“Go.”
Sonny bit his lip and nodded. He opened the door and shut it, leaving me by my lonesome self. Leave it to the kid to fucking open old wounds.
But those were old wounds that had never really healed properly. Maybe I really did owe it to myself to ask myself some hard questions.
After all, I’d fucking cuddled Hailey after I came. And the last time that had happened…
At this point, the parallels were too scary.
* * *
I never did go to sleep that night. Concerns about the King’s Men and the questions of Hailey ensured my mind never settled down enough. The instant the sun broke the horizon, I was on my bike back for my house, ready to pick up Hailey and drop her off at her car—which, thankfully, had not been hit.
The first thing I did when I got home, even before waking her up, was to head straight to my room. There wasn’t much at this point that Hailey could do to infuriate me, but if I discovered that she’d gone into my actual bedroom, I might have kicked her out on the spot, regardless of if she was naked or not.
But, fortunately, the room looked untouched. There were still the photos of Tamara on the dresser, still the wedding ring by her photo, still—
“Satan?”
I jolted around, ready to shove her out of the room. No, she hadn’t spoken from the hallway. Her voice had come from the other room.
“Yeah, one second,” I said back.
I looked at the photo of Tamara. The beautiful brunette—I would never forget her. She was the one who had kept me sane during my tours in the military, and she was the only person besides my son who could make me laugh.
And then she got cancer.
There was nothing I was at fault for. There was nothing she was at fault for. This wasn’t some grief-inducing thing where I had killed her in a wreck and had to live with myself. Life had just been mercilessly cruel around a decade ago, and both Sonny and I had to suffer for nature’s immovable march toward death.
The entire club came out and supported me during her funeral, but I had never felt so alone. I made myself that way, for I refused any and all advice, hugs, or conversation starters. Even Sonny was left to fend for himself for a bit, relying on club members for things as basic as rides to school. It hit me hard, and I had sworn when it all transpired that I would never love again.
And up until now, not only had I followed that promise to myself, it had happened relatively easily.
Funny how that worked the instant someone like…well, like Hailey showed up.
“I dunno, Tamara,” I mumbled to myself. “You always did tell me to find someone else. I just never thought I would.”
Still not sure I have. It’s so early. And yet, already…
I tore myself away from the photo and marched to Hailey’s room. I couldn’t be dealing with this, not after the shit of last night and not for how fucking early in the day it was.
When I arrived, her naked body was there, lying under the covers, her eyes half-awake. God, the temptation to rush over, pull the covers off, and just fuck her brains out…
“You’re home early,” she said. “Or late, I’m not sure.”
“We had to take care of some things and make sure no one got killed. You sleep fine?”
She nodded and gave a smile. She was too sleepy to make it a fully flirtatious smile, but God, how easy it would have been to walk over, kiss her on the lips, and have her get me naked again. How fucking incredible it would be to be inside her tight, wet pussy. How awesome…
Club duties.
“I need you to get dressed. I’ve got shit to take care of, and I can’t have you here at the house. I’ll be downstairs.”
I could see the disappointment on Hailey’s face.
“Not coming for—”
“Don’t,” I said. “Club duties.”
