Page 50 of All Our Ghosts

“Complicated?” Kadence finishes for me.

I feel a smile tug at the corner of my lips as I nod. “Yeah.”

I watch as she leans into me, tucking her knees under her as she presses her hands into my chest before peppering my cheeks with soft sweet kisses. Her lips trail along the roughness of my stubble, pressing them gently to where the bruise tattoos my skin.

“Complicated feels like our middle names,” she says softly before pulling away from me, brushing back the tangled hair from my face as her eyes trace over my features once again. I’ve never had someone be so… tender with me before. Not like this. Sure, I’ve spent plenty of time with the other girls that hang around the club, but it’s never like this. There’s something deeper, something meaningful in the way she looks at me. It terrifies me not to hide the cracks in the mask I put on for everyone else. That I’ve so easily let her in and so fast.

There’s just something different in the way her fingertips linger on my skin, the trail of fireworks they leave behind with it. I want all of her.

“What’s running through that head of yours?” I ask softly.

She smiles after a moment but I can tell there’s something distant in her eyes. Kadence shakes her head.

“Coffee,” she answers.

“Kade.” My brows knit together as she tugs herself from my arms, climbing from the bed and moving to her suitcase. “What’s wrong?”

She continues to dig through her bags, pulling out a pair of jean shorts and a ragged band t-shirt.

“Nothing is wrong.” she glances over at me. “I just want a cup of coffee.” Kadence slips into her shorts, grinning over at me before climbing back into the bed and pressing her lips to mine. “C’mon, don’t make me face Cole alone.”

I chuckle before letting out a sigh. “I’m gonna need that shirt back.” I smirk, my finger slipping into the inside of the collar as she leans down to me and I tug gently pulling her lips back to me, “Please?” I whisper against her before kissing her one last time.

Kadence pulls back from me and slips off the edge of the bed, tugging the shirt over her head only to dangle it between her fingers and expose herself to me.

“You mean this t-shirt?” She teases.

I flick my tongue over my bottom lip, bringing it between my teeth as my eyes rake over her body, the curve of her hips, and how the jeans hug them perfectly. The perfect roundness of her breasts. If my friendship weren’t at stake, I’d spend all day here with her.

“C’mon, Sergeant, come get it.” Kadence bites on the nail of her thumb, looking at me through thick lashes.

I bolt from the bed, and the room erupts into giggles as I wrap my arms around her. I pick her up gently, swinging her in a circle as she grins and laughs, her head tilted back and her long hair cascading behind her.

“You’re gonna be the death of me.” I grin, pressing chaste kisses to her chest.

She laughs. “I hope not. Now put me down, you caveman.”

Her hand playfully smacks my chest until I lower her feet to the floor. Kadence hands me the shirt before slipping hers over her head and putting her shoes on. I follow suit, slipping into my shirt and putting on my boots. I watch as she moves about, running her fingers through her hair and wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Standing, I glance over to her suitcases, catching a glimpse of something blue and soft. It looks like an ear to something. I can’t quite tell under the pile of clothes, but as my eyes track back to her, she’s made her way to the door.

“You comin’?”

I nod, stealing one last look at the ear and make my way to her. I want to ask but too much has already been said and I don’t want to spook her. I take her hand, and the two of us make our way to the clubhouse.

HOLDEN

The sun is bright, and the pavement is already radiating from the heatwave. I scan the lot. Cole’s bike is still in its spot next to mine. Anxiety creeps up my spine. I’m better than this. It’s Cole, for christ’s sake, I don’t need to be afraid of my best friend. But I suppose it’s much more than that. I’m afraid of losing the one person who’s never left me behind.

As if she can feel the nervousness radiating off of me, she squeezes my hand as we approach the door to the clubhouse. I can’t look at her and promise everything is going to be fine when we walk through that door. Not even I know what’s waiting for us. There are two sides to Cole’s anger. Quiet and calm like dark clouds before a storm and the otheristhe storm, the anger he hides so well, waiting and brewing under his skin until it’s too late.

His resolve only goes so far and so does mine. I held back last night with empty threats and the promise to come to bed.

I push open the door to the clubhouse. Trey is sitting at the bar, sipping on a cup of coffee. His eyes widen when they land on me and Kade. It’s the first time I’ve seen Trey in a while. The twoof us avoid each other like the plague. I could never really figure out why. Trey is more political in the way he helps Cole run the club. More… level-headed than me.

Trey leads with the idea that the club could grow and dips his hands into the pockets of Town Hall to keep the peace between the big bad biker gang and the rest of the town. I lead with my heart and emotions. This place is the only family I have left and I don’t want it to turn into some big political showboat race to ease the minds of the rest of the town.

“Nash, you sure you wanna be here right now?” Trey eases himself off of the stool, holding out his hand like he’s trying to stop me from going any further. My gaze flickers down to his hand and with a raised brow lifts back to Trey, “What the fuck happened last night? Cole came through here like a goddamn tornado before locking himself in his room.”

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