“Not sure who we can trust in the club anymore,” he replied, hanging his helmet on his handlebars.
I frowned harder. “You serious?” I’d been thinking it for a while but hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. But the way things had gone down with Ripped wasn’t right. The whole thing had seemed like a setup, and the fact that Hardy hadn’t gotten me revenge yet only proved the point—at least in my head.
“Yeah, brother. Not sure who I can trust anymore.” He stepped off his bike and I followed suit. “The walls have ears in that place so I thought it was best to get somewhere clean. Been waiting for you to get better so we could talk about this shit.”
He jerked his head, gesturing for me to follow him, and we walked to the house and headed up the stairs. We hadn’t even gotten to the front door when it opened and Gracie stood there looking out at me. She looked better than when I’d first met her. She’d put on a little weight and there was definitely something about her eyes that gave her more life.
“Hey, Battle,” she said softly.
“I told you not to answer the motherfucking door!” Gauge grumbled, coming from behind her. His hard gaze went over me before glancing at Fighter and nodding.
“Sorry, baby,” Gracie said, reaching up and kissing his cheek before turning and heading back into the house.
“Get in here, brothers,” Gauge said, and I followed Fighter inside.
We made our way into the living room, where Gracie was lifting her kid out of a little bouncy seat thing in the middle of the room.
She sat the kid on her hip and looked over at us all. “Beers?” she asked.
Gauge nodded, and she left the room and I turned to Fighter and Gauge. “What is all this? You playing happy families with her?”
“Fuck no, we’re just having some fun. She’s getting back on her feet after her asshole husband tried to screw her over. Cocksuckers had to learn the hard way how to treat a woman right, hence the house,” Gauge said, gesturing around us.
“Why’d you care so much? The kid yours?” I asked bluntly.
“Fuck no,” Gauge replied. “Thought she mighta been for a while, but it turns out she’s someone else’s blood.”
Wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but I could have sworn that Gauge looked a little sad about the kid not being his. Never thought the man would want to settle down, and he sure as shit never seemed like he’d wanted kids. I guess sometimes you just never knew what you wanted until it was standing in front of you, staring up with two big innocent eyes and a smile that could crack open heaven.
“She’s Ripped’s,” Gracie said, coming back into the room with three bottles of beer clasped in one hand.
Gauge strode over and I thought he was going to take the beer from her, but instead he reached for Bonny, pulling her against his chest while Gracie handed out the beers. He reluctantly gave her back once Gracie’s hands were free, and then he reached for his drink and downed half of it in one go.
Then it hit me what she’d said.
“Your kid is Ripped’s?” I said.
Gracie nodded, her cheeks going pink.
“Does Q know?” I growled out.
Gracie nodded again. “Yeah, she knows. Ripped made sure she knew right before he took off with her back to Savannah.”
I shook my head in annoyance. I’d never see Quinn again. That much was clear. There was no reason for her to ever come back this way, not with losing her only friend here. When I saw her on the back of Ripped’s bike, arms tight around him, face and tits pressed against his cut, and thighs clinging to his bike, I knew she was his for good. But I’d still hoped to maybe catch sight of her one day if she came to visit Gracie and Bonny. Now that was never gonna happen.
I put my beer down and sat on the sofa. It was so new it still had the plastic around it and it crinkled as I sat down. I’d tried to keep positive, to believe that everything would work out. That maybe if I could just see her I could convince her that she was with the wrong man. But that was never gonna happen now.
“Fuck,” I muttered, dragging my hands through my hair. I glared up at Gracie. “You’re a real shitty friend, you know that?”
She nodded solemnly. “I know. Trust me I know.”
“Don’t speak to her like that,” Gauge grunted out, and my gaze shot to his. “I ain’t even messin’ with you. You ain’t got nothing good to say to her then you keep that shit wrapped up. Woman’s been through a lot and she don’t need any more shit putting on her.”
Wasn’t sure what to say to that.
I stood up and glared at him, and Fighter put his hand on my chest. “Calm the fuck down. We’re not the enemy here.”
“So who is?” I replied darkly.
