Page 173 of Steel

Our demons will clash with theirs.

Let’s just hope ours are a hell of a lot meaner than the monsters coming for us.

Chapter forty-two

This lockdown is aboutto make me lose my mind. It’s been fun, for the most part, spending time with people who mean so much to Steel and Lyric. The brothers are freaking hilarious, and their Old Ladies are amazing. They don’t treat me as an outsider despite how I came into the club. They show me the same respect they do each other. It’s as if I’m already wearing a property patch. If I ever had doubts about Steel’s club, the way they all watch over the kids, especially my little heart song, would erase them. Even the brothers who don’t have kids and don’t particularly want any treat the little ones running around the club as if they were theirs.

Anywhere my little girl expresses this much happiness is somewhere I want to be.

The lockdown hasn’t come without its negative bullshit, though.

I thought grown-ass women knew better than to blame another person for someone else’s actions. Drama was over with in high school, but apparently, some of the club girls haven’t received that memo yet. Not all of them are bad. There are quitea few who are lovely to talk to. Melanie’s made me feel at home the most. I’ve watched them all over the last two days, and she’s one of the few I’ve noticed who didn’t hit on the brothers in relationships. There have been one or two who have tried hooking up with her, too. Fuckers are shitholes for doing that, especially when their Old Ladies or partners aren’t looking. It’s mostly the veteran members who are still stuck in the past, when that stuff was acceptable, according to Steel.

Screw that. I found a way to ensure a little birdie flew into their partner’s ears whenever I saw them up to no good. Respect has to be earned, and those pieces of shit sure in the heck will never earn mine. I don’t consider it drama. I consider it doing my civic duty of being a decent human being. I’ve known the pain of the man you love being with other women. If they choose to turn a blind eye after that, then that’s on them. None of them, according to the knowledge I’ve acquired, are in anything other than monogamous relationships, so those motherfuckers should keep their little peckers in their pants.

I didn’t hide what I did from Steel either. He gave me a look that told me I was nothing but trouble, but he already knew that, so I just smiled and took my top off. It distracted him enough to forgive me.

Bebe is mad at me because Rachel was kicked out of the club, as if I had control over any of that. I ignore the drama she tries to start whenever I walk by her because I don’t even care. The women here know I’m not scared to stand up for myself, so if they really want to start stuff, then it is what it is. Most of the Old Ladies will be at my back because, unlike the club girls, I’ve gotten to know them without wanting or trying to sleep with their men.

Lyric has been a trooper. She knows everyone here, and if they’re new faces to her, she makes quick work of bringing theminto her bright world. Lyric is easy to love, so it’s not surprising that she can charm them so quickly.

My little heart song is capturing hearts all around the world, at least in this rough-and-tumble world, anyway.

Steel has been amazing. When he’s around, he makes sure to come to me. He constantly checks to make sure I’m good. My head space has been crucial to him during this lockdown, which means the most to me. It shows his growth from the man I knew in the past.

His scent reaches me before his arms wrap around me from behind. I lean into chest, resting my arms over his, enjoying the feel of him surrounding me. He brushes his lips along the side of my neck, and I sigh at his loving gesture.

“Good, baby girl?”

“I’m good, bossman. Just watching our girl.”

Steel twirls me around so I’m looking up at him. He leans down and captures my mouth with his, sliding his tongue inside for a few swirls before pulling away. Then he pecks my nose.

“Missed you,” he admits gruffly.

I laugh. “You’ve just been around the club.”

“Don’t care. Still missed you.”

Be still, my heart.

“Missed you too, big guy.”

“She been good?”

I snort, turning around in his arms to watch Lyric and Wraith’s son, Hendrick, get up to no good. “Causing mischief.”

Lyric covers her mouth and snickers when Hendrick shoves a piece of chocolate in his mouth. His little head swivels, making sure his parents aren’t paying attention, then his gaze snags on mine. Steel’s chest shakes against my back when the little guy gives us a chocolate toothy smile.

“Watch,” Steel rumbles.

Hendrick seeks out Crow and runs toward him, calling out his name.

Crow bends down in front of him and wipes the smear of chocolate from his cheek. He says something to him that’s too low for us to hear, but when Hendrick sticks his chocolate-covered finger against Crow’s lips, smearing the sweetness on them, I can’t help but snicker.

“Shh, don’t let Mama hear you,” Hendrick says in a voice that I’m sure was meant to be quiet.

He sees the mess he left behind on his uncle, and his hazel eyes widen as they bounce between his hand and Crow’s face. “Oh, boy. Mama is gonna tan your hide. You been in the chocolate.” Before Crow has a chance to say anything, the little dude turns around, seeks his mom out of the crowd, and calls out to her. “Mama, Uncle Crow gave me chocolate.”

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