“Yeah. Forced retirement is great,” he deadpanned with resentment in his voice.
“Was she hurt?” I silently hoped that she wasn’t.
“She got some shrapnel in one of her eyes and ended up losing it. They deemed her unfit for service and are sending her home. That dog was the best damn dog they had. I can’t believe they’re just releasing her like that.”
“Damn. I’m sorry, man.”
“Yeah, if I had to guess, nobody else wanted a broken dog, so Colin figured an invalid man like me would want her instead.”He hobbled a bit on his leg and crutches, and grimaced. “Stick the broken with the broken,” he growled.
“I’m sure that’s not the reason he reached out to you, Leo. Did he actually say that nobody else wanted to have Nala, or are you just assuming because she’s injured that’s the reason he contacted you? If I had to guess, Knight knew the bond you had with her and is just trying to reunite you.” I doubted seriously anyone would turn the dog away, but I suspected that was a big part of Leo’s problem. He felt incomplete and worthless without a leg.
Leo remained stubbornly silent, but I was just glad he was talking, and speaking openly about something to someone without the chip that weighed heavily on his shoulders.
“God, stop playing dumb, Cap. I know you fucking contacted him.” He must’ve read my stunned face because he smirked. “He knew way too much about my life, and what’s going on. Apparently, a little birdie told him that I was in a motorcycle club.” He held up his hand before I could defend myself. “So, it seems there’s another reason for him coming now.”
“What’s that?”
“To fix me. Why else would he be coming here? It’s not like he’s ever felt unfulfilled. He kept fucking doing his job even after he retired from the military and became a civilian. The man lives and breathes God, but he also lives and breathes the military, the brotherhood, and everything that goes with it.”
“Sounds like he’d be a good prospect for the club.”
Leo reached up and scratched his beard. “Maybe. He’d be older than the other prospects. Hell, he’s older than me.”
“Do you think he’d even be a good fit? A lot of our guys aren’t exactly the religious type.”
Colin was a good man—extremely religious, but good. He’s always been good at getting people to open up. That’s why I contacted him, hoping he could help both Ruby and Leo withtheir inner demons. Becoming a Celestial Son would just be a bonus if he came here. But Leo was right. Pincher’s barely eighteen, and Virg’s nineteen. If we brought in Knight, he would be in his late twenties or early thirties. That’s a huge age difference between prospects. I don’t know if the younger guys would respect him or not. I waited for Leo to give me his thoughts.
“We both know that Colin would fit in well here with the older guys. He’s a good guy and we could use a Chaplain. Have you talked to Zodiac about it? I’m sure you said something to someone.”
I shook my head. “No. Not yet. I wanted to wait until Colin got here before saying anything. It’s important that he gets to know the members to see if he really wants to be a part of a motorcycle club. With everything going on, he may give it a wide berth.”
“Makes sense. I would too, if I wasn’t hopping around like a goddamn pogo stick.” His eyes narrowed. “What sign is he? You know we only have one open spot left.”
A ghost of a smile crossed my face. “I wouldn’t have brought up the club to him if he didn’t fill the spot, Leo. I know the club’s structure and rules. The only reason we have two Geminis is because they are twins.”
He shrugged. “Zodiac and Zenith set it up that way on purpose. It forced them to be choosy about who they let into the club, and it put a cap on the number of members, keeping our numbers small. If you get too many members, then the club can’t support everyone.”
“I know.”
Leo frowned. He was battling a war within himself that only he could win or lose. He was fighting memories and demons only he could slay. Many of us had seen war, but Leo had lost a part of himself in it. War changed us all fundamentally, but it changedhim physically too. God, I really hope Knight and Nala can help him.
Leo pushed off the wall from where he was standing, gripping the crutches tight. “I hope your girl starts to heal, Cap. You could use someone to fuss over you for a change.”
“Fuck you.” I smiled, knowing he was joking. “I don’t need anyone to fuss over me.”
Leo gave me a pointed look, nodding toward my chest that had been cut open, and to the heart that was not my own, shoved inside to keep me alive.
“That Frankenheart inside your chest says otherwise. Anyway, fuck you by the way for contacting him, but also thank you at the same time. It will be good to see a fellow comrade again, even if I know he’s gonna try to shrink me while he’s here. I’m gonna take off. Take care of her Cap. And take care of yourself too.” He reached for the door to leave, but I stopped him with a question.
“Let me ask you a question, Leo. Do you think I’m less of a man than I was before because of receiving this new heart?”
“No.”
“Then why do I need someone to fuss over me? Because I feel pretty damn strong, and I don’t need someone else to do shit for me. Sound familiar?”
He stood quiet.
“Because I know a stubborn as fuck man who’s actually the strongest fucking guy I know, that’s letting something hold him back instead of fighting it with the strength of ten-thousand soldiers. It’s not your leg that’s holding you back from thriving, Boyd. It’s your goddamn head.”
