“I think I better go with her,” I tell Ronny, Elle, and Arabella.
Right on cue, Mia walks over to us. “Ohh, what’s going on?” she asks, excited. She is in school to be a doctor just like her mom.
Then it’s like the floodgates are opened, all of the MC kids are swarming in. Morgan is with Trenton and Matthew.
Cassandra and Greyson are behind them. Cassandra is the princess of the Devil Souls MC and Greyson is the future president.
Cash and Creed are Mia’s brothers. And there’s Mason, Cole, Harlan, and Livie who has the same name as me.
The roped-off area just got a whole lot smaller. Ronny doesn’t let me leave without him and he follows us gang of girls to the bar.
Elle is close to my side, nervous around people drinking because of what happened to her when she was seventeen, plus she is not old enough to drink even though the barman would not tell her no.
No is a word the MC doesn’t understand, because they run this town and everyone in it.
Tiana doesn’t go up to the mountain man like I thought she would, she is leaning over the bar with her ass almost hanging out of her dress. Ronny looks up at the ceiling like it’s the most interesting thing.
Elle and I notice, trying not to laugh at his reaction. “Hot damn, your ass is fire.” Trixie comes out of nowhere. she has her mother’s personality to a T and she is wild.
The mountain man finally looks over at her comment, giving Tiana his full attention for the first time, but she grins at Trixie. “Thank you, darlin’, I’m just mad that I don’t have those jugs like you’ve got.”
We all laugh, and they start commenting on everyone’s body parts that they’re jealous of.
The guys have made their way over at this point and they’re entirely uncomfortable. Isn’t this the best? “How in the world do you manage to survive daily while that ole man of yours looks at you with those eyes?”
“Someone has to do it.” I wink at her, hoping she gets my double meaning. She does and she busts out laughing.
Ronny puts his hand on my ass, sitting down on the barstool beside me. Either the music isn’t as loud right now or I’m getting used to the volume.
I turn around and decide that this is the time I talk about the work situation. Ronny has told me over the years that I didn’t even need to work, but maybe his thoughts are different now?
“What’s that face for?” he asks me, taking a drink of his soda. He is not drinking tonight—or any of the guys, for that matter.
“I just wanted to talk about work.” I put my hand on his thigh, moving between his legs and bringing me closer to him.
He waits for me to continue. “I think I want to stay at home and not go back to work.” He rubs my hip.
“That’s fine with me. You know I have enough money to take care of everything.”
I smile. “I knew you wouldn’t mind but I still wanted to discuss this with you. I loved being a social worker, but I love you and Madeline more. Maybe one day when she is in school I could back, but she needs a lot of care right now.”
His expression lightens. He opens his mouth to say something, but he stops to look at something over my shoulder.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” an annoying-sounding voice says, and I swing around to see Elliot standing behind me, shocking me.
And boy is he pissed.
“What the hell?” I say.
Ronny stands up, moving me around so that I’m standing slightly behind him to protect me if Elliot turns crazier, which wouldn’t surprise me at the moment. His eyes have a crazy look to them.
Elliot has always been weird, but this is strange behavior even for him. Or he has been hiding his inner thoughts or his personality.
I clear my throat, gathering myself. Elle takes ahold of my hand like she is trying to give me support, but she is shaking and so am I.
No matter how many years go by, being confronted by an angry man is not something I will ever get used to. It’s like it puts my body in flight-or-fight mode.
“What is your problem, Elliot?” I ask him, confused about why he seems to be angry as Elle holds my hand tighter.