“I have to go.”
“No, tell me.” He pushed from the bike.
“Why? Why do you want to know?”
“Because he’s a club brother. I’d kill for him and I’d die for him. And if he’s going to be all screwed up, I need to know why.”
“He won’t be screwed up.”
“He will be if you leave.”
She laughed but without humor. “I doubt it. I was simply filling a vacancy.”
“The club attorney thing?”
“Yes, the club attorney thing.”
“That wasn’t ever Carter’s idea. It was Brooklyn.” He tapped his head. “She’s a fucking witch when it comes to the Barbarians. Everything has to benefit the club somehow, even, in this case, her son’s woman.”
Leah was quiet. It wasn’t hard to believe that Brooklyn had been instrumental in the entire thing. She was one tough bird with a loud voice.
“You shouldn’t let it be such a big deal,” Wyatt went on. “Not when it isn’t.”
“It’s hard not to feel used.”
“You haven’t been used.” He paused as if debating his next words. “I told you, Carter was a miserable son of a bitch last week when you weren’t here.”
“I don’t care.”
“Yeah, you do. He was fucking checking his cell every ten minutes to see if you’d made a decision about coming to live here. Pain in the ass, that’s what he was.”
“It was a big decision.”
“The important ones always are.” He shrugged. “You made it, and you’re here now. You don’t come across as the kind of babe to give up easily.”
“I’m not.”
“But you’re giving up on him, after what, a day?”
She pursed her lips. It was true, she’d always been a go-getter, a fighter, but not since her mom had died. It was as if the desire to reach for the stars had been drained. They were too far away.
But Carter had given her some of that fight back. He’d drawn it from her, harshly at times, and made her face her future.
Wyatt was studying her. “He’s had a shit few years, you know.”
“Yes, he told me he did time.”
“Straight after his father died. They were close, and a formidable duo when they put their heads together. Brooklyn took it real bad, pushed Carter away, hardly visited him in prison. Then when he came out, she drew him so close she damn near suffocated him. Add in Skylar. Well, she was a bitch. I reckon he just needed to get laid after all that time. It’s the only reason he got in her pussy.” He paused. “If you know what I mean.”
She nodded.
“And I’m sure you’ve had shit happen to you, Leah. Haven’t we all. But if you accept that you make each other happy, then you can work the rest out.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think what? That you make each other happy?”
“That we can work it out. But thanks for the relationship advice, Wyatt, and say goodbye to Belle for me.” She smiled. “We could have been friends.”