Page 72 of Saint's Sinner

“I wasn’t aware of the supercenter adding a pet center,” Saint remarked, his tone dry, though Sinn was certain that he detected a note of humor in it.

“They didn’t,” Night said. “Apparently the critter just invited itself in while Sinn was unloading the SUV.”

“Well then who am I to argue.”

Sinn did a double take, glancing from the small blob to Saint and back again. “Wait…seriously?”

“Yeah, but you’re in charge of the litter box and anything it kills.”

“Bet.”

“Better put in for a delivery too,” Saint said. “At the very least we’ll need food and a litter box. And a scratching post too. Fuck I’m glad now that I didn’t opt for a leather couch. We can get whatever else it needs once it decides if it’s gonna stick around or not.”

“Motorhead.”

“Huh?” Sinn muttered, whipping his head around to see Night kneeling beside the kitty, stroking its fur while it purred it’s fuzzy head off.

“Its name,” Night said. “Just listen to it. How could we name it anything else?”

“Motorhead it is.”

Chapter 25

(Saint)

Cold Beers, Bloody Steaks, and Pleasant Conversation

“Burrrrrrppppppp.”

Laughter broke out as Wreck’s belch echoed loud enough to prompt a responding hoot from a nearby owl.

There was a fire in the backyard fire pit, one of several features that had added to the appeal of the house. Saint couldn’t wait to get the wall built, so nosy neighbors, like the guy who’d come outside twice now and stood on his back porch staring at them, would have to use their imaginations to figure out what the fuck they were up to.

“I’d like to echo that sentiment,” Kat said as she raised her beer in a silent toast to Wreck. “But I doubt I could rival it.”

“I doubt any of us could,” Cody remarked, seconds before Creature let out one that lasted several seconds.

“Challenge accepted…victory secured,” Creature declared as Wreck made a smallbow downmotion before he downed the rest of his beer.

This was what Saint had hoped for when he’d made the painful decision to not only move out of the house he’d sharedwith his brother since they’d assumed leadership of the Jokers but move off the grounds of the compound that had been his home for most of his adult life.

“Man, I don’t know how you get the steaks so tender, but I’ll never look at the ones at Durango’s the same way again,” Kong said.

“Good,” Creature said. “Cause you’ll be eating there alone if you do. I got salmonella the last time I ate at that place.”

“You weren’t the only one,” Doc B declared. “Hard to tend to fifteen folks with their heads in buckets when you’re hunched over the shitter yourself.”

Around the backyard there was only laughter at the memory and the image Doc had conjured up.

“Just answer me this one thing,” Doc B said. “Which of you went back there and had words with management?”

“That would be me,” Pope declared.

He’d brought Axel with him at Saint’s request, since he still hadn’t come up with an appropriate way of thanking the kid for the save he’d made. At least he could treat Axel to a good meal and give him the opportunity to spend more time around them. Creature had taken to picking him up after his shift ended at five in the morning and driving him home so he wouldn’t have to bike through factory row and risk mixing it up with the guys who’d gone after Saint. There would be hell to pay if they laid hands on him, and Pope had already suggested they award Axel with one of the small shoulder patches of the joker’s emblem to show that he was club protected.

It still needed to be voted on at chapel, but Saint couldn’t think of a single reason why it wouldn’t pass.

Axel seemed right at home too, half in awe, but totally at ease and joking around with the rest of them.

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