Page 55 of Single Mom for the Bikers

“Are you in danger?”

That's a difficult question. But as long as I'm here, surrounded by the Eagles and inside the compound, I don’t think there is anywhere that I would be safer. That doesn’t mean I’m safe, exactly, but I don’t think running right now would help. “No. I'm probably just overthinking things. Dredging up the past.” I look over at Mia and Dante, literally rolling in the mud while Izzy and Liam watch and laugh. “Mia’s made a really good friend lately. They're playing together right now. I'm going to have to hose them down before they're allowed back in the house.” I say it in as light a tone as I can, trying to convince Mom that nothing's too seriously wrong. She'll only get worried. More worried. Let her think I’m still at Sledge’s house.

“I don't like the idea of you worried about all this old stuff again. Who was it you ran into?”

I give her the only name I can. “Havoc. You remember him, right? He helped me move back home.”

“Oh, I liked him. I hope he’s doing well. He was the only one that ever checked up on you. Handsome, if you like that sort of thing. Too old for you, though.”

“Mom…”

“Well he was. I saw the way you looked at him sometimes when he visited. I suppose now that you’re a little older?—”

“Mom!”

“Give that beautiful girl of yours a big kiss for me, okay? Bill is coming home soon and we’re going out. He wants to teach me to play golf. Can you imagine? Me? Golf?”

“You’ll be great. I'll call you next week and we'll figure out a time for a visit, okay? It's only a couple hours to drive. I really should visit more often.”

“You really should.” Her tone is only a little chiding, though. “I can't wait. You're sure everything is okay? My door's always open for you, you know that. I love you, baby girl.”

“I know. I love you, too.”

30

SLEDGE

“I don't knowif she wants to talk to you, Sledge,” Alessa says at the door. “She didn’t say what happened, but it’s pretty clear at least one of you fucked up. Big time.”

I grimace. The way things are at the club means we haven’t been able to focus on her the way we want, and both Havoc and Phoenix think she needs space. Well, Havoc does. I think Phoenix is just waiting for her to tell him to go to Hell. I might be wrong, I usually am, but something tells me too much space is just gonna make it harder in the long run.

Bear comes up from behind Alessa and nods at me. “Go ask her, baby. It's not our place to sort out their shit for them.”

Alessa huffs at him, but she nods. “Fine. But if she doesn't want to talk, then she doesn't have to.” She goes into their house, leaving me with her old man.

“You fucked up, didn't you?” he asks with a laugh. “Man, you three really are the misfits. She's only been here what, a couple days?”

I glare at him which just makes him laugh harder, but it doesn't fucking matter because Shelby appears from inside the house and gives me a tiny smile. Just enough to make me think maybe I've got a shot. Which is kind of fucked up, because if our chance at keeping her relies on me, we're screwed.

“Hey,” she says, licking her full, pink lips nervously.

Bear pats her on the shoulder. “Go easy on him. We're simple fuckers but we usually mean well.”

“I know,” she says, and her cheeks turn the same color as those pretty lips.

“Come with me.” I take her hand and tug her out of the door.

She throws a look over her shoulder. “Okay, but I don't want to leave Mia for long without letting her know.”

“We won't, I promise.” I lead her into the clubhouse, but instead of taking her to my room, I avoid the common room and guide her through the maze of hallways and stairs up to where the roof access stairwell is.

“Where are we going?”

“I wanna show you something. This is where I go when I need to think.”

Shel laughs. “I don't want to think, Sledge. I've done nothing but think all morning and it's not helping.”

I push open the door to the roof and lead her out. It's nothing fancy, but there are some chairs set up under a makeshift cover, and from here you can see out over the walls and into the city. The clubhouse is no skyscraper, but we can see most of our territory from here. “Then just listen for now, okay?”

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