Page 10 of Huge Dynamite
“Cut the freaking pity party,” Avery snaps. “I read people, Seth. That’s what I do. You know that. I grew up under the thumb of the Bordono crime family, and I learned. That’s part of the reason why I’m an expert marksman—I can read people and anticipate their moves. That night, when she was here and you two were at a table by yourselves, I called you ‘Dynamite’, and there was a definite reaction from her. She raised an eyebrow and sat closer to you, not farther back. She may be all class and brains, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want andneedan alpha in her life.”
“Come on,” Nick reprimands. Whenever the teasing touches on anything real, Nick steps in. “Give the kid a break. He’s handling it his way.”
“His way is bottling everything inside until he explodes. That’s why we call him ‘Dynamite’,” Bullet offers. There’s real concern in his voice.
“Speaking of.” Nick walks over to the table and plops down in an open chair. His gun hangs over his belt, and he adjusts his posture, leaning back on the cushioned office chair. “What happened at the hospital tonight?”
“Dogs everywhere. Vipers, too. It was chaos.”
“Did you see Holly?” It’s Harry. Damn, for a man who hated women for all those years, who wouldn’t and couldn’t trust them, not until Celia walked in, he sure cares a lot about love now.
“Yeah. From a distance.”
“Was she okay?” Avery leans forward.
“She was…” Shaking my head, I remember her there on the gurney. “She was amazing. I watched as she saved a Viper’s life. She…” Sighing, I look away and then back again. “She doesn’t need me. She’s got everything under control.”
“And you?” Nick tilts his head. “Did you have everything under control? Were you spotted by any Dogs?”
Nodding, I swallow hard. “One. Yeah.”
“Fuck!” Harry’s on his feet. “At best, they’re going to think we went to spy on them—to see how many men they’re down. They’re probably waiting for an ambush right now.”
“And at worst?” Raising my gaze, I ask Nick.
“At worst, son, they’ve figured out what Dr. Holly means to you and then…” He shakes his head. “If we have a war on our hands, she’ll be caught in the middle.”
“No.” Shaking my head, I look from man to man. “I won’t let that happen. Besides, Holly and I weren’t together. There’s no Dog that could know why I was there.”
“All right.” Nick nods. “Let’s just keep our eyes and ears peeled. If the Dogs have had as many serious injuries as you say, then they’re not going to come knocking any time soon. The best we can do is move on with the build of the new clubhouse and with our lives. Agreed?”
As we mumble our agreement, Nick eyes me.
“You know, Seth, it might help you find some peace if you let Colt be more involved around here. Sen’s kid brother, Matt, is out there right now helping her with the bikes. One thing about kid brothers…” He pauses and looks me straight in the eye. “They seem to learn pretty damned quick.”
I know what Nick’s saying—I need to open up to Colt. Yeah, I nominated him, but since that night, I haven’t done much for him. And lately—shit. I have been so preoccupied with Dr. Holly, I haven’t been much good to anyone. Well, that all changes tonight. Because tonight is the night I move on.
“I am working on spending some time with Colt,” I tell Nick.
The guys nod.
“Your kid brother is cool,” Harry adds.
“He’s been learning a lot about the bikes,” Bullseye throws in.
“You know…” Nick has to get the last word.
Despite everything, it makes me chuckle.
“I knew he was a good kid, I hope you know that. When you nominated him, I was hesitant, yes. But it wasn’t about you or him. I just wasn’t sure I should support any kind of family connection in the club. Not after…”
“Tess and CJ.” Nodding, I look at Nick. “I know. But thanks to your daughter, we’ve got some kickass plans for the club. I also, uh…” I’m not really a man of many words, and I hate anything mushy but here goes. “I appreciate you guys showing Colt the ropes. He’s never really had a man in his life, you know?”
They all nod in agreement. They know the deal—yeah, our dad split when we were kids—so? Lots of people’s dads split. But Colt never had anyone. He should have had me but he didn’t, because I let my stupid temperament get in the way. I was sent to juvie for freaking armed robbery—and served a longer sentence because I lashed out at the cop who tried to arrest me.
They call me “Dynamite” for a reason. Yeah, a lot of people earn their nicknames, but mine is one I wish I could live down.
Glimpsing Avery, I notice he sits up taller as he stares down at his empty bottle and spins it on the table. Talk of Matt always makes him melancholy like this, and I don’t blame him. I know what it’s like to live with guilt. I can’t even imagine the guilt he must be carrying for indirectly being the one who kept Sen’s brother in jail for years.
