Page 48 of Decoding Morse

Seeing her exit, Bailey sprinted into the room with Thia on her heels, leaving me in the hallway with a still completely nude Zombie.

“Thank you for returning her,” I said.

He grunted in acknowledgment before moseying back into the bathroom, giving me an unhindered view of his bare ass.

“That’s something you don’t see every day,” Thia said, returning to the hallway.

“Where’s Bailey?” I asked.

“She didn’t even stick around for a treat but dashed under the bed. I think it’s best we give her a moment. I’ll try to lure her out later, but right now, girl, we need to talk.”

“You ladies okay?” Havoc asked from the hall.

I gave him a thumbs up. “Thanks for the backup.”

He nodded, turned, and headed back downstairs.

Thia grabbed my arm and whispered, “You saw the piercings, right?”

“Sure did.” Honestly, how could I miss the multiple silver hoops dangling from his sack? “Also, why the hell did you approach the scary, naked, tattooed, pierced biker? Where’s your sense of self-preservation?”

Releasing me, she slapped her hands to her hips and stared me down. “He had my child, Amelia. What was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. This was my first encounter with an unknown naked man, and I’ve never seen a handbook.”

“Besides, didn’t you see how soft his eyes went when I told him her story? That man looks rough, and he’s definitely been through some shit, but he’s a teddy bear.”

“Fair.” I’d made the same assessment, but she sounded way surer of herself than I felt. “Our poor little escapee.”

“Please. That mutt is a peeping tom. Maybe I can have her hit the lady’s room next time.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

She beamed me a proud smile. “Thank you. It’s my best quality.” Then, just as suddenly, her lips fell into a frown as she combed her professionally manicured fingers through the ends of my wig and helmet-flattened hair. “What happened here?This was much sexier when you left. And is that….” She squinted. “Why is your makeup all smudged?”

I opened my mouth to tell her about the motorcycle ride, but her eyebrows shot up as she came to her own conclusion.

“Morse couldn’t keep his hands off you, could he? Please tell me this is your version of a dicked down ’do.”

Did she have to be so loud? Mortified and hoping the hallway cameras didn’t record sound, I shushed her and shoved her into the next room. Nobody needed to hear this.

“Ohhh, juicy enough that we need privacy,” Thia said, rubbing her hands together like some cartoon villain.

Honestly, I didn’t even know, so I collapsed on the bed and gave her a quick rundown. “When I went downstairs, Morse stuffed me into a bulletproof vest, biker gear, and a wig, and then we rode his motorcycle to the appointment.” I detailed our waiting room conversation as well as the horror of my weigh-in and Morse’s over-the-top reaction. “He had to help me out of the layers in the examination room.” I looked away, searching for anything in the room to focus on as I braced for my friend’s reaction. “It got a little intense, and he kissed me. Then the doctor came in and?—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Thia, pacing the floor and listening as I spoke, pounced on the tidbit I’d been trying to downplay like a shark scenting blood in the water. “You need to pump the brakes and throw this conversation in reverse. Did you just say he kissed you?”

“Yes. In the doctor’s office.”

She stared at me, blinking so rapidly that I worried her false lashes would get tangled up.

I waited.

Thia groaned. “Why don’t you spill the tea like a normal person?”

“Normal.” I scoffed. “What does that word even mean?”

She threw her head back and begged the ceiling for patience. “I swear to Zeus, if you don’t share this experience with me—in 3-D, gory detail, I will throw a toddler-sized tantrum. I will huff, and I will puff, and I will blow this fire station down. I am hiding in a biker den for you. Are you aware that all the women in this club are strictly dickly?”

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