She was going to be on the back of my bike for a ten-hour ride.
Talk about fucking torture.
I hadn’t touched her before, but I couldn’t say that I hadn’t ever had the urge. Skylar was beautiful. Blonde hair, blue eyes, striking features and an incredible body.
What normal man wouldn’t want what she was offering?
It was the pain I saw hiding inside her that kept me at a substantial distance. She harbored something deep inside. I’d heard the rumors floating around the clubhouse about her sister’s return and the story of her escape from some cult-like religion. Just the thought made my muscles tighten all through my body, and I fisted my hands, clenching them tightly.
If it were true, and that was the place where Skylar had grown up, I couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through as a child or what she’d had to endure in order to escape. It was also a testament to her strength as a woman, to be able to fight their brainwashing ways and have her own mind and thoughts come out on top.
I’d seen those places on the news, with leaders who claimed to be saviors. Stories of abuse and underage marriage sent chills up my spine, especially as I looked around and saw the children that over the past few years had begun to fill the club.
If anyone tried to do anything to hurt these kids, they’d find themselves in a shallow grave before they could get their dirty fucking hands on them. Every single man and woman in this place would make sure of that.
While I wasn’t entirely sure whether the place where Skylar grew up was anything like that at all, or simply a place that pushed religion to the limits, I still couldn’t understand how parents could put their own children in that kind of position. If what Skylar and her sister had been through was anything remotely like what I’d seen and read about in the media, and she’d managed to come out the other side as a strong, confident woman, then there was nothing that could stop her.
“Hey, Eagle.”
I turned to see Hadley advancing on me with a bright smile and Macy hooked on her hip. She pulled me in for a hug and Macy immediately wiggled in her arms, reaching out for me.
I opened my arms and took the small child without reservation and tucked her against my chest. She lay her head down, her little fingers playing with the patches on my cut.
“We’ve missed you around here,” Hadley said with a smile. “How long are you back for?”
“As long as I’m needed,” I answered cryptically making her frown in disappointment. Macy giggled and squirmed in my arms as I tugged on one of her tight curls and tickled the underside of her chin.
“So forever then?” Hadley asked with a playful twinkle in her eye, making me smirk. She was the only woman at the club I’d found myself getting close to. After Slider died, we’d formed a bond as she fought to get her head right and push back the guilt that had overwhelmed her.
We often talked about how she was doing, and just like me, she had her good days and her bad days. My brother had done well finding someone with her heart and strength to have by his side.
“Leo misses you,” she continued when I didn’t reply, knowing that the comment would hit its mark like she wanted. Leo and I had been through hell and back together. Four tours, unpleasant memories, prominent scars and the loss of our entire team—it had been rough, not something I would wish on anyone.
Leo was the reason I found the club. We’d prospected together, but after becoming full members, my itch to keep moving had me going Nomad. I came and went as I pleased, moving between the clubs throughout the states. I was welcomed at every single one but was always drawn back to Athens.
“I’ll be around for a while,” I told her gruffly, ignoring the way her face lit up. “Can’t keep missing out on this little girl growing up.” Hadley’s smile morphed into something softer as she eyed both me and Macy.
“And I’m gonna need a best man for my wedding in a couple months,” Leo said, coming up behind me and slapping me on the back.
“Is that you asking me to be it? Aren’t you meant to make some grand speech about how amazing I am, and how you’d never be where you are today without me?” I teased him before a thought came to me, and I narrowed my eyes. “Wait, you gonna make me wear a fucking tux or something stupid like that?”
He laughed and shook his head. “It’s like you don’t know me at all. You think I’m gonna wear a damn tux, asshole?”
Relief settled in. “Guess I could stick around then.”
I could tell Leo was ecstatic with my admission, but I just rolled my eyes as he started going on about the things he’d demanded for the wedding while Hadley stood beside us quietly rolling her eyes and letting her man think he was going to get away with all his demands.
I smirked. Hell no, she was running this shit, and while he might be able to get away with not wearing a tux, there were going to be things he was going to have to give in to because Hadley carried his balls around in a glass jar.
“Hadley?”
We all turned our heads to see Skylar standing behind us quietly, obviously waiting until Leo was done with his rant before she interrupted.
Patient and respectful.
Something any man would appreciate.
I clenched my jaw and took a step back. Those were thoughts I didn’t need to be having right now.