Page 33 of Outlaws' Single Mom
“If it was just you, you’d still get the bed.” He smirks. “But maybe we could share.”
The bed looks like someone just got out of it. “Oh no, did I wake you up?”
“Doesn’t fucking matter. I hadn’t been down for long. We keep late hours, most days. Sheets are pretty clean, but if you want?—”
“No, it’s fine.” I pull back the blanket a little more and settle Logan down on the bed. He rolls over and curls up into a ball like a little armadillo, clutching his helmet tight. I take Mr. Larson out of his backpack and tuck the poor puppy under the covers. After a couple years of being top dog, he might have to make room. I brush my hand gently through Logan’s hair before getting off the bed. Jackal pulls the curtain closed.
“If you just wanna crash, it’s fine.” Jackal gestures at the bed. “But I’ve got beer, water.” He opens a minifridge under the counter. “Couple cans of soda. Oh, I’ve got some instant coffee, and some hot chocolate I picked up in case Logan came over again.”
“Hot chocolate sounds nice. I’m too strung out for caffeine.” I smile as Jackal takes out a box of instant cocoa packets with little marshmallows included. The thought of him standing in a store and picking them out for Logan is making me feel something warm and fuzzy that I’m not sure I should be examining that closely.
“I hope this is okay. Probably better from scratch with milk and all that shit.”
“Don’t judge me, but I’m not sure I’ve ever made it from scratch.” I admit.
He grins. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
I settle on the couch and watch as Jackal fills two mugs with water and puts them in the microwave. Right before the time runs out, he glances towards the bed and cancels the timer so it doesn’t wake up Logan. He pours in the powder packets and grabs a couple spoons. Sinking into the couch next to me, hehands me my mug. We don’t say anything, just stirring our mugs together in comfortable silence.
“I promise I won’t tell anyone that my big, dangerous, manly biker friend drinks hot chocolate.” The first sip burns my tongue, but it’s sweet and comforting.
“I don’t give a fuck if people know. It’s just a drink.” He shrugs. “Anyone who thinks it matters doesn’t have enough real shit in their life to worry about.”
I nod, blowing on my hot chocolate and sipping more carefully. “Am I doing the right thing? Should I just let it go? Nothing is going to bring Georgia back, but pushing might get the rest of us hurt. I don’t know if I’ll feel safe going back to my place even after the locks are fixed. It wasn’t so bad when all the weird stuff was happening… out there.” I gesture with one hand. “But someone tried to get into my home,knowingLo and I were there. Why?”
“You think it was Jay?”
I shrug. “Who else? And the truth is, the police could be right. I’m not just responsible for myself. Logan needs me, and I was standing outside his bedroom with a baseball bat because why? I had a bad feeling? I don’t know what to do,” I let out quietly
His strong arm comes around my waist and gently pulls me closer. I snuggle into his side, willing to take all the closeness I can get right now.
“What you’re gonna do,” he says in a low and steady voice, “is take care of your boy and let us take care of you.”
“I can’t just?—”
“Shh. Of course you can. Tonight you sleep here, but tomorrow we’ll figure out somewhere for you to stay. The club’s got room, but I need to check with Hellfire first. You wouldn’t be the first person to hide out behind the walls for a bit until the fires died down. That fucking cop had our name in his mouth, and that makes it our problem, too. If Jay’s the source, well, that’s on us. You didn’t make me stab him. I did that all on my own and I’d do it again.”
“You what?” I pull back, eyes wide.
Jackal looks smug. “He had it coming.”
“You can’t juststabpeople.”
“No, but in my experience it’s easier and more effective than you might think.”
I shake my head. “Maybe you’re the wrong person to ask for advice with this.”
He chuckles, a comfortable rumble I can feel in my bones. “Depends on what you want to happen. If you want to close your eyes, accept what they tell you and go on with your life never knowing the truth, you’re right. You wanted justice for your sister. Is that still true?”
The hot chocolate is a much more manageable temperature now. I take a gulp, feeling the sugar coat my mouth. “Yeah. I do. She deserves better, and I’m all she has. Is that selfish?”
“Fuck no. Loyalty is important. We’re all we’ve got in this world.”
“Why are you all so good to me?”
He strokes a hand down my side. “Savior complex. And you have an amazing ass.”
“Like you can’t get pretty much any ass you want, looking the way you guys do.”
