Page 33 of Defended By Bam
My heart skipped. “Wait, no, I–”
“Not Bama. He’s fine. Or at least he was when I ran into him at the clubhouse earlier. Reggie’s gone.” She took a long sip, finishing off her beer, then put it on the porch.
Once my panic calmed, sorrow for my new friend sunk in. “I’m so sorry.”
She grinned over at me. “Me, too. He was the love of my life. He wasn’t there to stop my attack, but he was the only one that believed me and even though it got him tossed out, he defended me.”
“They didn’t…” I knew there was corrupt shit everywhere, but surely they didn’t kill him.
“No, but he got a dishonorable discharge so no benefits. I get my benefits, and now I get extra because of what happened.”
“I feel weird saying that’s good, considering what happened to you.”
“Right? Like, what do you say to that? Congrats, men are trash, so here’s a check?” She laughed hard.
“I’m sorry about Reggie.”
She reached over, gripping my hand. “I’ll be okay, love. But if I learned anything from him, it’s don’t wait around. You never know how much time you have. Don’t waste it. I know you wentthrough some shit, but Bama’s a good guy. He’ll take care of you.”
“I’m not sure he thinks of me that way. I thought there was a moment, but I totally read it wrong.”
“No. He wants you. He told me straight away our arrangement was off. He’s probably having a hard time reading you. He’s sensitive to women, probably thanks to his sister. They had a hard life, and she took care of him. But you know what, I’ll let him tell you all that.”
A small flutter filled my belly, but I was conflicted. “It’s a little weird, knowing the two of you–”
“It shouldn’t be. Hell, he knows you had a thing with someone before. You have a kid.”
“True, but he doesn't personally know him.”
“Look,” she said, squeezing my hand, “I cannot stress enough that there were never emotions at play. And it’s over. I’d never betray a friend. That was before you met him. How long ago doesn’t matter.” She squeezed my hand again, then let go. “Another cold one?”
I started to stand, but she waved me off. “Chill. I’ll check on Sadie and grab them. Enjoy the suffocating humidity.”
Chuckling as I watched her go inside, I let out a sigh and looked around. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did like me. I thought I liked him, but it also seemed so fast. Could it be a rebound? But what she said was worth thinking about.You never know how much time you have. Don’t waste it.
Chapter 17
Bama
After a briefing with the prospects, we made the ride out toward Pensacola. Having a ride with my brothers was always good for my head. The air was hot and sticky, but I’d grown to love the feel of the coast. The salty air was like a balm to the soul. Being even further south than where I grew up was great, because it was rare to have frigid temps or bad road conditions. We got rain and storms, but those usually didn’t last long.
The moon was bright, and the sky was clear tonight, though. We also didn’t know what to expect. Froggy and Hammer led us, with Skeeter and Runt just behind them.
We eventually came to a long stretch of dark country road and followed it for miles. Froggy and Hammer slowed and turneddown a dirt road. After a quarter of a mile, they pulled to the side. We followed suit, killing the engines.
Hammer waved Skeeter and Runt over. “Okay, boys. Leave the Harleys here, sneak up there and scope it out. If it’s empty or low numbers, shoot us a text and wait. If it's a full house, just come back.”
I couldn't see anything down the dirt road, but assumed there was a building or house further down. “How far down is it?”
Hammer shrugged. “Close enough they can walk, far enough hopefully nobody heard us.”
“Hopefully?” Froggy joked.
We were all on alert, not knowing if someone would come from either direction. The crickets chirped and an owl hooted nearby as we waited on our bikes amongst the tall oaks. I tried to stay focused on the long driveway, but my mind kept wandering back to Brooklyn.
I thought I was doing the right thing by backing off. Maybe I did. Should I let her just be mad? So much shit happened to her and Sadie in just the few days I knew them, and surely the story was longer than what I understood. She could be confused and latching on to anything she can.
For the first time ever, I wasn’t sure that if I had a woman, I could let her go.
