“I won’t, and I’m okay with that.” Her nose stung, so she looked away, and tears filled the corner of her eyes. She blinked rapidly to dispel them.
He tugged on her hair. “That’s bullshit. He’s coming back.”
She hated thinking about Rage. Her chest hurt incessantly for up to an hour later after she talked about him, and she needed to get over it.
Harley shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, I know so.”
Harley sighed and started placing the bags of chips on the shelves.
Ax tilted her head his way. “Maybe if you guys decide it’s not what you want, you’d give me a chance.”
She stared up at him. He was so ruggedly handsome, and she cared about him deeply, but could she be around Rage but be with Ax?
“I wish I could say yes, but I’m not sure how that would work. I think it would just cause problems, and that’s the last thing I want to do. You guys are all I have. I don’t want to take any chance of losing you all.”
Ax nodded. “I get that. I just wish I’d been the one to help you that day.”
“I’m just glad someone was there. Eric wasn’t going to stop until he killed me.”
“I hate that thought.”
Harley nodded.
“Fury told me the fucker is in prison in another state, or at least used to be. He’s gone for now.”
Harley’s eyes widened. “Oh, really. That’s wonderful. I hope I never see him again in this lifetime.”
Ax rubbed his thumb against her cheek one more time, sighed, and stood. “I’ll get back to work.”
“All right.”
Harley listened to his footsteps fade. She wished she felt the same for Ax, but she’d given her heart to Rage, and she would never get it back.
Chapter Nine
Rage rode into the compound and sighed in relief. He was finally home. He’d been gone longer than he thought, but he wanted to make sure he was not on edge.
Several of his brothers waved at him when he pulled up to the house. Savage walked up and slapped him on his back. Rage laughed when he started choking on the dust that came off of him.
“Jesus, man,” Savage said as he waved his hand in front of his face. “It’s going to take a while to get you clean.”
Rage unstrapped his bag from the back of his bike and then slung it over his shoulder as he followed Savage into the building. He got several yells out and waved.
“I should check in with Fury and Traeger,” Rage said.
“I think they’re in the office.”
Rage stopped him. “One more question. How has she been?”
They both knew who he was talking about.
“She’s been a little sad and tries to hide it, but otherwise she’s fine. She fits in so well it’s like she’s been here forever,” Savage said.
Rage nodded. Dana had never fit in. Jesus, he fucked up with her.
“Thanks, man. I’ll talk to you later.”