I pull him to me. "There's nothing to be sorry for, bud. I should have warned you, I should have paid more attention. I'm sorry."
I stand and lean forward, still holding onto Mase with one hand, and with the other, I pull Nova toward me and place a kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, baby. I should have talked to you."
"It's fine. We're fine," she says with a smile.
"Are you both ready to go?" I ask them.
"Yeah. Let me just go grab my hoody from the table," she tells me, then walks over to the table she had been sat at. I watch her talk to Wolf, who glances my way and then back to her. I wish I knew what he was saying to her, but it’s none of my business. I don't think she would tell me if I asked.
"Ready," she says as she reaches me, and I lead them both outside.
Prospect and Tongue are stood by the car, waiting for us. I open the back door, helping Mason climb into the back as he slides over and buckles himself in. Nova tries to climb in after him and I grab her arm and hold her back, shaking my head at her.
"You're not travelling in the car, Dragonfly. I want you on the back of my bike," I tell her. She looks up at me, then into the car at her brother. I see her trying to swallow down her anxiety about separating from him. "He'll be okay, baby. Tongue and Prospect will be with him." I lean down, sticking my face into the back of the car. "Bud, will it be okay if I take Nova on the back of my bike?" I know she's nervous, but if he's not happy then I won't force them apart.
"Will she be safe? Will anyone be able to see her?" he asks, nervous.
"She'll be very safe, bud, I promise. I'll take care of her, and she'll be wearing a helmet. There won't be any way for anyone to recognise her with it on, I promise." I want him to be reassured, but I want her to be reassured at the same time. I tip my head to look up at her.
She's not looking at me, her eyes are locked on her brother in the back of the car. His eyes volley between Nova and me. I can see his mind ticking away, processing the information that I've just told him. He twists his hands in his lap. "Hey, buddy," I call him. "If you want Nova to ride with you, she can, it's okay to say you want her in here with you," I tell him.
"No. If you promise she will be okay, I don't mind," he tells me.
"Are you sure?" I ask, wanting to be certain he really is okay with it. He nods and then tips his head back on the seat and closes his eyes.
Just as I'm about to close the door, I hear Georgia yelling, "Wait." I turn to see her running toward me, a small bag over her shoulder. "I'm coming too, if that’s okay?"
I furrow my brows. "Of course it is, sis. You bloody live there." Not that you would think she does, with the amount of time she spends at the clubhouse. She's always here these days. Not that I mind, I love having her around, but I worry about her being around the club and the constant stream of brothers fucking anywhere they like. She grins at me as she climbs into the back of the car next to Mason and clips herself into her seatbelt.
I walk Nova over to my bike and look over her appearance. She has put one of my hoodies on, with her ripped jeans and converse. It's a warm day, but being on the back of the bike might make her cold. "Stay here,"I tell her and rush back inside.
"Candy," I yell across the room at one of the club girls, who's chatting to one of the new brothers. She turns and smiles at me.
"Everything okay?" she asks.
"Yeah. Don't suppose you have a jacket you could loan Nova for a few days, do you?" I ask her. She smiles and nods, quickly rushing back toward her room. She's back a few seconds later and hands me one of her leather jackets. "Thank you," I tell her, and hurry back outside to where I left my girl standing.
"Please put this on," I tell her as I hold out the jacket for her. She scrunches her eyes at the item of clothing and then looks back up at me.
"Erm..."
"It's Candy's. I asked if she could loan you a jacket for when you're on the back of the bike, ‘cos it can get really cold," I tell her.
She blinks at the jacket and then looks around the grounds, and I can see the embarrassment on her face. "Baby," I say, turning her face back toward mine. "It's okay."
She rolls her lips and then bites the inside of her cheek. "Everyone is always loaning me things. I hate not having my own things. I hate this."
I take a step closer to her. "I get it, baby. I know you hate it, but it's nothing to be embarrassed about. People want to help you." I place my free hand on the side of her cheek, my thumb rubbing back and forth. "I know it's hard, but it's just going to be for a little while. Once we figure things out, get custody sorted and we can keep your uncle away from you, then you’ll be free to get your own things and then go back to work." I pull her to me, wrapping my arm around her and holding her head against my chest. I place a kiss on the top of her head and she lets out a sigh.
"I know. I'm sorry, I'm just so frustrated. I miss being free to go out to work. I know that sounds crazy because it also goes hand-in-hand with being back at my uncle’s. I'm so grateful for you guys and the fact that you're all keeping me safe, but I feel like I'm going a little stir crazy." She pushes away from me and looks up at my face. "I'm sorry, I know I sound ungrateful, I don't mean to."
I grip her chin and tilt my face down to hers, leaning in to kiss her. She responds instantly, and as I pull her body closer to mine with my hand that’s still gripping the jacket, she lets out a little moan, and my dick twitches. Fuck me, I need to stop. I break the kiss, taking a small stepback and using my hands to turn her away from me. I slip one of her arms into the sleeve of the jacket.
As she turns to face me, I smile. "Everything will be okay soon, I promise." I step over to my bike and grab the helmet off the back. I curl my finger at her, indicating for her to come to me, and she does so without hesitation. As she steps in front of me, I slide the helmet on the top of her head and fasten and tighten the straps under her chin. Her hands are lightly placed on my waist as she patiently waits for me to make sure it's secure.
Once done, I grab my own helmet, putting it on and tightening the straps before I swing my leg over the bike. Grabbing her arm, I pull her toward me. "Put your hands on my shoulders and place your left leg on the peg and swing you right one over," I tell her.
She does as I instructed and settles on the back of my bike, but there's a gap between us—too big of a gap. I move my hands behind me and place them on her thighs, quickly pulling her closer to me, so her front is pressed right up against my back and her thighs are tucked tightly against mine.
