“Perspective?”
“Yeah, like why he’s been so attentive and why he’d join a group like the Riot MC.”
“That isn’t why he’s being attentive,” she said in a dry tone. “He’s into you. In fact, I confronted him about it before you got out of the hospital.”
I huffed out a short laugh. “Why would you confront him?”
She sighed, quiet and slow. “I love both of you, Savannah. Part of me would be beside myself if you two got together because we’d be family officially, but a bigger part of me thinks that’s not just a bad idea but the worst possible idea.”
“Why?” I blurted.
Her short laugh nearly said it all. “I know things about my brother that I haven’t told you and I’m not going to tell you. And vice-versa with you. Bottom line, I know his history and yours, and I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”
“So much so, you told him to leave me alone?”
“No, I said I confronted him at the hospital. That’s all I’m giving you right now because this is a slippery slope for me.”
I laughed. “A slippery slope for you? How do you think it is for me?”
She scoffed. “It isn’t. I didn’t miss how you looked at Ted every time he was around since he got his bike. You’ve always had a thing for bad boys, Savannah. Not to speak ill of the dead, but unlike your mom, you’re smart enough to cut them loose before their bad-boy ways get you into trouble.”
My brows furrowed. “I don’t know if I should feel flattered or insulted by that.”
“I love you, but I hated how your parents treated you.”
I sighed. “I’m starting to think you and Punc compared notes.”
She chuckled. “Maybe once, but not lately. Just goes to show, they didn’t know what they were talking about.”
“I know that now, Alanis. I’ve taken up too much of your time, so tell Michael I said hi and give him my love for having my back from afar about the dancing and for sharing you with me tonight.”
“I’ll tell him hi for you, but the rest of that is bullshit. I don’t belong to him.”
I tilted my head back. “You know what I mean. You could have been doing better things than talking to me about your brother.”
“Stop it. Talking to you isn’t a nuisance, Savannah. Get that through your thick skull. Hell, this is the point where I want to wring someone’s neck. How did your parents let you get to the point where you thought shit like that?”
I sighed. “They had their own issues, Alanis. Love you. Have a good night.”
“Love you, too. I will have a good night since Michael just brought me a glass of red wine. Later.”
Punc
Unlike yesterday morning, Punc hadn’t heard Catalina leave for school. His phone alarm went off at nine-thirty and he made short work of folding the sheets and leaving them on the coffee table. There was half a pot of coffee in the kitchen, and he poured himself a cup. He’d wandered back toward the bedrooms, and saw Savannah was asleep with a paperback book lying on the bed next to her. From the coffee cup on her nightstand, he suspected she’d fallen back to sleep after being up.
Another sign she needed to take it easy - sleep was the best remedy for recovering from her attack.
He downed the rest of his java and went back to the kitchen. He wrote her a note on the dry-erase board, and rode to the clubhouse.
Ten minutes later, he went in through the back door to find Beast and Volt sitting at the small table shooting the breeze.
“About time you got here,” Beast muttered.
Punc shook his head and trudged to the coffee maker. “Don’t give me shit when I’ve only had one cup of coffee, Beast.”
“Sounds like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Volt said.
With a full cup of coffee, he turned to Volt. “No, I’m just not a morning person. Are we having church this afternoon? Or will it be tonight?”
