“Got your text,”Flea said, and I nodded.
“You guys goplay,” Grace said. “I’ve got this.”
Flea kissed heragain, then grabbed a beer, and I followed him down to his makeshift man cave.He closed us in, and I flopped into one of the recliners.
“You gonna dothe tour?” Flea asked, lowering himself into the other chair.
I sighed.“Meetin’ with Melody tomorrow, then I’ll decide.”
“It’s a fuck-tonof money.”
“Yeah. Means Ican pay cash for the reno, and not have to deplete my savings.”
My place wasfunctional but needed a shit load of work. It was almost a teardown, but thebones were great, as was the floorplan. One of Hatch’s brothers, Cade, was thegeneral contractor on the project, but I was savin’ money by working alongsidehis crew. I still intended to do the work, but if I took the gig, I could dothe whole job much faster than I expected.
“That’d behuge,” Flea said. “We’ve sunk more money into this place, and I’m about to sellit and start over.”
“What does Gracethink about that?”
He rolled hiseyes. “She’s not ready to concede defeat.”
I laughed. “So,you’re stayin’.”
“Yep,” Flea said,taking another drag of his beer. “I’ll wear her down, though.”
“Good luck withthat.”
Before he couldrespond, the doorbell pealed, and Flea frowned. “Who the fuck is that?”
He set his beeron the coffee table and walked out of the room with me following. “Jesus,Grace, you’re supposed to wait,” Flea growled.
Grace wrinkledher nose as she pulled open the unlocked door. “It’s Merrick and Remi,” shebreathed out. “Calm the fuck down.”
Merrick was herbrother whom we all called, ‘Finch.’ He’d patched into the club a while ago andhe was a great guy. I had a fondness for him, especially considering, he’dpicked me to jump him in.
“Hi,” Gracesqueaked, pulling Finch’s woman in for a hug. “How ya doin’?”
Remington waspregnant, and wasn’t having an easy time of it, apparently.
“I want thisthing out,” she growled, returning Grace’s hug. “Plus, it’s too hot to exist.”
“Well, come inand put your feet up,” Grace said. “I’ll crank the A/C.”
“This is whyyou’re my favorite,” Remi breathed out, making her way to me, and hugging meafter she’d done the same to Flea. “Hey, buddy.”
“Hey.”
“I’m makingMaisie’s chicken thing,” Grace said as Remington lowered her body onto the sofawith a sigh.
“Don’t care whatyou’re making,” Finch said, pulling his sister in for a bear hug. “If you’recooking it, I’m eating it.”
“Do you takeback teasing me for putting air-conditioning in my house?” Grace challenged.
“If I don’t?”
“You starve.”
“I take itback,” he grumbled, and Grace laughed.
