Page 5 of Gunner

“She was my fucking sister!” Ryder screamed as Blade and Jack held him back.

“ENOUGH!” King bellowed.

It’d been tense since that day. Ryder steered clear of the clubhouse as much as he could. Though Cash was rarely sober enough to notice who was there and who wasn’t.

The only time they were together was during church, where we kept them on separate sides of the room.

Walking back into the Diamond, I spied the woman still sitting at the bar. Taking my stool, I watched her. She was beautiful and tiny. Her long dark hair was pulled into a braid that sat over one shoulder. Standing next to her at Cash’s table, I noticed the top of her head didn’t quite reach my chin.

She smiled at something Grace said, and my gaze dipped from the crinkle that framed her eyes to the dimple that appeared in her cheek. Her lips parted in a laugh I couldn’t hear over the noise in the bar, and I had to force myself to stay where I was and not move closer.

I was here for a reason, and it wasn’t for pussy. Though I couldn’t help but wonder how sweet hers was. Cash had been her target, and despite how pretty she was, I had no desire to be her consolation prize.

She must have felt my eyes on her because it wasn’t long before she looked over and, without thinking, I winked.

Her eyes dropped to the bar, and I saw her blush.

I cursed the darkness of the bar. I wanted to see the pink color I knew was rising on her neck, coloring the dimple that had caught my eye.

Grace whispered something, and the woman nodded. She took a deep breath and turned. Grabbing her drink, she left her spot at the bar and walked over to mine.

Chapter Two

Haizley

I saw the man sitting in the corner drinking straight from the bottle. I recognized the cut he wore.

I knew who he was.

Why he was drinking.

Everyone in town knew Cash, VP of the Silver Shadows MC.

I had grown up in Diamond Creek. Just a few years older than Rachel, Beck, Micah, and Ryder. In fact, they were the reason I had chosen a major in psychology.

I had just graduated from high school when Micah‘died,’and the way Beck, Rachel, and Ryder had suffered through their grief inspired me to become a therapist.

My plan was to come back home and open up an office. Making myself available to the people in town.

Only, people in Nebraska didn’t do therapy.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. They went to therapy at the bar in town. But actual therapy, nope. So instead, I offered appointments online and made Diamond Creek my home base. I’d lived here my whole life. No reason to change that now.

I watched Cash take another drink from the bottle, and I knew he was hurting. Rachel had passed away only a week ago. I didn’t know all the details, but I didn’t need to. It didn’t matter how a person died; the grief was always tough.

Decision made, I slowly made my way over to the booth he sat in. I confidently reached my hand out and rubbed it up anddown his forearm. That confidence quickly faded when Cash grabbed my wrist and growled.

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me.”

“I... I’m sorry. I was only—”

“Easy, brother.”

A giant of a man cut my apology off. Cash still held my wrist, but the pain and fear I felt when he grabbed me slid away as I looked at my savior.

His hand was on Cash’s shoulder, and I saw his fist clench, causing Cash to hiss and let go of my hand.

“Sorry, darlin’. Go get a drink at the bar. Tell the bartender to put it on my tab,” the man said.

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