Polly
Abraham’s mother gave me a wide grin.
“I like you,” she said. “Come here, sweetheart.”
She was a brash, beautiful woman in her 70s, with a long pure-white braid, very bright eyes, and a leather vest over a long, silky dress.
She looked me up and down and patted my cheek, then handed me a cigarette.
“Young lady, I think you’ll be good for Bones.”
Since I was 42, I hadn’t heard this in a while and was amused.
I wanted to say,Bones and I aren’t togetherandit couldn’t possibly work, but the words died in my throat.
Not that I had ever held a cigarette, but I didn’t want to hurt his mother’s feelings, so I rested it between my fingers with what I hoped was an appreciative look.
Abraham lifted me into the truck before I could object, his big hands spanning my generous waist, and then Fizz and I were ordered back to the Clubhouse.
My thoughts were in a whirl and I tried to calm myself by mixing up a good winter tea blend—cinnamon, orange peel, ginger, cloves.
Unc was busy making a dinner. It looked likepelmeni, Russian-style minced meat dumplings, and he paused while I told everything that had happened.
“I just—can’t decide what to do,” I burst out.
Damn, this place had really started to feel like home to me: wooden walls, shag carpets, strange mangled pieces of machinery on the mantelpiece and all.
“I should have been horrified by what Abraham did to his brother—but Iwasn’t! It’s not a—proper thing to like.”
Unc stroked his white moustache.
“I get what you’re saying girl, but Bones doesn’t do violence unless it’s justified. Did anyone ever tell you why he killed his daddy?”
“No,” I said, my heart beginning to pound.
“His daddy had found out something. Found out I wasn’t into club bunnies. At the time that wasn’t allowed in any MC. Didn’t matter that I was the best mechanic or that I’d always been loyal to the Club.”
My breath caught and my chest felt tight with anxiety.
“Bonemangler caught him beating the absolute shit out of me, and I’ll never forget looking up with blood dripping in my eyes and seeing him put those massive hands around his father’s neck and squeeze.”
Now my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest.
“I’m—so sorry that happened to you,” I squeaked out.
“Prez saved my life,” Unc said matter-of-factly. “He doesn’t like many people, and he surely got hit with the ugly stick when he was born, but if he likes you, he’d dig to hell for you.”
Oh god, itwastrue, wasn’t it? Tears prickled at the corner of my eyes.
“Maybe you just have a bloodthirsty side too,” Unc added with a wink and I couldn’t help laughing.
“I’ll help you with those potatotes,” I said, but just then my phone buzzed.
And I got a text I’d never in my life imagined to see.
It was from Perry. Telling me that he was about to transfer $200,000 into my bank account.
What the hell?
