Page 5 of Monster's Madhouse
For once, neither Monster nor Drifter had a quick retort. All they could do was stand there and watch as Blitz comforted Josie, making them both feel like asses for the way that they had acted—without having to say another word.
Drifter
Drifter felt like an ass for all but demanding that Blitz stay with him and Josie. He was just trying to make things easier for his sister. If Blitz stuck around, maybe Josie would feel more comfortable with him and her new surroundings. It was a long shot, sure, but he wanted that for her. He wanted Josie to feel safe with him, and to know that his home was now hers—for as long as she wanted it to be. He planned on taking care of his little sister for as long as she would allow him to, and he just wanted Josie to know that.
He sat down on the other side of the room, in the little chair that he and Monster had found at a thrift store. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I went about this all wrong. I thought that Blitz sticking around would help make you feel more comfortable, Josie. I didn’t mean to sound as though I was demanding you stay with us, Blitz. I have a big house with extra bedrooms. You are welcome to stick around and use one of them if you’d like to.”
Blitz looked at Josie, and the two seemed to communicate silently. They had seemed to have already bonded in such a short amount of time. Drifter wondered if he might ever have that type of relationship with his little sister again. They had been closeonce, but then, he left her with their mother, and that was a mistake that he’d regret for the rest of his life.
Josie nodded at Blitz and smiled—actually smiled. It was the first time that Drifter had seen his little sister smile since her arrival. A part of him felt jealous that she hadn’t gifted him with that smile, but Blitz was right. He needed to be patient with Josie—the rest would fall into place in time.
“I’d love to stay,” Blitz said, her tone still a little dry. “I’ll stay here for Josie, but only until she doesn’t need me to stick around anymore.” Drifter wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or scared out of his damn mind. From the way that Monster was mean-mugging him, he was going with scared out of his fucking mind.
Drifter could see the way his friend looked Blitz over at the bar. Hell, he looked at her that very same way, but he never expected to be jealous after Monster asked her to move into one of the apartments above the club. That would give his friend direct access to Blitz, and for some reason, that really bothered him. For now, he was going to have to count Blitz agreeing to stay with him as a win—for Josie’s sake.
Drifter showed Blitz to the spare room, and Josie tagged along. His sister didn’t seem to want to leave Blitz’s side. He wished that she felt safer around him, but Drifter knew that would come in time. There was no telling the damage his mother did to his sister, and reversing it might not even be an option.
He and Monster agreed to give the two some time to settle in while they made some dinner. It would also give them some time to talk about Blitz—even though Drifter was sure that he wasn’t like what his friend would say about it. If he had to guess—theyboth wanted her, and that might lead to trouble that neither of them needed or expected.
They decided to barbecue, and Monster got the grill going. His backyard smelled like smoke and mesquite, the old grill working overtime as dusk settled in. The backyard wasn’t fancy—but it felt lived in, safe in a way the house he grew up in never quite managed. He planned to fix up the inside of the house first, and then get to work in the backyard, but his plans went to the wayside when things got too busy down at the funeral home. What he needed was to hire someone to help around the funeral home, freeing up some of his time, and maybe that would be a good idea, not that Josie was living with him. She’d require some of his time since he couldn’t expect Blitz to hang around town forever.
Drifter brought the plate of meat out to the grill and handed it to Monster. Neither man said a word as he threw the burgers and hot dogs onto the grill. Monster stood at the grill, tongs in hand, glaring at the sizzling burgers like they’d personally offended him. Drifter leaned against the deck rail with a beer in hand, his easy grin firmly in place. That was the difference between the two of them—Drifter could usually let things go pretty easily, whereas Monster liked to hold a grudge for a damn long time. He was probably still pissed about Blitz agreeing to stay with Drifter, but his friend was just going to have to get over that. She had made her choice.
“You’re gonna burn them,” Drifter said, nodding at the smoke curling higher.
Monster shot him a look that could’ve killed a man. “I know what the fuck I’m doing.”
Drifter took a long pull from his bottle, then set it down with a soft chuckle. “You want her too.”
Monster froze; shoulders tense. The tongs scraped the grate as he slowly turned the burgers, buying himself a second. “Who?” he asked, playing dumb.
Drifter couldn’t help but chuckle. “Blitz,” Drifter said easily, like it wasn’t a bomb he’d just dropped between them. “You think I don’t see it? The way you watch her when she’s talking, like you’re cataloguing every damn word. Hell, I knew the second that I walked in the bar that you wanted her, man.”
Monster didn’t answer right away. The quiet stretched, broken only by the hiss of grease hitting flame. Finally, he set the tongs down and turned, his stare sharp. “Yeah. I want her.”
Drifter nodded, no mockery in his face now, only the blunt truth of a man laying his cards on the table. “Good. So we’re not pretending anymore.”
Monster’s brows furrowed, that dangerous edge flashing in his eyes. “You think I’m gonna step aside so you can charm your way into her bed?”
Drifter smirked, but there was steel beneath it. “Hell no. I’m saying it’s not up to you or me. Blitz is gonna choose. And when she does, I’m damn sure gonna make sure she picks me.”
Monster crossed his arms, chest broad in the fading light. “Then we agree on one thing. She decides.”
Drifter pushed off the railing, stepping closer, his grin turning sharper. “She decides. But until then, we bring our best.” He tapped his beer bottle lightly against the tongs Monster still held. “No half-assed moves like offering her a place over the clubhouse to crash.”
Monster’s scowl bent into something that almost resembled a smile, fierce and dangerous. “Fine. And for the record, using Josie as an excuse to get her to move in here was a jerk move, too. But I’ll warn you now—I don’t play to lose.”
The two men locked eyes, tension thick but laced with mutual respect, the kind forged on the road and in blood. The burgershissed behind them, smoke curling into the night sky, the smell of char and challenge hanging heavy in the air. Drifter thought it ironic that somewhere inside of his house, Blitz was unpacking her things, completely unaware that in Drifter’s backyard, a war had just been declared—for her.
Drifter’s kitchen smelled like grilled meat and smoke, the table set with paper plates and mismatched silverware. He carried in a bowl of chips, setting it on the table just as Monster stomped in with the platter of burgers and dogs. He dropped it down with a grunt, the sound more a challenge than hospitality.
“Eat up,” Monster said, sliding into the chair beside Blitz before anyone else could take it. Josie sat next to Blitz, and Drifter took the last empty seat next to his sister. He would think the whole scene very domestic—well, besides the fact that he and his best friend were fighting over the same woman, and she didn’t seem to have a clue about their feud.
“Would you like a beer, honey?” he asked Blitz, pulling one free from the bucket of ice he had them cooling in, and cracking it open for her without waiting for the answer. He slid it across the table with an easy wink.
“Gross,” Josie murmured under her breath, but still loud enough that they could all hear her. Blitz giggled and took the beer, nodding her thanks.
Monster’s jaw ticked. “She doesn’t need you waiting on her hand and foot. I’m sure that Blitz is a capable woman who can get her own damn beer.”
