“Let him be,” Cam said. “Taking a seat at the table doesn’t have to be literal.”
That got my attention. “You still on about that?”
Cam shrugged. “I wouldn’t need to be if I could chisel a straight answer out of either of you.”
He turned to Folk, treating him to a hard stare.
Folk didn’t give a shit. “Can’t speak for Locke, but you never figured out what seat you wanted me to sit on.”
Cam folded his hands on the ancient table. “Nice try, but we’re over that now. Rubes?”
Rubi returned to his seat and flopped his big body down. “Not me, mate. Em figured it all out.”
All eyes in the room swivelled to Embry. His chair was turned around and he lounged over the back of it, humour dancing in his young eyes.Healthyhumour, and it was good to see. Until recently, I’d never seen this kid well. “It’s not that complicated. Locke already devotes his life to making sure this place doesn’t burn down. And Folk just spent all summer teaching everyone’s kids to swim.”
Mateo frowned. “How do you compute that to an MC council?”
Cam answered him. “For the tax man, it’s training and welfare. On the road, all any fucker needs to know is that they sit at our table.”
“If they want to.” Saint spoke again, his all-seeing gaze pointed squarely at me. “What say you, Locke?”
Fuckin’ hell. I dodged his attention. Looked to Folk, searching for answers in his wise gaze. We hadn’t known each other as long as the brothers in this room, but we’d shared some horrible shit, and with Rocco dead and Ranger AWOL, there was zero doubt in my mind that he’d stuck around for my sake.
Not just that. He wanted justice for Rocco too. But he had that now, and he was still here. Cos he’d fallen in love with the nicest dude in the room. Got himself a ready-made family that was as lucky to have him as he was to have them.
He wants this.
A realisation that came with a gut punch of relief.
Still, I checked, holding his gaze.
He tipped me a subtle nod, and that was it.
I spoke. “I say yes.”
Folk reached for Decoy’s hand. “So do I.”
The atmosphere shifted.
A heartbeat.
A shaky breath.
Then tension I’d thought was all mine evaporated and Nash was in front of me before I could blink.
He hauled me into a tight embrace that didn’t give me woodonlybecause Rubi crashed it.
“Yes, Locktipuss.” Rubi pounded my back. “Talking about fucking edging.”
Nash laughed. His chest vibrated against mine and it was all I could do to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth.
“Thanks. I think?”
Rubi opened his mouth.
Nash elbowed him.
“All right.” Cam called the room to order again. “I ain’t got much more to say, so if you shut the fuck up, we can get on with it.”
