Page 24 of Gatling
Blackbeard flipped me off. Leigh chuckled and snuggled against Blackbeard’s back.
The clubhouse served as a home away from home for the Blackjacks, but I rarely lingered for long. I couldn’t help feeling like an intruder, or a spare puzzle piece that didn’t fit quite right.Even the lifelong bachelors, like Big G, would bring girls around, or flirt with the club bunnies. Most of these men had families and loved ones of their own.
But I didn’t. The only two people I cared about in this world wouldn’t set foot in a place like this. Noah was wary about the Blackjacks, and rightly so. We got into some shady shit over the years.
And Kelsie…Kelsie didn’t belong here.
I passed Crash who was busy sweeping the floor. Spike sat at the bar—surprisingly without his usual ever-present female company for once. Instead, he amused himself with a bowl of peanuts, flicking the shells onto the floor where Crash had previously cleaned.
Crash glared at him.
“Asshole.”
Spike snickered.
“Watch your language, Prospect. I outrank you.”
I knocked my shoulder against Spike hard enough to dislodge him from his seat.
“And I outrank you. Quit picking on the new kid.”
Crash nodded with gratitude at me. But as soon as my back was turned, he stuck his tongue out in Spike’s direction.
“I saw that,” I said. “Spike, grab a broom. Help the Prospect sweep the place up.”
Spike groaned.
“Great. Now we’re both in trouble, kid.”
“You started it,” Crash mumbled.
I ignored their squabbling, as long as they weren’t at each other’s throats. As the Sergeant-at-Arms, I was a higher ranking officer than either of them. But it wasn’t my job to babysit. Ultimately, it was Kingpin’s responsibility to ensure that everyone played nice as the President of the club. In his absence,Blackbeard was the one who kept the peace and gave the final order to behave ourselves and get along.
Voices emanated from the kitchen and Tex emerged, carrying his little boy, Colby, on his shoulders. Baby Doll followed close on Tex’s heels, fiddling with the straw of a juice box. She passed the juice up to Colby.
“Thank you, Aunt Baby Doll,” he said.
“You’re welcome, little man,” she replied.
“Are you sure you’re okay to watch him for the day?” Tex prompted. “I know it’s a big ask. But our nanny fell through again. Erika doesn’t want to discuss the d-i-v-o-r-c-e in front of Colby.”
I winced. Tex didn’t mention any marriage troubles, but I picked up the signs. The tense phone calls with his wife. The hostile confrontations in the parking lot when she showed up and chewed him out over God-knows-what. And the nights that Tex spent here, camped out in one of the back rooms. Hell, he even asked to crash on my couch once or twice.
I wasn’t any good at offering a shoulder to cry on, but Tex seemed to be comforted by Baby Doll’s offer to help out.
“Are you kidding?” Baby Doll said. “I’d love to have him all to myself. We can build a blanket fort in my living room, watch his favorite movies, and maybe we can check out that new place with the bumper cars.”
Colby wiggled with excitement.
“Can I go, Dad?”
Tex laughed.
“Yeah, you can go. Try not to miss me too much while Aunt Baby Doll spoils you rotten.”
Baby Doll stretched out her arms with a grin and made grabby hands at Colby. Tex swept Colby off his shoulders and passed his son into Baby Doll’s waiting embrace. She blew a loud, wet kiss on his cheek.
Something twisted inside my chest.
