Her mom clears her throat and says, “Well, I’m Mary, and the last time I saw you, you were skinny dipping in the pool.”
I still, my eyes going wide while Drew chokes on the drink her dad had just given her, while Joel outright laughs and reminds his wife, “He was only four in his defense, darling.”
Well, that would make sense.
I blink then blink again as my girl pleads, “Please tell me you have photo evidence of that?”
I poke her then tickle her side, making her giggle, while her mom admits, “Actually, I do,” and I look at her sharply, but the warning only makes her laugh.
Crap.
“That’s nothing, I have proof of him taking his dad's quad for a joyride only to crash it into horse manure at the age of twelve,” Joel adds, and I groan, dropping my forehead against my girl's shoulder while she laughs her ass off.
“I fucking stunk for weeks after that and Mom said it was my penance for taking something that wasn’t mine,” I grumble and their laughter gets louder.
“I thought I heard laughter,” a voice says with a slight husk. My girl instantly stops laughing, her body tensing.
“Drew, it’s rude to sit on someone's lap at your parents’ home.” Another adds with heat, and I slowly wrap my arm around my girl's midriff as her body completely locks up. I gently rub my thumb on her stomach as I look towards the patio doors.
The guy who is glaring at me looks fucking pompous and obviously needs a punch in the face. His face does pale when he notices my patch while the girl, who I am guessing is Elizabeth and looks more like Mary, is biting her lip as she looks me over. I can clearly see the jealousy in her eyes which is aimed at my girl.
Fucking patch chaser alert.
“Drew can do whatever she wants. This was and still is her home,” Joel snaps, causing the fucker to tense while Mary adds, “We were just reminiscing about Cage’s childhood.”
“I didn’t know you knew bikers, Mom.” Elizabeth accuses, and I roll my eyes before I press my lips against Drew's soft shoulder. She looks at me and I feel it deep in my bones and I smile as I gently press my lips against hers.
“El, stop with the attitude, who we know is none of your business,” Joel sighs, and I look his way before we lock eyes.
His are full of worry and frustration as they flitter between me and his eldest. I give him a smile, so he knows I won’t hurt her, especially not with her own goddamn sister.
Joel nods subtly, and I tighten my arm around my girl, and I ask, “So, any embarrassing stories about your childhood to even the score?”
Drew instantly says, “Nope,” while Mary says, “Oh, we have thousands of Drew, including the time she thought she could rap and dance at the same time.”
Little bird tenses, and I chuckle under my breath as Joel adds, “Let's not forget the stage fright she used to get before she learned not to look out at the crowds.”
“Ah, yes, I forgot about that, first grade Lion King dance,” Mary hums, “Didn’t she throw up on Ms. Sugar?”
Drew groans, and I laugh as I hold her even tighter, all while ignoring the two near the door who seem to be stewing with anger that we’re not involving them in the conversation. I don’t miss the constant glare the fucker is giving my girl while her sister openly eyes me up like a fucking bitch.
I cannot kill her sister,I repeat,I cannot kill her sister.Though I could kill the fucker…
***
Five Days Later
I sigh as I sit down on my bed and crack my neck, the four hours I just spent tattooing a cross on a guy's back with tribal markings already proving too much for my body.
Joel helped me get a chair at the local tattoo shop—Hills Tats and Piercings. It’s alright for now. It’s not Carnage, but at least the chair's pay is cheap while I figure things out. I feel stuckbetween what my brothers and family want and my own guilt that I can’t seem to work through.
A week, that is how long I have known her. Five days since we spent time at her family home while her sister stewed behind us, hating that I didn’t look her way.
Fuck, her and my girl are night and fucking day. You can tell which sister got spoiled and which one didn’t, that is for sure.
Drew was right, Elizabeth has that bitch aura where she thinks the world owes everything because she was born early. Apparently, that means she thinks she’s owed me.
I gently wipe my mouth, the urge to call my girl and get her to come over is hitting very fucking high, but I know I have to push it away.
