Page 32 of Heron's Flame

“This isn’t about me.”

“It’s about us. Right? Being open with each other. We don’t have shit if we can’t be honest.”

“Heron.”

“I can’t do this. Not right now.” He rolled his shoulders, backing away from me. Frustration and anger lingered in his dark eyes. “If you can’t talk to me, I don’t know how to make this work.”

Shocked, I opened my mouth, but words wouldn’t form.

“I should take you back to The Roost.”

My chin lifted. Like I’d go anywhere with him after our argument. I didn’t need him to do shit right now. We both needed to cool off and have this conversation later. “I’m good.”

He clenched his fists, clearly agitated. “I’m going for a walk.”

“Fine.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, spinning on his heel and leaving the tent in quick, angry strides.

Knowing the argument was ridiculous, I sighed, but he also had a point. I didn’t want to stay in this tent and decided to return to the rally. I’d grab something to eat and a cold beerand return after I had a chance to think through what happened today.

Going in the opposite direction as Heron, I left the tent, far too occupied to pay attention until it was too late. I smacked into the figure in front of me, who stood with a sardonic grin plastered on his scarred face. My body bounced off his, and I stumbled, catching the evil glint in his cold green eyes. A jolt of fear shook me as I noticed the leather vest he wore—a cut.

My ex found me. Paul joined a motorcycle club.

The patches he wore revealed his title as president and a road name. Something new.

Hammerhead.

“Time to stop running, my sweet little fish.”

Chapter 10 Heron

Well, fuck. It happened again. My anger got the best of me, and I pushed away the woman I loved. Twice. First, Cerys. Now, Rebel. Was I doomed to repeat the same fucking mistakes? To lose someone I loved again and again until I didn’t care about risking my heart for anyone else?

Fuck that.

Not far off, hopping on the cloth covering nearby tents and buildings, crows cawed and began to gather. An occasional kraa accompanied the flapping of wings. A few seemed agitated, dropping to the ground as their sharp eyes scanned the crowd. Several more of the black birds squawked a reprimand. They felt my turmoil and frustration, and their emotions combined with mine.

I needed to clear my head. A few minutes in the air should do it. First, I had to find Hawk. Pushing through the crowd, I sensed my club brother was close. I was right.

He held a beer in one hand and a smoke in the other, alternating between the two as he laughed at something Talon said.

I didn’t see Callie, Bree, Gail, or Bella. The ol’ ladies must have gone off to do their own thing. That worked in my favor.

I ticked my chin at Hawk. “You got a minute?”

He smirked. “Yeah, what’s eatin’ you up? Lookin’ rough, brother.”

I wasn’t surprised that I looked as bad as I felt. The argument with Rebel pissed me off, but I also felt like an asshole for losing my temper with her. She didn’t deserve that. Seeing Cerys again brought up a bunch of old shit I thought I dealt with, but I wasn’t sure I had. Guilt for ending things the way I did with her increased my irritation. She deserved closure.

But I couldn’t make Cerys talk to me.

That left me in a grumpy mood since I had taken that out on Rebel. In truth, her secrets were causing a wedge between us. I sensed the things she’d gone through had left her scarred and a little broken, and I just wanted to help her through it. I needed her to feel that she could confide in me. I wanted her to trust me. Whatever happened, it wouldn’t change how I felt about her. I wouldn’t judge her for the choices she made in life. Hell, I’d made plenty of stupid ones myself.

“Heron?”

“I fucked up,” I admitted, hating to admit it and exposing my weakness.

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