Zodiac chuckled at my taunts and watched me leave the room. I carried Hobbs upstairs and freed him in the yard. Sutter was out of bed and brushing his teeth when I came back downstairs.
“Are you sad?” Sutter asked.
“No, just sleepy.”
“Did Zodiac hog the bed?”
“You know me, baby. I like to stretch out and keep the covers for myself. He ended up sleeping in the corner like a dog.”
Sutter snickered at my lies. We walked upstairs, where I made egg muffin sandwiches. Zodiac showed up in time to join us in the backyard. We ate on the porch and watched Hobbs sniff the yard.
I couldn’t help imagining us doing this a year from now with the baby in the mix.
“Your mom’s getting sad,” Zodiac told Sutter. “I better head out before her tears show up.”
As we finished breakfast, I asked, “Are you sure you want to ride back all alone?”
“Exile is waiting to ride to Baton Rouge until it’s time to move York into the house.”
“I plan to go with Exile,” I told Sutter.
Zodiac grunted, “No.”
I smiled at Sutter. “He’s so bossy.”
Zodiac fell silent until he got ready to ride home. Sutter and I stood with him out front by his motorcycle.
Though Zodiac was a badass, I wished he weren’t riding alone. I felt overly protective of the gorgeous asshole.
Zodiac eyed Sutter. “Better shield your eyes, boy. I’m about to suck on your mom’s tongue.”
“Gross,” Sutter said and hurried into the house.
Zodiac’s kiss felt like more than a goodbye. I sensed he was closing himself off again. Staring into his eyes, I wondered if he would undo all the progress we made over the last several days.
Trust wasn’t easy for a man like Zodiac, but I hoped he knew his heart was safe with me.
ZODIAC
The ride back to Baton Rouge left me feeling more like myself. I hadn’t really wanted to leave Elle. I nearly talked myself into staying for a few days. That witchy woman had turned me into a clingy baby.
The ride gave me a chance to sack up. I didn’t need anyone. Sure, I cared about my club guys. They were loyal to me when the easier choice would have been to stick with Wrecker. I would die for each of them. Loyalty deserved loyalty. With that said, if they all died tomorrow, I would keep going. I was a man built to ride alone at a moment’s notice.
That was how I survived bouncing between family members and foster homes since I was a toddler. I never expected anything to last, so I never became attached to anyone. Even when I was little, like Nova’s girls, I knew I was on my own.
Elle was great. She made me feel like no one else ever had, but I needed to get a grip. We could only work if we understood our limits. Little Memphis was a cool place, but Baton Rouge was my home. I had responsibilities that didn’t allow for playing house with Elle and her family.
As I rolled up to my apartment, I felt like myself. No more clingy shit. I was back in my element.
Walking into my apartment, I immediately lost my mojo. The place seemed too quiet. Elle had marked my home with her presence. I thought of her on the couch with me, watching sports and eating pizza.In the kitchen, I saw her shuffling around in the morning when I had breakfast delivered. The bedroom was nearly too much to face.
“Get over it,” I told myself before heading down to the clubhouse.
Those words usually fixed whatever was ailing me. I didn’t get lonely. I never suffered from depression. I kept my mind sharp through sheer willpower.
But fuck! I couldn’t shake missing Elle. Nothing special happened yesterday at her house. I was actually uncomfortable much of the time. I couldn’t speak freely. I felt under a microscope.
Heading down to the clubhouse, I still found myself wishing I were back at the Reed house. Inside the DTF Roadhouse, York sat at a back table. He was texting our local cops to get info about the fire. His dark eyes held a hint of annoyance.
