Page 95 of Pope's Penance

We were just two broken people inexplicably drawn together.Pope and I found love amongst the chipped pieces of our hearts.We were simply a mosaic of the fragments we stole from one another.

If I can live through the hell Frankie put me in, then I can take the risk to my heart by giving Pope my love again.

Staying with him also means letting the club back into my heart.I’d never consider asking Pope to leave this life.Popeisthe Saint’s Outlaws.He always has been, and so have I.

They’ve not been so bad since we’ve been staying at the clubhouse.They include the kids and me in as much as they can.Two of the prospects, Devious and Kraken, put up some kind of tall gate at the top of the stairs for Friday night parties.If one of them isn’t working the club bar for the party, then they’re guarding the stairs so no hangarounds come up and so the twins can’t sneak down.Pope and I will spend it having game night with pizza and other junk food with the twins.Other members of the club usually find their way to us on and off all night, wanting to be included in our family time.

As much as I’ve enjoyed being here and getting to know everyone again, I’m ready to go back to the house.

Dimples isn’t up in my face much since Pope barred Spunky from the club, but I feel her stare all the time.Same with that other one Pope fucked.Cookie.She snarls anytime she sees me.She doesn’t bother me.It’s bullshit petty drama I don’t have time for.Plus, not giving her the attention she wants is so much more fun.

Then there are the eyes.

I don’t know who they are or where they come from, but they’re there.Lurking, watching, waiting.

Pope should probably know, but what the hell will I tell him?That I feel someone watching me?

I brought moving back to the house up to Pope last night, and surprisingly, he agreed.He left this morning to make sure it was ready for us to come back home to.

“Hey, Pixie.Do you, uh, think we can talk?”Manic stands at Pope’s bedroom door, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Pixie.

I haven’t heard the nickname the club gave me since before I left.

“Sure.If you don’t mind doing it while I pack.I want to get it done while Bambi and Coco have the kids.”

“Have you heard from Valkyrie?”

“Yep.I talk to her every day.”

“So it’s just me then,” he says, more to himself than me.

“Does it surprise you?”I ask softly, placing the stack of Legend’s clothes in the duffel bag.

“Don’t fucking understand it,” he mutters, shoving his hands into his pockets.

I glance at him and raise a brow.“Don’t you?”

He shakes his head stubbornly.“No.”

Clicking my tongue against my teeth, I shake my head.“And here I thought you were smarter than that, Manic.”

He sighs, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes.“She’s shutting me out.Has been since she got back with you.”

“I mean, yeah.You broke her heart.What did you expect?Kyrie’s not like me.She’s worse.You won’t get forgiveness from her easily.She hasn’t confirmed it, but coming back and finding out you have a kid?There was something about it that broke her.”

“We weren’t together back then.”

“No, but you were both in love with each other.You were just too stupid to admit it to her and claim her in front of the club.My sister is very selfless, with one of the biggest hearts I know.When she loves, she does it hard.But if that love isn’t returned, if she thinks she doesn’t matter, if you do anything to make her question her place in your life, she doesn’t just cut you out.To her, you’ll no longer exist.You know the shit we had to watch with our parents.That left its mark on all three of us in different ways.”

“How do I fix it?How the fuck do I get her to talk to me?To fucking look at me instead ofthroughme?”

“Well, to start, you probably shouldn’t take her against her will.”Then I sigh and take pity on him.“Look, Manic.Fixing it will be a long shot.But if you’re going to try anyway, the only thing I can tell you is to make sure you show her she matters.Be someone steady she can lean on.Valkyrie deserves all the love in the world from someone not afraid to show it.If you can’t do that, then leave her the hell alone.”

Manic doesn’t get the chance to say anything else because Pope shows up.That’s fine by me because I have nothing else to say.He made his bed, even knowing the person Valkyrie was.He knew she wouldn’t forgive him for the part he played seven years ago.

As they say, you play stupid games, you’ll win stupid prizes.

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