Page 42 of Flirt

Sami shook her head at the women and sighed. “No, I was trying to think of a nicer way of saying ‘his need to be a controlling jerk’ not just dealing with sex,” Sami said, then elbowed Speed, who snorted while he sat beside her on the bed. Her eyes softened when she looked back at me. “Like I mentioned before, I have gotten to know Brie pretty well. We all have. I am not going to get into anything we’ve talked about. I just want you to know she is our friend, at least she was before today. What happened here was unnecessary, and I don’t want to see her hurt again like that. Brie is a strong and sweet woman who loves her job and her daughter. She is settling in here, and I don’t want to see her give up everything and move. It took guts to move away from family to a town where you don’t know one person. At least when Dad moved Carly and me here, we had each other.”

“Sami, for fuck’s sake, I don’t want to hurt her either. I would never ask what Brie has said around you. But if there is something I need to know about her, I would expect to be told,” I said and immediately regretted the bite in my tone. Speed’s lifted brow and curled lip let me know he wasn’t going to accept it from me either. Especially when it was aimed toward his ol’ lady.

Sami touched Speed’s forearm as she answered me, “There is nothing we know about her that you couldn’t have learned if you had tried to get to know her. If Brie is yours like, as you so cavemanishly put it, maybe you should ask yourself why she doesn’t talk to you? You have been seeing her for months, Flirt. I thought the whole thing with a D/s relationship was getting to know and understand each other on all levels. Not just sex. Why haven’t you done your job as a Dom, Flirt? Why hasn’t Brie felt she could share anything about herself outside of the two of you getting off?”

“Christ, Sami, what happened to putting things nicely,” Speed said.

“I guess you and Carly are rubbing off on me,” Sami said and shrugged.

“Sex is the easy part,” River spoke while I was still running everything over in my head that Sami said.

“Opening yourself up is the hard part because once you have, the person has the ability to hurt you,” Bailey added.

“Of course, it’s hard. No one wants to open up and share the crazy shit or any vulnerability,” Carly jumped in.

“Sometimes it’s their flaws they don’t want to share,” Luna said.

“Please, I have no flaws,” Devil voiced and then grinned when every head in the room jerked in his direction.

Bailey groaned, then rubbed her hand over her extended belly. “I’m probably going to be committed after Neely and this one gets through their teen years.”

“No sense stressing over it now. Besides, it is too late; you are stuck with us. Just be comforted in knowing, I will spare no expense on a place to care for you,” Devil said. He wasn’t quick enough on his feet to move out of Bailey’s reach when her arm swung out, the back of her hand making contact with his stomach.

“We were right that day at the garage. It was a woman who had you in a foul mood. Brie’s the reason for that mood and why you have been ducking out and hiding when we get together, right? And not anything to do with you pulling away because you feel you don’t fit in since we have families? ‘Cause if the latter is the case, you are a fucking dumbass,” Ghost said, and everyone’s eyes came back to me.

“Well, that was subtle,” Luna said to Ghost, who shrugged. My friend and I had been through a lot together in the SEALs. Team members share a bond, not unlike an MC. Loyalty to and trust in each other are paramount. Out of all the men in the room, he probably knew me best, and considering I grew up with the others, that was saying a lot.

“Yes, I was ducking out because of Gabriella. And no, I am not a dumbass. I might be envious of what all of you have found, but I wasn’t pulling away from you. You’re my family. And for the record, I was going to come clean to her today, but then the babies decided to take that out of my hands,” I said and sighed.

“You could have what we’ve found, with Brie. You know that, right?” Coast said, and when I looked in his direction, he added. “You had plenty to say to each one of us, so I am going to give it right back to you. Where is the man who said if he found the right woman, he would tie her to his bed until she understood she was his?”

“I’m going to add that I have never known you to hold back on anything you’ve wanted. Honestly, brother. How can you be upset about Brie not trusting you? How do you think she feels that not only didn’t you share anything about yourself—you ran for cover whenever she was around. Trust works both ways, brother,” Ghost said, calling me out.

“Yeah, I get it,” I answered. I couldn’t have fucked things up more even if I had tried.

The door was pushed open, revealing Mac and the kids were back. Evidently, they ran into the dads somewhere along the way since they brought up the rear. At least their return halted any more talk on the disaster of my own making.

As everyone moved into the room, I wasn’t sure if we were all going to fit, so I decided to lessen the crowd by one. After digesting what Sami and Ghost said, it brought home exactly how bad I had messed up with Gabriella and my desire to make it right. It was a first for me when it came to a woman. Usually, it never bothered me if a female got her feathers ruffled. Gabriella being upset, though, didn’t sit well with me.

“Ran into your woman outside. Fucked up good, did you? Got the impression she just found out,” my dad said as he walked up beside me and slapped me on the back.

“Yes, I had it planned, and then... Hell, I got no excuse,” I answered. At least I didn’t have to go over what had taken place a hundred times. It seemed the entire club was now aware of the drastic turn my life took inside of a couple of hours and the stupidity that had led to it. It had to be a new record. The internet had nothing on the Black Hawk MC’s capability to pass information. “I have a plan to start repairing the damage as soon as I leave here.”

“Hope your plan includes some groveling,” he said and smirked.

“I don’t grovel. Anyway, how do you know I have done anything wrong? You just rode into town.”

“Ha! You boys should know from experience that nothing happens we don’t hear about. Besides, I ran into your woman outside. When a woman has her back up that much, a man is the cause. The woman has some fire in her, too.” I heard the respect in my dad’s voice.

“I know she does. But that’s no cause to grovel.”

“There’s different types of groveling, son. Not all involve a man crawling or kowtowing to get what he wants. Just like plowing forward or strong-arming doesn’t always bring results. You have always regulated every aspect of your life, Flirt. Relaxing a little could be a good thing. Now go work on getting your woman. Can’t give them time to let things fester, and from what I observed, she was more than halfway there. Of course, the asshole doctor harassing her probably didn’t help either,” my dad said as he took a step in the direction where the other dads stood inspecting the newest members.

“What asshole doctor?” I asked, getting my own back up. Which hadn’t taken long since I was already working toward a good mad. The difference was the growing mad was my fault. Nothing would please me more than to turn it on someone else.

“Nametag said, Dr. Booker. We walked up on the altercation. What I heard and could make out is he has been calling and leaving messages and isn’t too happy Brie is ignoring him.”

“Is he harassing her?” I asked, unsure I wanted the answer because I would have liked nothing better than to take my frustrations out on the doctor.

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