Page 85 of Bound by Family
“How are you?” my mother asks Bristyl, and not me, grabbing the sides of her arms softly.
Personally, I’m fine. Had some stiches, but luckily, no broken bones and everything is healing fine.
“I’m good.”
“Don’t lie to me.” My mother’s tone turns serious, and I hear Bristyl exhale.
“Really, the nightmares are getting better. I feel fine. It’s just in my head. Cooper and Buzz put in a security system that I need an instruction manual to figure out, and that helps at night. My dad is healing well with his nurse.” She rolls her eyes.
I have not one single doubt good ol’ Regg is doing great with his hot as fuck nurse.
“It’ll just take time, but I’ve got this. I refuse to let it control me or define who I am. And besides, during the day, Cooper and I are so damn busy with supervising the workers for the storage units that I don’t have time to think. That’s nice. I like keeping busy.”
“Well, once those things are up and going, you and are I sparring. I’m going to teach you how to get out of certain holds and the best combinations to use on an attacker. After I’m done with ya, no one will fuck with you.”
Bristyl lets out a giggle. Damn, that’s music to my ears. After not hearing it for a while, I cherish each time she lets it free.
“I’d like that.”
“Alight, let’s go. You’re due in the kitchen.”
My mom reaches out for Bristyl’s hand, but I pull my woman back to me and kiss her hard.
As she walks away with my mother, an anxious feeling sweeps over me. Logically, I know she’s safe with her, but on another level, it scares the shit out of me that she’s out of my sight. Everything is going to take time, and I got all of it in the world.
“Son.” My father comes up to me and wraps me in his arms. I’ve always loved how he doesn’t give a fuck where he is or what he is doing. If he feels like doing something, he does it. I picked up that trait well.
Once he releases me and steps back, his eyes look hurt. I hate it.
“I’m good, Dad. Bristyl’s good. We’ll be just fine.”
“I’m happy those fuckers got what was comin’ to them. Bristyl’s brothers are like three of Rhys on steroids. Not sure if they’re always like that or if it was just because it was their sister caught up in the mix. Dagger said he saw Rhys cringe once, and you know that motherfucker doesn’t cringe at anything.”
“Yeah, they’re gone. That’s all I give a fuck about.”
If things would have been different, I would have loved to get my hands on those fuckers just for a little while. Regardless, I trust her brothers and mine to make sure they got what was coming to them. Sometimes in life, you have to know your top priorities, and that is Bristyl.
“Glad to have you home, son. Missed the fuck out of you.” While true, we’ve been home for a couple of weeks, I took some time off from coming to the clubhouse.
I look around the space, watching the kids run and holler. “Deke doin’ okay?”
“GT says the withdraws are bad and he’s angrier than a motherfucker, but he’ll get straight. Let’s see if the women are ready for us to eat. I’m hungry as shit.”
Entering the clubhouse, laughter comes from the kitchen. One distinctly is Bristyl’s. Something on my shoulders lifts at hearing that sound.
“Woman! I’m hungry,” my father yells into the back.
My mother throws down a towel and marches up to the bar where we stand. “Good thing it’s ready.” She tilts up, and my father comes down for a kiss. Instead of watching, my focus goes to Bristyl.
Her and Angel are in a conversation that has her smiling from ear-to-ear. Tanner joins in, and that beautiful sound from Bristyl comes again. Yeah, we’re all going to be fucking fantastic.
We eat and enjoy our time together, Bristyl fitting into the fold perfectly. As the sun shines down on us, this day couldn’t be more perfect.
“Son,” Pops says by the fire pit as I stand there, watching the flames move in the sky.
“Yeah?”
“My office.”
