Page 50 of Bloom: Part 1

Crowe stepped out to answer his phone, and I made to follow him, but he shook his head. Relieved when Gunner wrapped up the meeting, I rose to my feet. As I walked past Tango, I couldn’t refrain from leaning in, my hand in the pocket of my hoodie. He jumped back as if he feared I would knife him. Laughing, I took out a stick of watermelon-flavored gum.

“If I were going to fuck you up, I’d let you see it coming.” I popped the gum into my mouth. “Only a few people have the honor of calling me a psycho to my face and live to say it again.”

“You think I’m afraid of you?”

“Are you?”

His flaring nostrils and labored breathing showed his fear. Didn’t he realize how hard his chest was rising and falling?

“Bloom!”

Rolling my eyes, I stalked over to Crowe. “I didn’t do nothing.”

“Is that why Tango looks like he just shit his pants?”

“We were just having a friendly conversation. Didn’t you say you wanted me to have more friends?”

“Stay away from him. His bark’s worse than his bite, and I don’t need you stirring up trouble.”

“Who was that on the phone?”

“Sarge. He wanted to know about Winter’s condition.”

“Oh. Did you hear anything new?”

Crowe doubled his hands into fists and shook his head. “He’s breathing on his own but still in a coma.”

“Can I go see him?”

“Is it Winter you want to see or have an excuse to be off the compound so you can chase after that fucking doctor again?”

“Can’t it be both?”

He pushed a hand into his pocket and came up with my phone. “Here, you can have this back.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Did you go through it?”

“I thought about it. Only because I know you’ve been hiding shit from me and I want to know how deep this thing with the doctor goes, but I didn’t. I won’t violate your privacy like that. As much as I don’t like it, you’re not a little kid anymore.” He heaved a sigh and rubbed his nose. “Between you and Winter, you’ve got me so worried I can’t even give Max the attention he deserves. For god’s sake, Bloom, I have to put Winter first right now, which means I can’t keep track of your whereabouts. You need to give me your word that I won’t have to worry about you.”

“I don’t go looking for trouble.”

“But you don’t show restraint either. If you feel the urge to kill anyone, use our buddy system. Call me or Saint. Bay has his family, but he’s always there for you too. You don’t have to go through all this shit by yourself. It’s November, and I need to know you can handle it. We’ve been through enough Novembers, haven’t we?”

Shit. Did he always have gray hair? Granted, a few strands, but still. I had to be the cause of at least one—or all of them.

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

He took my arm and pulled me out of earshot from the two prospects who entered the room. “Do you need to go hunting again?”

“Not now.”

“Good. Let me know.”

I powered on my phone as I walked with him to the mess hall, where the other bikers had gathered for a drink and a game. A couple of women who hadn’t left last night lingered. One was in a corner on her knees, gagging on a biker’s cock. I inhaled sharply at the memory of Logan’s mouth swallowing me down.

I needed more.

“By the way.” Crowe slapped my back, jolting me out of my daze. “Sarge’s driving through soon and will stay for a few days.”

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