Page 137 of Gunner

“That’s right.” Archie was trying. He wanted this maybe even more than the other prospects. He was committed to learning from his mistakes.

“You will wait for Amber to be done then take her back. When you get back to the clubhouse, I want an inventory of the bar and the kitchen. Talk to Beck and see if she needs you to do anything. If she doesn’t, ask Sam. Then ask Ellie. You are on old lady duty for three weeks. Whatever they need, you will be at their beck and call.”

“Yes, sir.”

Walking over to my bike, I sat down and pulled out my smokes. I was surprised Haizley hadn’t said anything about them yet. Blade had to quit as soon as he and Beck got back together. She wasn’t putting up with that. Especially now, being pregnant.

Three pregnant old ladies meant smoking was no longer allowed in the clubhouse at all. It was a small sacrifice; though, in the middle of the fucking winter, we all considered quitting.

I sat on my bike for two hours while Haizley talked with Amber. When the door finally opened, they both stepped out.

As I was walking up the stairs, I heard Amber tell my woman, “Thank you. You have no idea how much talking with you helps. Remember what you told me? My feelings are mine and no one can tell me how I should feel about anything I have done. The same goes for you, Haizley.”

Amber hugged my woman and Haizley whispered, “Thank you, Amber.”

Haizley didn’t acknowledge me. Instead, she walked back inside, closing the door behind her.

Fuck that.

I waited long enough to make sure Archie and Amber left without incident, then opened her front door and walked in. At least she didn’t lock me out.

“Are you mad at me, baby?”

“No.”

I wasn’t the smartest man in the club, but even I knew that‘No’sounded more like‘I’m fine’then it did a no. And if there was one thing every man on the planet knew, it was that‘I’m fine’meant their woman was anything but.

“Talk to me, Haizley.”

She was nestled into the corner of the couch. She had pulled a blanket over her, and I knew it was more for protection than for the cold. It wasn’t cold in her house; Haizley always kept it on the warmer side. Which meant for someone like me, it felt like hell.

Sitting beside her on the couch, I pulled her into my lap so she straddled me.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“I killed someone.” She bit her lip, waiting for me to comment.

“How are you feeling about that?”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t shrink me.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Baby, I’m not trying to shrink you. I want to know how you’re feeling. How are you dealing with everything that comes with taking a life?”

“Will you tell me about the first time you killed someone?”

“You assume I’ve killed someone?” I threw back at her.

I trusted this woman implicitly. But I wasn’t sure telling her about the first time I took a bastard’s life was what she needed to hear.

“Please?”

Running my hands up and down her arms, I stalled while I decided how much to tell her.

“I was fifteen.”

Her gasp had me rethinking telling this story. But she needed to know who I was. If I was going to convince her to build a life with me, she needed to know who I was.

“You were so young.”

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