“Hiya, Sugar,” she chirps.
I bite back a chuckle. She’s obviously not by herself because she’s the least chirpy person I know.
“What can I do for you, Bee?”
“Can we do lunch today?”
I straighten. It’s not like her to want to meet for lunch. Usually, it’s me because I can’t stand the worry that eats at me when she’s at that place.
“Sure can. Do you want me to pick something up and come to you?”
“No, I’ll come to you and maybe we can go to the park.”
“Okay, baby,” I agree. “My lunch is at one today. Is that good with you?”
“That’s perfect.” A pause. “And it’s Spice, not baby.”
I laugh. “Gotcha, Spice. But you know I like to mix it up a little, so you’re going to have to get used to it.”
“Fine,” she mumbles, “if you must. See you soon, Sugar.”
“See you soon, Spice.”
I’m about to end the call when she calls my name.
“Coop!”
“I’m here, Bee.”
“Thank you for being you.”
She ends the call, but I carry the warmth of her words through the rest of the morning until I see her at lunch. She’s wearing trousers, so I know she wants to take my sled. It’s one of the many reasons she’s perfect for me. She loves to ride. And she’s fierce and protective. It takes a lot of courage and loyalty to blow up your entire life to keep your loved ones safe. She doesn’t have a weak, flighty bone in her body.
She’s the perfect Tin woman.
CHAPTER 4
BELLA
Living with Copper is enlightening.
I knew that Cahir and Silas wouldn’t choose an arsehole, but I was a little apprehensive about living alone with a stranger. I think any woman would be a little concerned, especially as we would be sharing such close quarters.
But my worries were for nothing because sharing a place with Copper is simple. I love getting to know him. He never holds back about his family, how much he loves them, and how hard it is being away from them. I know how he feels. My familydidn’t understand why I left, and I couldn’t explain my reasons to them.
I hate not having my mum, dad, and brothers around me. I’ve always been able to lean on them. Hopefully, they’ll forgive me.
Copper and I work hard to maintain our fitness. Not once does he complain in training when I put him on his arse. He simply laughs and has me show him how I did it. He’s a quick learner.
When I notice that Copper is holding back because he’s afraid he’ll hurt me, I reach out to Cahir to find us a gym like Crawan—the gym owned by my family and the Crow MC.
Cahir sends me a name, and we go to have a look. I know it’s the right choice when Copper lights up after his first fight. I’m not sure what it says about me, but I like seeing him happy.
From Monday to Friday, we work out hard. On Friday evenings, we watch films until late because Saturdays are slow days. We can’t go to the gym until four in the afternoon because they run competitions in the morning. That suits us, so we always have a lazy Saturday.
On Sundays, we clean the flat and shop for groceries like any other young couple. I spend Sunday afternoons bulk cooking for the week. Copper always tries to help. Even though he’s shit in the kitchen, he’s great at cutting and dicing, so he does that while I cook.
The longer we spend together, the more I enjoy his company. We slip into a friendship with ease, and I feel like I can tell him anything. He’s probably the only person who knows my pain after I confess during one of our Friday film nights. He’s quiet when I tell him what I did to Sam. I keep my head down because I’m so ashamed and don’t want to see the disgust on his face.
