Page 22 of Ghost

When I first patched in, Steel and Legacy were known for their reputations with women. They were almost worse than Soul is now. But lately, everything’s changing.

It’s another reminder of why I don’t have any plans for locking down an old lady, much less a family. It’s my job to watch out for every member of this club. I can’t risk my time or attention being split.

Blink and people end up dead.

Legacy watches me take a seat, lacing his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. “You still coming by for family dinner this week? Bea’s been asking why you’re MIA lately.”

Usually, I eat dinner with Legacy and Bea a few times a week, but lately, it’s been less and less.

It could be guilt.

It could be fear I’ll miss something if I walk away from my post for even a minute.

Either way, Bea doesn’t deserve that.

“I’ll be there Sunday.”

Things are usually quieter on Sundays. The guys party hard on Saturdays, and most of our businesses are closed until late at night. So it’s easier to get away.

“Sunday works.” Legacy nods. “You talked to Luna since all that shit went down last night?”

“Thought she was supposed to be talking toyouabout bank accounts. I don’t have anything to do with that shit.”

“We both know that’s not what the fuck I’m talking about.” Legacy plants his forearms on the table and squares off with me. “Are you really gonna continue pretending whatever’s going on between you and her doesn’t exist? Even after what you did?”

I sense a hint of irritation in his tone, and I wonder if he’s still pissed at me for keeping this from him. I kept the truth from all my brothers, but the difference is that Legacy is as close to a blood sibling as it gets for me, and I lied to him.

“There’s nothing going on with me and her,” I huff. “If you want to play matchmaker, go find your own old lady. Bea’s been asking—”

“Bea’s fine,” Legacy cuts me off.

I struck a nerve, but I don’t take it back because he’s going to have to face his own issues for Bea’s sake at some point.

When Bea was a couple of weeks old, her mom, Sera, left Bea on Legacy’s doorstep without notice. He didn’t even know he’d gotten Sera pregnant since she left the clubhouse the second he knocked her up and didn’t come back until she was holding their daughter.

Sera wasn’t ready to be a mom, so she gave him a choice of raising their kid or letting a stranger do it, and he picked the former because that’s the type of man he is. But after Bea’s mom abandoned her, he hasn’t trusted a woman again.

He fucks around as much as the rest of the guys, but he avoids patch bunnies and never keeps women around for more than a one-night stand.

“The last thing Bea needs is another woman walking out of her life. I’ll leave locking down old ladies for the rest of the guys.”

“You all need to shut the fuck up with this old-lady talk.” Soul stumbles over the threshold to the room because he’s probably still drunk. “Steel settling down is bad enough, but that shit’s contagious.”

“It’s not the fucking flu.” Legacy shakes his head.

Soul practically falls into his seat beside me, pulling out a cigarette. He balances it between his lips and lights the end.

“Tell that to the Road Rebels.” He takes a drag. “After Victor put his name on Tallie’s back, it was only a matter of time before they all fell.”

“You make it sound like women are a virus taking them out.”

He shrugs. “Might as well be. I’m telling you, first it’s one old lady, then the place is crawling with ’em. And then, next thing you know, they’re getting jealous of the patch bunnies and fucking shit up for all of us.”

“Scared some woman’s gonna tie you down, Soul?” Legacy smirks.

“Chicks wish they could.”

“Like you could get a woman to stay the fuck around.” Steel walks in with Chaos and Havoc behind him.

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