I scowled, but there was no heat behind it. What was the point? Nash had been my brother for more than a decade, and if you lived it right, club life left nowhere to hide.
Nash disappeared. I dumped ingredients into the slow cooker in the chapel kitchen, then ventured out to do the rounds of the compound, given that I wouldn’t be around for a while.
The bar, the café, the yard. In the warehouse, I found Orla doing inventory. I pulled her aside. “Stay here for a few days.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I said so.”
“You’re not God. If you want me to do something, you need to tell me why.”
Irritation rattled me. Her request wasn’t unreasonable, but I didn’t have the energy to fight her. “There’s trouble.”
“I guessed that by the parade of bloody faces you brought home from the run. Can’t take you anywhere, huh? Was it Crows?”
“You think I’d be this worried about Crows?”
“You never said you were worried. Just that I was grounded.” Orla put her hands on her hips. “And you can fuck all the way off with that unless you’re staying here too.”
“I need to be somewhere else.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere that makes people waste their time looking for me.”
“Like that explains anything. Fuck off, Cam. I’m going home.”
“No.”
“Yes. Nash can babysit me.”
“Nash is busy.”
“Rubi then.”
“He’s staying here too. He’s in my bed.”
Orla’s brows disappeared into her hairline.
I rolled my eyes. “Not like that. He got hurt today. I know he’s not the brother you’d want to play nurse to, but I’d appreciate it if you took care of him while I’m gone.”
“That’s a mean trick.”
“What is?”
“Playing on my conscience. And fuck you with the emotional shaming. I’m not the only one hiding my feelings around here.”
“For fuck’s sake, I don’t have time for this. Just stay,please. For me?”
Orla stood firm a moment longer, then her expression softened. “Okay. What about River? Does he need to be careful too?”
“He’s not associated with the club.”
“But he’s associated with you. Anyone with half a brain would know fucking with your family was the easiest way to hurt you.”
“The club is my family and they’re already doing it. Just... stay, all right? Let me worry about the rest.”
Orla let me go and I left her to take care of Rubi while I strode back to the chapel to wait on Saint and Mateo.
