He shrugs with a wicked smile. “It makes for hot sex.”
Okay, ew. My face pulls with disgust. “I don’t need that information, thank you very much.” Sure, Alice and I discuss our sex life but that doesn’t mean I want to hear about it from him. It’s different. Don’t ask me how but it just is.
“While there is truth to that I also feel as if my own limb is missing without Oak here. So, I know she’ll let me slide.”
He inhales the nicotine in a long pull and exhales with a cloud of smoke obscuring his face.
“You should shower before your hot angry sex with Alice,” I suggest to him as I wave my hand in the air trying to dispel the smoke.
He chuckles in the midst of taking another drag. After the second drawl he takes the butt end of the cigarette and exposes the flames between his thumb and pointer finger. He doesn’t even wince.
My eyes stare at him widely with shock and confusion. “Did that not hurt?”
He rubs his pointer finger and thumb together, the ashes falling on the ground. “No.” It’s a simple answer that leaves me with too many questions. Honestly, I’m not sure if I want them answered. As if he can read my mind he shakes his head with a lopsided grin. “I don’t feel pain, Grace. Don’t hurt your head thinking too much about it.” He taps my head then and I roll my eyes up at him half annoyed and half amused.
As he begins to walk away, surely to reunite with Alice because he can’t seem to stay away from her, I call out to him. “Snake.” He pauses, turning his head to give me his side profile. I then say so softly I’m afraid he might miss it, “Thank you.”
He nods his head and continues to walk to wherever he’s headed, not before I hear him reply, “Anytime.”
Gracie Mae
“Iknow we are all worried,” Haven begins, sounding more annoyed than worried, “but has anyone even called Nico to ask what the fuck is going on?”
“Language,” Dex admonishes her, but there’s a soft smile on his face. Their baby girl, Christine, is asleep in his arms.
She smiles softly back at him and presses a kiss to Christine’s round cheek. Her expression then hardens as she raises a cool brow to everyone else. “Well?”
“Nico is not answering his phone. I’ve done called five times,” I answer and Haven’s brave face falls.
“The fucker always answers his phone,” Snake retorts, heat simmering in his eyes. “Even in the middle of a fuck session he answers.”
“Language,” Dex warns Snake.
Snake pulls out a five dollar bill and slaps it down on the table. “Add it to my fucking tab.” Haven rolls her eyes at him but there’s a hint of a smile on her face.
“If we haven’t heard anything from him it’s probably because he’s trying to strike a deal with the feds,” Crow tells us assuredly. Nora takes a tentative step closer to him and I hear his breath hitch when her arm brushes against his.
“I don’t want to lose him, Blake. He’s suffered enough,” Nora’s voice is so soft it almost sounds like a whisper, but the pain it holds is so fucking loud.
Crow looks down at her and swallows. His eyes share her pain. “I know, darling. I know.” He sounds incredibly torn. And by the way his hand reaches out but pulls away last second it’s as if he’s fighting himself not to touch her.
“He’s going to be here, don’t you worry, sis.” Connor smiles up at me, sounding so sure and confident. If anyone in this room doesn’t have an ounce of worry, it’s him.
With him plastered to my side I rub my hand up and down his arm. “What has you so sure?” I keep my tone light and easy.
“Because he’s always there for us. And he loves us,” he says matter-of-factly. And who am I to go against him?
Afraid my voice may falter I nod my head and pull him in closer.
Another half hour goes by before we hear commotion outside. All of our ears perk as we simultaneously watch the camera feeds to the perimeter of Vipers MC compound.
Nico’s car, the unforgettable and un-mistakable new Lexus, pulls up with a screeching halt that has the breaks screaming.
My heart is beating like a steel drum and tingles of anticipation have my body humming with electricity.
And then the crescendo reaches it’s peak and crashes when I see Oak rolling out of the car like thunder.
It’s as if I’m paralyzed, because everything inside me is screaming to run towards him, but I can’t seem to move a damn muscle. As everyone is rushing to the door, and Snake being the first to rush out, I’m rooted to my spot.
