Page 31 of Possession

Vinnie closed the oven door and glanced at Knuckles, who was smiling at him understandingly. “I’ll be back to help finish—and for some of those stories.”

Knuckles nodded, drying off the bowl he’d just cleaned. “I’ll be here.”

Vinnie moved across the kitchen, closing the gap between him and Mason. “Hey, Mase. How are you?”

“When did you… I can’t believe you’re here.”

Shrugging, he shoved his hands into his pockets, wanting to pull Mason into a hug but unsure if it’d be welcomed. “My last day was Wednesday, but I had most of the apartment packed up beforehand, so I left yesterday morning. I stopped around Columbus last night and then got here earlier today. I would have been here a little earlier, but I had a little car trouble.”

Mason took an unsteady step toward him, fingers reaching out and snagging Vinnie’s shirt, his knuckles brushing against his abs. “What kinda car trouble?”

“Just a flat,” Vinnie said, averting his eyes when he inevitably thought about his sexy Good Samaritan.

“What was that?” Mason asked softly.

Vinnie shook his head. “I’ll tell you later. Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“Yeah, we should be able to?—”

There was a loud commotion from out in the main area. They exchanged a glance and then darted out of the kitchen doorway, trying to see what was causing the ruckus. It took Vinnie a moment to pinpoint what the source was because most of the people in the room had crowded around the entrance, blockinghis view. And then, like a parting sea, a gap appeared between some of the bikers, and there he was, the man who’d stopped to check on him and then stayed to help even after Vinnie had been less than gracious.

But he didn’t look the same as he had a few hours ago.

Blood droplets stained his white button-up at the collar and a few spots over his left pec. He held an ice pack to his eye, his bottom lip visibly swollen from all the way across the room.

Vinnie was moving before he realized it, Mason keeping pace with him at first but then falling behind as Vinnie picked up his stride, practically running across the clubhouse.

Just as he shoved his way forward, the man looked up, and their eyes connected. Like the first time he’d seen him, Vinnie had a visceral reaction, his gut filling with butterflies and his chest going a little tight. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of him, barely noticing as the people around them quieted down and stared.

Carefully, he removed the ice pack, a bolt of lightning shooting down his arm when his hand covered his Good Samaritan’s and used his hold on it to get a better view of the battered skin beneath.

His left eye was purple and swollen, with another bruise forming on his cheekbone. There was a small cut slicing through his eyebrow, and it was still weeping blood. Behind his salt-and-pepper beard, his bottom lip was puffy and split.

Someone had hit him. Repeatedly. They’d battered his beautiful face.

Anger coursed through Vinnie, lighting up his veins and making his hands shake. “Who did this to you?”

SUB CLUB INTERLUDE

Mason

We saw sharks today!

*picture of Mason and Vinnie standing in front of glass at aquarium a large shark swimming past behind them*

Vinnie

We saw all kinds of things. The aquarium here is awesome

Kenneth

I love aquariums!

CJ

Me too! I’m jealous!

Ollie

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