She gave an almost imperceptible nod. He caught her eyes moving uneasily around the campsite before he turned and strode toward his brothers, satisfied she’d stay put.
“Well, goddamn. It’s about fucking time!” Butcher muttered as he looked over Shades shoulder. Shades, Griz, Boot and Hammer all twisted, looking behind them.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Shades growled to Ghost once he’d stalked toward them. “You’ve been MIA for two goddamn days. I’ve got half the club out lookin’ for you!”
“It’s a long story,” Ghost bit out.
“We got time,” Griz replied with a glare.
“And who the fuck is that?” Shades asked, lifting his chin towards the girl they were all now eyeing.
Ghost looked back over his shoulder to where he’d left Jessie standing by his bike and muttered, “You ain’t gonna believe it.”
Shades studied him, his eyes narrowing. “Try me.”
Ghost grabbed the beer out of Griz’s hand and chugged it down, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, drawing the moment out, but in the end knowing he couldn’t avoid dropping this bomb, so he just spit it out. “My stepsister.”
There was dead silence for a split second, and then Griz let out a bellow of laughter that continued on and on, grinding on Ghost’s last nerve. He could see even his VP was trying to hold back a grin.
With his brows raised, Shades asked, “Your stepsister?”
“Yeah,” Ghost gritted out, then turned to Griz. “And shut the fuck up.”
That only made Griz laugh harder. Hammer choked on his beer, spewing it on the ground, unable to hold his own laughter in.
Ghost ground his teeth together already anticipating the ribbing he was going to take from his entire chapter over this turn of events. Even now he could see them eyeing her up and down. Fuck. He was going to have to lay down the law and make it clear she was off limits to all of them.
“And she’s here why?” Shades asked, not holding his grin back any longer.
Griz began making thrusting motions with his hips as if in answer to Shades’ question, and even grunting along for added effect.
Ghost slugged him in the shoulder. “It’s not like that, asshole.”
Griz stopped the thrusting, but he was still grinning. “Not yet, maybe. But I’ll bet you’ve thought about it. Fuckin’ look at her. A hot stepsister, isn’t that every teenage boy’s dream?”
“Grow up, dickhead.”
“I’ll ask again. Why the fuck is she here?” Shades asked in all seriousness.
“She’s in some trouble.”
“Yeah? So? Since when did you grow a heart?” Hammer asked.
“Fuck off, Hammer,” Ghost growled, but Hammer just grinned back.
“And?” Shades snapped, drawing Ghost’s attention back to him.
“And she’s got some information you’re gonna wanna hear.”
Shades cocked an eyebrow as if he truly doubted that were possible. “Right.”
“I’m not lyin’, bro. This could be big for the club.”
Shades eyed her. “Get her settled, and we’ll fucking talk. And you better have a damn good explanation for being AWOL the last three days.”
Ghost nodded.
***