Page 94 of Road to Absolution

As soon as it swung open, Tuck and I almost hit our knees. Gagging uncontrollably, we both quickly grabbed the neckline of our T-shirts and frantically covered our noses.

Gag. Gag. I asked, “Dear God!” Gag. Gag. “What is that?”

Art rushed to a stall and lifted his boot, racing to flush a toilet. “That fat bastard has some serious stomach issues.”

Laughing, I spoke from under my shirt, “You okay, Tuck?”

I couldn’t see his mouth, but his brown eyes looked petrified, and he was already sweating. “It’s so bad—” Gag. Gag. “It’s pure torture—” Gag. Gag.

Backing away from the toilet-slash-crime scene, Art warned, “Think about that shit, literally, before you punch me again.”

“Why do you sound sure I’ll be swinging again?”

“Because your wife is hot as fuck, and I ain’t going to let you forget it.” The smirk under his shirt was seen in his eyes.

“Holy shit.”

Tucker was swaying on his feet. “There’s nothing holy about—” Gag. Gag.

“No,” I corrected. “Art, you said Seth kept his face covered but you could see his eyes.”

“Yeah.”

Tucker leaned against a wall. “Can we please talk about this outside?”

I stared at Art. “Was Seth a smiler?”

Art froze. “Only when hurting Justice, but his eyes were always void.”

“This guy’s?”

“Full of hate.” Art stumbled back. “They weren’t ‘void’ in the slightest.”

Bathroom stalls clean, we were coming out of the Lair, discussing talking to Diesel about what Art had figured out about Seth, when I saw Delilah sitting in a chair. There were bikers gathered around her.

“Lilah!” I took off running, terrified something was wrong. As I ran as fast as I could, my eyes scanned, searching for a Seth we suspected was still alive.

She quickly found me. “I’m okay! I’m okay!”

I dropped to my knees in front of her. “The baby?”

“Maverick! Be gentle on your legs!”

I ignored her. “What’s wrong? You okay? Someone hurt you? Tell me what to do.” I gawked up at the laughing bikers. “Someone better talk to me!”

Soft hands held my face. “Maverick, can you please breathe and calm down?”

Competing for space due to her belly, my upper body folded over her legs. “Not if you aren’t okay. I’m sorry I was rude this morning.”

She rubbed my back. “That wasn’t you being rude.” She giggled. “That was you finding your balls, remember?”

As club members around me laughed, I bitched, “Not funny.”

They only laughed harder.

Lifting my upper body from her legs, I stared at my wife. The sun was shining down on her, goose pimples covering her arms. I rubbed them. “Did you need some sun, baby?”

She beamed at me, caressing my face adoringly. “I did. No windows in the room. But that’s not why Diesel carried me out here.”