****
“Are you hiding in the attic?” Nash asked.
Lash turned to look at his brother.
“No, I’m not hiding. I’m looking for something.”
“Peace and quiet.”
“Shut up.”
“Chaos Bleeds is set to descend on our doorstep in a few days. Angel has the clubhouse decorated like a freaking advertisement, and you’re up here, looking for what?”
“I don’t know. I’ll know it when I see it.”
There was a lot of shit boxed up. They had moved a lot of stuff between the basement and the attic.
Nash heaved himself up into the space.
Lash could barely stand tall as it was. “What brings you up here?” Lash asked.
“It’s Christmas. My brother’s wife is going a little cray-cray, and I figured I would check in with him. You know, see how it’s hanging and all that.”
“You’re here to avoid work,” Lash said.
Nash winked. “That too. Angel’s moving on to grocery duty. We all know how she gets with that shit.” He shook his head.
“You mean my wife likes to organize everything and you always have a specific time and place of where to be.” Lash knew Angel, and there had been a time she was terrified of being his old lady. Especially when he took over as Prez.
She had been scared of appearing weak or making him look vulnerable. He had known from the start that she was a better person than him. That between the two of them, they were going to make this work.
“Damn, you guys are still like that first time, aren’t you?”
Lash stared at his brother. “Are you trying to tell me that there is trouble in paradise?”
Nash shook his head. “Nah. Sophia and I are great, you know. She does worry about me all the time.”
He could understand that. There was never a day that went by when he wasn’t worried about his brother. Years ago, Nash had succumbed to drugs, and it had very nearly killed him. Lash remembered those days and how fucking hard it was. With Tiny as Prez, Lash had worried that Nash would be completely kicked out of the club.
That time was now past, but that didn’t stop Lash from worrying about his brother. He would always worry about him.
Nash chuckled. “She’s loving the fact you’re bringing everyone here. I take it that was Angel’s idea.”
“It could have been mine.”
“No, it couldn’t. You and I both know that when it comes to Christmas, you’re a family man. Spending time with your woman is what is important to you.”
Lash sighed. “She wants a big family Christmas. I can’t deny her that. She has put up with so much.”
“So have you.”
“Yeah, but I’m the cause. Think about it, if Angel had found a nice man, one that wasn’t involved with an MC, she would never have, she’d never have lost a baby, been shot at. Nearly killed herself.”
Nash grabbed his hand. “Don’t do that shit to yourself.”
He couldn’t help it. There were moments, like now, where he had to wonder if Angel would have been better off without him. The whole thought process was mute. There was no point in even thinking about it, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she would have been better without him.
Gripping the back of his neck, he tried to stretch out the muscles.