But more so, women who had completely changed my brothers.
Without slowing, I hooked the left at the narrow, long hall and strode to the end. I rapped an impatient fist on the door to the right.
“Who’s there?” Otto sang from the other side like the goofy motherfucker he was.
“It’s me,” I grunted.
“Who’sme?” I could hear the laughter in his voice.
For fuck’s sake.
“It’s Cash, and if you don’t open the damned door, I’m going to put your head through it once I get in there.”
Metal creaked as the lock was disengaged, then Otto’s smug, grinning face was on the other side. “Sheesh, man. Why always so violent?”
I didn’t indulge him with a response.
Brute chuckled and clapped me on the back as I entered. “Hey, hey, no need to get surly. Just messin’ with you, brother.”
Never got how there could be any lightness on nights like these. This was business. Where our focus needed to remain.
I let my attention wander Kane’s office, taking in my crew.
Kane was behind the enormous mahogany desk, his boots propped on top. River leaned against the front of it with his ankles and arms crossed, and Theo lounged on the velvet sofa that sat on the wall closest to me.
They were all a smidgeon too casual for my taste, but I knew them finding joy and peace in their lives didn’t make them any less deadly. Everyone was still committed to this cause, even though I wasn’t sure how we were going to maintain it long-term.
Living on the edge of constant peril with their women and children in the mix.
Our intention had been that only Raven, River’s little sister, would ever be involved or know what we did since she was there from the beginning.
Now that circle had grown in a way I couldn’t fathom.
Terrified me, but how could I wish it to be anything else? Couldn’t imagine taking that joy away from my crew, but I guess them losing it was what scared me in the first place.
Concern flashed through River’s dark expression as he took me in. Like the guy could read my anxiety that was a hundred times thicker than it normally was.
I was always the fucking cloud that fogged over the room.
But tonight…
“Hey,” he said, his pitch-black eyes appraising. Dude was as intimidating as they came. Wide and thick, but pure fucking muscle. Black hair the same color as his daunting gaze. Every inch of him was covered in ink. Color swirled up from his shirt to surround his neck, touching the backs of his ears, plus he had a row of five small stars that dotted his hairline.
He was our artist, writing our flesh like a history book of our sins.
He never asked me what mine meant when he did them. He sat silent, respecting the fact that I rarely spoke.
“Hey,” I returned, itching as Otto closed the door and worked back through the locks.
Theo stood and raked a hand through his midnight hair, dude canting a sly grin in my direction. The guy was happier than he’d ever been, his world turned upside down when Piper showed up in town with her little boy and her grandmother six months ago. The last of my crew to hook up.
Leaving me the odd man out.
That was just fine.
I’d been a loner for a long fucking time.
Seemed fitting.
