Page 40 of Irons

“Yep, there’s another sick fuck, just like Creed. I don’t get how they like sticking their dicks into their pregnant wives. It’s fucked up.” Magnus said.

I shook my head at his nonsense.

“We’re getting ready to eat, why are you two over here by yourselves? Drowning your sorrows?” Granger then looked at the prospect behind the bar as he set his empty beer cup down.

“Nope, I guess we should get in line for the food before Morgan eats it all.” I was looking directly at Wrenly, as I grabbed my beer then walked toward her. Fuck Axton, he needed to stepaside. I put my hand on the small of Wrenly’s back then leaned in to her ear. “We should make our plates and grab a seat.”

She turned and smiled when she looked at me. She then turned to the men she was speaking with before I approached. “Please excuse me. I believe I’ve been asked to dinner.”

Axton looked at me like I had two heads. He might have been our VP, but he wasn’t my fucking boss. I had more invested in Creed’s Lake than him and once he figured out who Wrenly was to me, he was going to feel like an asshole. He is only VP because I stepped aside. It was a buffet style dinner, so we made our way down the line.

“Everyone here is amazing and you’re lucky to have served with them.” She said.

“We’ve been together since OTC training, except for Granger. He joined our team about a year after, and Creed was our command officer.”

“It’s amazing what you and the others have built. I’m proud of you, and so is dad. He knows you run the bike company.” She spoke as she made her plate.

“How is Clint these days?”

She paused for just a moment and looked at me. “You never talk to him? I thought since he takes care of your house that maybe you spoke at times.”

He shrugged. “No, when I moved here I sent him a letter giving him my address.”

“How much do you know about home?” She asked.

“I hate to say I don’t know a thing. When I left it behind, I didn’t look back. I know my parents divorced and mom remarried.” That fact made me feel like a real asshole. I should have at least checked in with Wrenly.

“Well, dad married Tony’s college girlfriend when I was seventeen and they had a son. Dad is doing great, Heather is a godsend, and I adore her. Jacob, my brother, looks a lot like dad and he loves playing basketball. They still live in the same house.”

She finished making her plate and reached for a plastic fork.

“And grandma Patty?”

She nodded. “Grandma is doing great. Grandma and grandpa still live in the same house and they’re both retired. They bought an RV and travel all summer.”

I grabbed my fork and napkin then led her to an empty table. “Are you still in touch with Tia and Jill?” We took a seat and started eating.

She smiled. “Yes, I just had a night out with them a few weeks ago. The whole group went and they’re all either married, married with kids, and a few of us are still single. They’re all successful and living full lives.”

I had to ask. “You never married?”

She looked down at her plate. “No, never married. You know the life of anyone in special ops. There’s just no time for relationships. You?”

I shook my head. “No, same thing here. Last I knew you were spending a lot of time with Matt Trenton.”

I noticed she tensed up and didn’t look up from her plate. “What’s wrong?” I felt anger inside me, because that was not the reaction I expected. I thought she would laugh about an old boyfriend from freshman year. That asshole better have been good to her.

She shook her head. “Let’s just say it’ll take more than a few glasses of wine to go there.” She took a sip of her wine. I felt sadness come off her and knew right away that was a sore subject.

“I’m afraid to ask, but what about my grandparents?” I really hated taking the conversation in that direction, but I was sure she was holding back from telling me anything about my family. I figured we might as well get it out of the way. I was sure she was just going to say that my parents were still looking for Bobby and life was normal for them.

She cleared her throat as she set her wine glass down. “I never approved of what they did to you. They should have been there for you.” Her eyes slowly met mine. “Your grandpa had a massive stroke and died about five years ago, and your grandma got cancer and passed about a year ago. I’m sorry for your losses.”

It hit me harder than I thought it would, so I took a sip of my scotch and set it back down. “Aunt Tricia?” He asked.

“Oh, she’s fine. Never married but she has her hobbies.” She played with her food, and I could tell there was something she thought I needed to know but was avoiding it. She sighed then looked at me. “Baby steps. Ask when you’re ready. I won’t throw it all at you if you don’t want to know.” Of course, she knew I was wondering about my parents. I never once checked in or looked them up. My parents divorced, and that was everything I needed to know. I wrote them off years ago, but seeing Wrenly made me wonder.

“It’s okay, but lay it on easy.” I gripped on to my glass and tried to prepare myself.

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