Page 83 of The Grief We Hold

Smoke shoulder checks me from his chair. “Last night, you were. Your woman was shaken up.”

Your woman.

It’s been a long time since anyone said that to me. A sliver of me wants to rebel against the title. But the larger part feels alive.

Still…

“Next time, let me decide if I’m too busy.”

“Would you have come if asked?” Grudge asks.

“Of course I fucking would.”

Would I?

The question follows in my head at lightning speed.

What would I have missed out on?

Raven tending to my injuries. Feeling cared for when it’s been your life’s work to look after others.

Eating a meal as a family. Listening to Fen tell us all about kindergarten shenanigans.

Holding the two of them while they slept. Knowing I was in the right place at the right time to keep them safe.

Fucking Raven in the bathroom this morning.

Coming so hard and deep inside her that my cock stirs in my jeans at the memory.

Had I known what I was going to miss out on, I would have found it hard to leave.

“Ask me next time,” I say. I know it’s a repeat of something I already stated, but it’s all I’ve got.

“Will do,” Butcher says.

“Anyway,” Grudge says, “the location was active. Taco took off his cut and got as close as he could. Kid’s got balls, no doubt.” He tips his head in Taco’s direction.

“Got a lead on where they might be holding our weed,” Atom says. “Stealing that back would be a good opportunity to hit them hard.”

Butcher rubs the side of his jaw. “I feel like it’s the right thing to do. Wraith, Atom, Smoke—can you three pull the logistics together? We can review ‘em tomorrow.”

“On it,” I say.

We spend the rest of the day going over everything the guys uncovered the previous night; then the three of us hunker down to figure out how we verify the intel and scout the location.

Fucking love the idea of getting even.

Pure revenge.

We’ll decimate them piece by piece.

And I have zero issues with that.

They nearly killed Raven. My mother-in-law. Members of my club. They ruined the diner I’m a silent partner in.

Mess with mine and you’ll meet your maker.

“I need more coffee,” I say. “Anyone else need anything?”

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