“You planned for that, though, right?”
Decoy grinned. “Maybe.”
Of course he had. Decoy was meticulous. It was how I knew for sure his grotty ex had been talking shit when she’d shown up here looking for beef.
While I had him... “How’s things with Lauren?”
Decoy’s grin faded to a grimace. “Complicated. She’s not happy Cam gave me a house. Part of her argument has always been that I’ve got fuck all to offer, so that pretty three-bed semi has pissed her right off.”
“Cam would give you the moon if it meant you could have Ivy and Ben full time.”
“I knew he would.” Decoy drained his own beer and scowled at the sky. “But it ain’t gonna happen. Far as she’s concerned, I’m still a single as a pringle loser who ain’t got time for two kids, and the family court believes her.”
“You need a new wife or something?”
Decoy’s humour returned. “Or somethingwould do, but it’s not for you to worry about, brother. Not tonight, at least.”
He bumped my shoulder and strode away, a man, as ever, with purpose.
I shouldered my bag and Mateo’s and headed for the clubhouse. A dozen people blocked my path—brothers, old ladies, club hang arounds who wanted advice on patching in.
It was my job to help them, to communicate when Cam didn’t have time, and I didn’t mind the distraction from my very best intentions of a hot date with the washing machine. Butman, it was long.
I was talked out by the time I finally made my escape and ducked over the threshold only council members and Orla were permitted to cross.
There was a new lock on the stairway door. It hadn’t been there when we’d left, but Cam had texted the code.
I punched the numbers in, a random combination that meant absolutely nothing to anyone, and the door clicked open.
It swung shut behind me and I jogged upstairs to the landing, frowning as I tried to get a handle on whether I had company or not. I wasn’t as psychic as some of my brothers, and the truth was, I had no fucking clue.
Cam’s open door caught my attention, though. I knew he wasn’t there. He was still in the chapel, hovering while Alexei examined Mateo’s face.Saint then.It didn’t take a genius and it was just as well.
I stuck my head around the door. Saint was sitting on the rug by the window, poking at a laptop and... playing with a legit real-life cat.
He spared me a glance, as impossible to read as ever. “You have no idea, do you?”
I ventured further into the room and crouched to inspect his new friend. “If you mean why you have a cat in here when Cam’s scared of them, then no. None at all, friend.”
Saint tickled the feline’s chin. “Cam’s not scared of cats.”
“He definitely is.”
Saint gave me a flat look, uninterested if you didn’t know him.
I was one of the lucky ones who did, and I took advantage of his good mood and parked my arse down. “What is it I have no idea about? I could guess, but you’re hard to dissect and I’m tired.”
“Mateo wear you out?”
“Was that a sex joke, brother?”
“Nah, I’m just stoned as shit. I raided the edible stash.”
“Did it help?”
“With what?”
“The agitation. And whatever else I’ve missed.”
