Ace and I chuckle. Skid is one of the hardest working men we have in the field, but he’s lost as hell when it comes to sex. He’s more of the point to his dick and raise an eyebrow kind of guy. Drive to Jake’s and flirt? He’d rather stroke off in his bed and pass out with jizz on his chest.
I pull out my phone, shooting off a text to Lucy asking if she and Harley would like to come to the clubhouse for the annual Christmas party. I expect her to ghost me, but her acceptance comes only a few short minutes later.
Maybe things will get better. Maybe she was just tired and needed to get some sleep.
Maybe everything is fine.
Chapter 11
Lucy
I have no reason to be upset or frustrated. I told Micah I was tired, and when I did it earlier today, I wasn’t lying. I’m completely drained. It’s more of a soul deep depletion than a physical one though. I have no idea what I’m going to do once Robbie is released from prison. I was just starting to get a life of my own, and after six years of being single, raising Harley alone, I could picture sharing myself with someone else.
The banging on the door doesn’t surprise me. I haven’t known Micah for long, but he doesn’t really seem like the type of man to let me stew in a bad mood. We spent days in each other’s arms talking and getting to know each other. The man has had his mouth on nearly every inch of my body. The intimacy we’ve shared in such a short period of time has left me wanting more, but I can’t help but pull back from him because I don’t know what my life is going to look like once my ex is released. I don’t want trouble for any of us.
I sigh as I pull open the door, but it isn’t Micah standing on the porch.
“Robbie?”
Confusion draws my brows together as I look at the man I’ve only seen sitting across from me at a metal table in a maximum security prison for the last six years.
His throat works on a swallow, and he has the wherewithal to look ashamed.
“I know I shouldn’t have showed up here unannounced.”
You think?
I look over his shoulder, for a second wondering if the police are going to storm the house looking for him. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“You’re out?”
“They upped my release date. I didn’t have time to get a letter out.”
“And the phones at the prison weren’t working?” I don’t bother to hide the irritation in my tone. We just saw him yesterday. He had to have known he was getting released today. I can’t help but wonder if this is the old Robbie standing before me.
“I wanted to surprise Harley.”
“He’s sleeping.” I know Robbie has very limited experience being a father, but I won’t wake the child up just because he shows up on the front stoop at nearly midnight.
“Lucy, can I come in? It’s fucking freezing out here.”
Robbie wraps his arms around himself tighter. The man is wearing non-descript jeans and a thin flannel, and I pause for a long moment before stepping aside and giving him access to the house. I’m not physically scared of him, but there is a hint of worry coursing through my veins of what this man can do to our lives. Hell, he’s already causing problems with the way I sent Micah home earlier without explanation. I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about Robbie getting released from prison and what it could mean.
Robbie doesn’t go far into the house. If anything, he seems a little shy to be alone in the entryway with me. At least he isn’t taking liberties in my home. I’m grateful for that. His eyes look around the room. From here, he can see nearly the entire place—the living room to the right and the kitchen to the left.
“Is Micah here? I’d like to meet him.”
“He doesn’t stay overnight, Robbie.”
He nods as if he approves. By the time we left our visit yesterday, he seemed resolved that there wasn’t much he could do about me dating again while he was locked away. Now that he’s released, I have no idea what kind of trouble he may cause.
“You didn’t know you’d be released today?”
He faces me fully. “I swear I would’ve told you. They came to my cell today and told me to pack my shit. I didn’t question it. You don’t argue about something like that. Harley is sleeping?” His eyes dart down the hallway, and I inch myself in that direction.
“He has school tomorrow,” I remind him. “I don’t want to upset his schedule.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“Where are you staying, Robbie?” I ask it in a way to let him know that there isn’t space available here.