Page 53 of Lamb

I knew what I’d been doing when I’d brought up Anna. Knew what push I was giving. I’d even expected the pushback. But what I had not expected was for Ash to shut down entirely.

Anna was bound to be a sensitive topic for her. With the way they had fallen apart—Ash having severed the bond between them herself—I shouldn’t be all too surprised at the way she had reacted, especially with her preluding words.

So, here I sat, now on the third and final step, waiting.

Even though it had been intentional, I was lamenting my choice. The soft touch of her skin, her hooded, pleading eyes, and her warm, wet lips haunted my brain. To have touched, even just once, had been a curse, and now with each step the closer I took, the more I craved. I had become greedy, and I feared there would not be enough of Ash to fill me. Even if I consumed all of her, I would still want more.

I had never been that patient of a man. If I wanted it, I took it. I never understood why I would have to wait for something I could achieve through other means.

But Ash was different to me. There were no shortcuts or easier options. She was as complicated as they came, and my approach would put to test everything I knew and then some. Still, it didn’t stop the barrage of thoughts, mentally testing any and every way possible.

Trying to stave the growing noise in my mind, I poured myself a drink. I swirled it around in the glass, watching the golden liquid sweep around the edges, savoring the aroma.

The whiskey was warm on my tongue, sending tingles down my throat and pooling in my stomach. I could see why Ash had chosen whiskey as her companion; the sweet spice both punishing and comforting in equal measure.

I reached for a second glass and split the last. It was encroaching on the time for her drink, and where she’d normally be lingering in the corners of my vision or flat-out pestering me, Ash had remained sullen and distant. Not even the whiskey had been enough to lure her from her room. Even so, it’d do her no good to sink into withdrawal, not with the delicate balancing game we’d been playing over the last week. Or, at least, that was my excuse.

Tipping back my head, I let the last finger of whiskey warm my body before picking up the second glass, heavier and colder than I remembered it.

Just as I was about to get up, my phone blared to life, the ringtone slicing through the silence, lighting up the dim room like a beacon.

I glared down at the caller, a familiar name crossing the screen.

Boss.

I sighed, setting down Ash’s glass. Silencing the tone, I allowed the call to go through a few more rings before I slid across the answer button. I could feel the burn of Wolf’simpatience through my palm, and I reveled in it for a moment before putting it to my ear.

Big mistake.

“Why do you never answer on the first ring!” Wolf’s voice blared down the device. “I know you have your phone on you.”

“Learning patience is never a bad thing.” I smirked, the irony amusing to my own ears.

“Fuck off.”

“Anyway,” I sighed, swapping the side of my phone as I tried to rub away the ringing deafening my left side. “I’m sure you haven’t called at three a.m. to hear a lullaby from me.”

“The day I call you for a lullaby is the day I cut my dick off.”

“Want to bet on it?”

Static hung on the other end of the phone for a beat before a short word cut through. “No.”

“But—”

“Church. Ten minutes,” Wolf growled, and before I could squeeze out even one more word, the line went dead.

Someone was grouchy.

Pulling up to the club compound, I glared at the obnoxious square building. I’d had to leave my peace offering for Ash outside the bedroom door, infusing it with the small chance to earn back some trust. It was more like a bribe, but I wasn’t beneath anything that would push her out of her shell and hopefully back into my arms.

Already mourning that she wouldn’t be waiting for my return, I spotted more bikes rolling through the car park, along with a couple of cars pulling through the gate.

Hunter and Jax pulled in beside me as I slipped from my seat and stood.

“This better be something good,” Hunter growled, pulling off his helmet, revealing deep-seated bags around his eyes as he gave the building a glare like I had. “I’ve barely had an hour of sleep.”

“Little one keeping you up?” I mused at the huge ogre of a man, weakened by something that weighed little more than a bag of rice. Still, having sleeping troubles with a one-year-old child was bound to hollow out a man, even one as resilient as Hunter.

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