Page 7 of Steel

“Will you tell me about her, please?” Bailee whispers, and I know she’s fighting hard to keep herself alert.

“She’s amazing, Lee. Got this pretty brown hair that hangs down her back and my green eyes. A cute little beauty mark on the edge of her lip. Got the attitude of a grown ass adult, though. Never met a girl sassier than her.”

“She sounds amazing. What’s her name?”

“Lyric Skye,” I murmur as I come to a stop beside them.

“Pretty,” she whispers.

“Keep talkin’ to me, Hummingbird.” I make sure to keep my voice low so my brothers they don’t hear me. I mute the mic for a minute while she talks quietly in my ear. “Gotta head out. You need me for anything, let me know.”

“Everything good? You need one of us?” Jagger asks.

“Naw. Got this handled. Be ready in case I’m wrong.” They both nod, trusting that if I need more hands, I’ll call in backup. “Have fun.”

I shoot off a quick text to Kaitlyn as I head out into the muggy night. She’s the club’s babysitter, a sweet kid, and I probably wouldn’t trust anyone else with Lyric.

It doesn’t take her long to get back to me, letting me know Lyric is having fun with the other kids, and to take care of whatever I need to. The kids normally stay over with whoever is watching them on Friday nights anyway. Normally, I’d be spending time with Lyric since the weekends are my free time with her, but after dealing with Heather’s bullshit, I needed to blow off some steam.

“How you doin’, Hummingbird?” I ask while I wait for the call to switch over to my Bluetooth.

Her breathing speeds up. “I think I hear them. What if they find me?”

“Deep breath, babe.” I wait until I hear her suck in a sharp breath. “That’s good. Not goin’ to find you. Be there before they can.”

“Promise?”

I swallow hard. Fuck no. I don’t know the damn situation, but I’m not going to tell her that. “Yeah. Promise.”

The growl from the engine of my souped-up Bronco drowns out her voice for a second before it settles into a quiet rumble.

“Not much longer, Bailee. Doin’ okay?”

The wind rushes through my windows as I speed through the streets. I’m going faster than I’d normally go, glad I’m not on my bike tonight. I’ve witnessed too many accidents because other people either forget we share the road with them, or they just don’t give a fuck. Probably a lot of both. One thing I’ve learned in this fucking life is that you’ll run into more assholes than truly humble people. Add my tattoos, my cut, and my bike, and I’ve already got negative tally marks in their eyes.

Not that I give a fuck.

Life is too goddamn short to worry about what the fuck other people think. There’s only one person whose opinion matters to me and that’s my daughter.

Bailee’s voice keeps me company as I make my way to her, and I find myself drifting to the first time I ever met her.

I had such a ridiculous crush on my friend, Emmy Lou, but once Bailee strutted her sexy ass into the picture, it’s like the crush never existed. It didn’t take me long to figure out that what I thought I felt for Em was just an insane need to protect her. I love Emmy Lou, but it’s never been more than platonic.

But Lee . . . I feel that woman in my bones, and that’s what makes her so damn dangerous.

Emmy Lou and Atlas were having a cookout at their farmhouse a few months after her rescue, and they’d invited all the Dirty Mavericks along with their families. Ever since we helped save Em, they felt like they owed us something, no matter how many times we told them differently. Women and children are held in high regard in our club, and it takes a hell of a lot for us to lay hands on either. There’s been a few times throughout the years that we’ve had to take out a couple club whores, but thankfully, no children have forced us to end their lives. That’s one job that would destroy anyone who would have to do it.

Bailee came marching in, her head thrown back in laughter at something the woman walking in beside her had said. It’s that laugh that captured my attention first, and when she dropped her head and her icy blue eyes locked onto mine, her body jerked like she’d ran into a live wire and her lips parted. There was this raw pull toward her that I didn’t understand because I’d never felt it before. From the way she stared at me, she was feeling it too.

But here’s the thing . . .

I don’t do pretty little rich girls. Their tastes are too damn expensive for my blue-collar ass, and the one and only time I got tangled up with one in my youth, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

As hard as it was, I yanked my eyes away and gave my attention back to Emmy Lou, much to her husband’s aggravation. Mostly, I flirted with her to get under his skin. I don’t tread where someone else already lives, but Atlas is fun to get riled up.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Bailee was Atlas’s best friend’s sister, it probably would have been a lot easier to stay away from her when I would go chill with them. But it seemed like everytime I was around, she’d show up. Hell, I wouldn’t have put it past my friend to be playing matchmaker.

Every time Bailee and I were suspiciously thrown together, our attraction to one another grew. We’d gravitate toward each other during these gatherings and then be glued to each other’s hips the rest of the time. When I realized what was happening, I began to make excuses for why I couldn’t come. Stuff with the club, work, whatever the hell I thought I could get away with.

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