Snapper growls, gesturing inside the house.
“Get in the house.” I hurry inside, and when I turn to face him, he has the knife pointed at me. “Take your shoes off.”
I quickly do as he says, and thankfully, he puts the knife away. This guy is grumpy as fuck, and he can be a little crazy. I wouldn’t put it past him to stab me.
How awful would Kelsey feel if she found out I got stabbed over this? I don’t want her feeling guilty, so it’s a good thing Snapper put it away.
“Damn, it smells good in here,” I comment as I follow after him into the living room. He stops by the stairs and calls up to say that it’s okay to come out.
Okay, weird… but not the weirdest shit Snapper has done. As far as I know, he lives alone, so I don’t know who the hell he’s talking to or why they’re hiding upstairs. Still, I wait, trying to hide the skepticism from my face.
A moment later, an older man who looks familiar and a younger girl come down the stairs. Well, thank fuck someone is here, and he doesn’t have imaginary friends. That would be one awkward conversation to have with his brother, Shark, who is the VP of the club.
Snapper doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to have friends over, or friends at all, if I’m being honest. He doesn’t have any family, so it can’t be that.
I grew up with him and Shark, so I know their family history well enough, and this is definitely an odd bunch.
So who the hell are these people?
This man… I think I remember him from when we were younger, but I can’t place who he is. He’s dressed well, and because of it, doesn’t look like he’s from this town. Around here, nice is clean jeans and a T-shirt with no holes. Maybe he’s a long-lost cousin from some big city.
But this girl… My attention goes to her, and the earth stops on its axis.
Her hair is the color of milk chocolate, wavy and flowing down her back. Something in my chest snaps when she looks at me with big, round eyes that are the same shade of brown as her hair. I notice everything about her all at once, and I don’t know where to look first. Her full lips, the slight curve of a smile, thick eyelashes, flawless skin with a slight pink blush, and a big round belly.
Holy fuck, I think I’m in love.
“Who is this?” I ask, my voice raspy because my throat is suddenly dry.
“That knife you just saw?” I flick my gaze to Snapper, frowning as I recall the way my balls jumped into my stomach when I thought he was going to stab me for real. Why does he always have to threaten me? He could be nice, and I’d still be loyal. “It’ll be up your ass if you say a word about it.”
Since when does he care about people? Since when is he willing to shove a knife up someone’s ass for someone else? He can’t stand anyone. So this…
My gaze goes back to the girl, flicking down to her belly.
Oh—now I remember.
Now it makes sense.
She’s the girl from the Iron Runner’s bar. I vaguely remember a conversation in the aftermath. Something about Snapper wanting to help her and Prez telling him to leave her.
Well, it seems he didn’t leave her.
And for once, I’m glad he didn’t fucking listen to our Prez. Not that I condone that sort of behavior, but fuck. This girl is pure sunlight.
“Fuck,” I say softly. “I won’t say anything, man. Swear it.”
The three of them stare at me like I’m a science project. I feel all of their eyes and it’s like bugs crawling across my skin. I scratch my arm and glance at the older guy, trying to jog my memory. But I can hardly focus because all I want is to have my attention on this beautiful woman in front of me. So I turn back to her. She makes my chest warm and fuzzy in a good way.
“Grizz,” I say, holding out my hand.
“Anastacia,” she says, voice like an angel’s. Her hand is in mine, and it’s unreal. It’s so small, so soft, so perfect. I don’t even know why it’s here, in my hand. I’m just grateful I’m touching her. I should thank her for allowing me such a gift. This is fucking magical.
“For fuck’s sake,” Snapper growls. “What the hell do you want, Grizz?”
“Are you hungry?” she asks me shyly.
My heart does a whole flip in my chest.
