Page 104 of Three to Fall

He paused when Hayley Jade darted past him, a blur of dark-blue dress and flying hair.

“Hayley Jade!” I shouted, lunging for her, terrified she was going to slip and end up sliding down on top of the coffin.

But Kara grabbed my arm. “Wait. Let her go.”

Against every feeling inside me that screamed to run after the little girl, I stood still, because Kara had that effect on me. As much as she might have liked me telling her what to do in bed, the moment she gave a command outside it, I had no desire to do anything but follow.

But I wasn’t taking my eyes off that kid.

Mykid.

She ran to the edge of the graveyard, where the manicured lawns gave way to trees they hadn’t cut down yet to make more room for new burial sites. The grass grew long between the trees, wildflowers sprinkling color throughout.

Hayley Jade stopped, crouched, and picked a handful of them.

A tiny smile grew across my face as she ran them back to us and held them up to me.

I knelt in front of her. “You’re pretty clever, kid.”

She nodded, like she’d been told that a time or two before.

“Girl knows what she’s doing!” Queenie called out loudly from somewhere behind us. “Come on, y’all.” She led the group to the edge of the trees, and one by one, everyone spread out, collecting as many of the wildflowers growing there as they could find.

I passed some of the bouquet Hayley Jade had picked to Kara, Chaos, and Grayson, and when the rest of the group returned and took up their places, I took Hayley Jade’s hand and led her to the edge of the grave.

Together we tossed in our flowers, watching them land on the polished wood coffin.

Hayley Jade waved sadly at the flowers, and I led her away, circling around to the back so everyone else could have their turn. Chaos, Kara, and Grayson all approached together, everyone else lining up behind them. One by one, our family and friends covered the coffin in the wildflowers until there was none left.

The priest finished his blessings and went back up to his church. Rebel hugged Kara and said she’d see us back at the clubhouse for the party. Madden whined at Rebel’s feet, and Lavender was crying in Vaughn’s arms at the edge of the group, her eyes tired and her face screwed up in an angry scowl.

Rebel cringed at her cranky daughter, but her words were for her sister. “We’re all going home for quick naps, but we’ll be over at the clubhouse soon.”

Kara thanked them for coming, and they disappeared into the crowd.

War and his family approached, Bliss hugging Kara and War clapping me on the shoulder. “It was a good thing you did, withthe flowers. Thoughtful, some might even say. Others might speak of how very unlike you it is.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Where you going with this?”

He grinned. “Others, not me of course, might even call you pussy-whipped.”

I gave him the middle finger. “Fuck off.”

He clapped me on the shoulder. “You gave me so much shit about Bliss and Scythe. And now you’re doing exactly the same fucking thing. Holding hands with a guy while your other arm is around your girl.”

“You noticed that, huh?”

“Everyone did. And I don’t think you care.”

I didn’t. “How long until you get over that?”

War slung his arm around my shoulders. “Oh, there’s no getting over it. I’m going to be paying out on you for years to come. I haven’t even scratched the surface of the shit I’m going to give you. So, you a top or a bottom?”

I shoved him away good-naturedly, knowing I deserved it and more. And honestly, not even minding that much.

The roar of a motorcycle had us all pausing and looking over as someone in full leathers and a full-face helmet kicked gravel up on the barely-there road that snaked through the cemetery.

The engine cut out, and he got off his bike, pulling off his helmet.

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