“I brought wine,” Ivy says as her dirty-blond ponytail sways with each step.
Close behind her, carrying a bag, is Thumper. And for the first time in as long as I can remember, a snarl doesn’t form on my lips at the very sight of him.
“I brought gifts,” he says, raising the brown bag high in the air to get the girls’ attention, “for my favorite nieces.”
Maddox and Hazel run from the swings and go barreling in his direction. “Uncle Thumper,” they call in unison as they almost collide with him.
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Shadow asks them, pretending to be upset. But the man likes kids as much as he likes cops.
“You’re annoying,” Ivy tells him as she makes her way to the stone patio where we are sitting. “And a dumbass.”
“Ivy,” Ma chides her like Shadow hasn’t said worse things to her over the years. “Be nice to your brothers.”
Ma always wants us to be nice and get along, but it’s never been in the cards. When half of the gang is made up of complete and utter assholes, it’s hard to get that kumbaya bullshit other families have.
Ivy stops dead. “When Shadow and Thumper decide to stop being assholes, I’ll be nice to them, Ma. Until then, they’re getting what they’re giving.”
“Come on, sis. I’m nice,” Shadow tells her as he brushes by her and knocks her in the shoulder.
“Shadow,” Ma warns.
Ivy isn’t even fazed by Shadow’s attempt to knock her off-kilter. “Where’s your woman, Wylder?”
“She’s on her way. Although now, I’m regretting inviting her over,” I say, looking between my brothers.
“I have no issue with Tate,” Shadow says. “The past is the past.”
“Easy for you to say since your life wasn’t on the line,” I remind him.
“My life’s on the line every day with the club.” He grabs a beer from the six-pack he had tucked under his arm when he strolled into the backyard. “That’s life.”
“It’s not life for most people,” Ma says, shaking her head at his answer. “Tate’s a good girl.”
“She’s not hard on the eyes either,” Shadow says in a low voice as he pulls the tab on the beer can.
“Daddy, Daddy,” Hazel says, running across the yard with a pink stuffed animal in her hand. Her casted arm is swinging wildly with every step, and if she is in pain, she sure hasn’t shown it. “Look what Uncle Thumper got me.”
She shoves the stuffed animal in my face, making me pull back a little to focus on it. “It’s so nice.” It’s both ugly as hell and the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, because whatever weird-ass animal it’s supposed to be also has a cast on its arm.
“I love it,” she says, squeezing it against her chest tightly. “It’s just like me.”
“Yeah, sweetheart. Just like you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tate walk into the backyard and freeze. Her gaze moves around to my sister and then to my brothers before landing on me. I fully expect for her to turn around and haul ass right out of here. If I were in her shoes, it’s what I would do.
Thumper’s eyes land on Tate, and before I can get up, he starts walking in her direction. She lifts her hand at me, making me stay put.
If he is an asshole to her today, I’ll throw him out on his ass and never let him back on my property again. I am not in the mood for his shit, and I am not going to put up with him disrespecting my girl.
Thumper rubs the back of his neck as he stops a few feet away from her. He talks first and she listens, staring up at him with no anger.
“What’s that about?” Ivy asks as she sits down in the chair next to me, staring across the yard to where my eyes are pointed.
“I don’t know,” I lie.
“You must have a clue or else you would’ve had your ass over there already. You’re a shit liar, Wylder,” she tells me as she twists the top off the cheap wine she adores. It’s garbage that doesn’t even taste like wine and more like our favorite fruit punch as kids, but she loves the shit.
I don’t reply. There’s nothing I can say because she isn’t wrong.
