kelsey. A stirring of jealousy snaked through Gypsy’s gut.“This the missus, then? Hello, lovely.” Kelsey stumbled, and her fingers scratched the leather of his belt, trying to gain a grip to hold herself upright. “Welcome to the States then. Will be good to have another Aussie around.”
“She’s shy…” Gypsy started to say when Kelsey interrupted him.
“A-Alan?”Fuck, she knows him. Of course she’d know him. What were the odds of two ex-patriot Australiansknowing each other when they meet in a remote city in Indiana, a United States flyover state? “A-Alan, is that really you?”
Bulldog gripped his forearm, dragging Gypsy and Kelsey to a stop only feet from the apartment door. “Cherilyn?” Gypsy glanced at him and watched the blood leave his face ashen in the sodium lights. “Bloody hell, Cheri?”
Kelsey took a step forwards and turned to face Bulldog.She was shaking, hands trembling as she lifted her hands towards him. “Alan. Oh, God, Alan.” She slipped out of Gypsy’s hold and threw herself at the man, tears already streaming down her face. “Oh my God, it really is you.”
Arms wrapped around Kelsey, over her shoulder Bulldog met Gypsy’s gaze, his expression stunned, eyes watery. “Bloody hell.”
“Someone wanna clue me in on what’s going on?”Gypsy knew his tone was sharp, but he needed to know what had his woman standing in another man’s arms. He reached a hand to rest against Kelsey’s back, rubbing in soothing circles as she sobbed. “Why’s my wife bawling her eyes out?”
“Your wife?” Bulldog’s voice shook, his words a whisper. “What the fuck, man?” His voice rose in volume until his last words were a shout. “My sweet sister is yourwife?”
Sister?
***
Kelsey
Seeing Alan again for the first time in years had been surreal. She’d heard his voice from across the car lot and her breath stuck in her lungs, not even a wheeze of air escaping. Only Gypsy’s arm had kept her moving forwards, and her motions felt robotic, like a dream. Then he’d peeked at her around Gypsy, flashing the smile which had always gotten him out of troubleas a young man, the man she remembered from her childhood. That smile was what sold her on the idea, and she’d forced his name out, and then…oh, God, then he’d recognized her, calling out the name she’d gone by as a child.
