Page 122 of Steel

Austin tugs me up the hill to the overlook, and we make our way to the bathroom. It’s getting late in the day and the road is empty.

Sonny and Reyes stand outside while I take my brother in, and I’m glad they have soap because it’s clear no one has cleaned the bathroom in a while.

The smell is still lodged in my nose when we make our way back out, and I almost trip over something.

“What—” I look down to see Sonny lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his neck. “Sonny.”

But before I can drop down to put pressure on his wound, a hand slaps over my mouth, and someone grabsme. I look over at Austin as Reyes snatches him off the ground and covers his mouth with a cloth.

“No.” The word is muffled with the hand over my mouth, and I only get in one good kick when something pricks my neck.

It all happens so fast that I can’t scream or fight.

My vision starts to blur, and the last thing I see is a clear blue sky before the world turns black.

34

Steel

Havoc hands me abeer, and I walk over to where my grandma is still sitting in her chair on the beach, holding an ice cream for Austin for when he and Tempe are done in the bathroom.

That kid’s excitement for the smallest things has me feeling some kind of way. It doesn’t take much to brighten his day, and I wish that was something easier to hold on to the older a person gets.

“Come sit,” Grandma says, shielding her eyes with her hand as she looks up at me.

I drop into a beach chair beside her. “I see Austin took it upon himself to protect you from intruding armies.”

She looks down at the moat, smiling. The water is already gone, but she still hasn’t moved her chair.

“He did. And I hear you did something smart.” Grandma reaches for my hand and squeezes it. “It’s good seeing you happy, Jameson.”

“They make me happy.” I take a sip of my beer, mulling over that word.

Happy.

It’s not something I’ve really strived for. My men need me diligent, attentive, present.

But happy?

My mood’s never mattered, so long as I can protect my club.

With Tempe and Austin, it’s different.

Yes, I need to protect them. But my vigilance isn’t what gets me smiles from them first thing in the morning. They aren’t solely concerned with what I do for them. They just want me around. My purpose when I walk through the door to my house has nothing to do with the patch on my cut. They just need me—Jameson.

A better man than I’ve been in the past, and I want to be that for them.

“This is the best decision I’ve made in a while.” I stare out at the water. “I hear I should thank you for talking to Tempe. Bringing her up to speed on what it means to be an old lady.”

Grandma laughs. “Someone had to. You boys have all been runnin’ wild for far too long, so there’s no one else to support her through this. She’ll need that, no matter how tough the girl is.”

I glance over at my grandma. “Thank you for being there for both of us.”

“All I did was point out what we both already knew: that she can handle this so long as she can handle you. She’s a strong girl. One with the backbone needed to stand atyour side and the good sense to challenge your ego if you’re acting up.”

“She will.” I chuckle. “She’s a lot like you. Not scared of shit. Sticks up for herself—”

“Makes you a better man.”

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