Page 63 of Desert Loyalties
I know I’m pushing Skye. She wants it to be just the two of us for a while. Thing is, I’m scared. Scared, she’s gonna see the real me and bail. If we have kids, it’ll be another thing binding us. I’m also going to love the hell out of them.
I’ll wait, it’s not like I’m gonna let her leave me, anyway.
Chapter 27
SKYE
I’m heading home after a long shift at the diner. Don’t ask how I got roped into it, I just did. I smell like fryer grease and onion rings. My feet are screaming. Ever since I got with Drake, I’ve been hisQueenmore and bartender less.I’m out of practice.
Running a business is hard. Runningthreebusinesses? That’s heartache on a timer.
I went from being the queen who handled rowdy bikers with my eyes closed to suddenly becoming Boss Lady well, Lady of the Boss Man. Drake's name carries weight. People fear him, respect him. Me? They think I’m just some blonde bimbo he married.
Christina said appearances matter, and maybe she’s right. I’ve been hiding my real self, trying to play it sweet. Using my smile instead of my fists to get people to do their jobs. But honestly? I’m one excuse away from cracking someone over the head with a plate.
Like this waitress at the diner Drake owns, she’s been calling off every other day with some excuse: her mom, her dog, her dead goldfish. Everyone in her family’s sick, except her. Pretty sure she’s being petty just cause she has a crush on my man. When I first came to the club, it was the same thing. I understood real quick. You gotta walk into the yard, find the biggest bully and punch her right in the face. Prison rules. Show everyone who's boss. I think it’s time I stop being “Smiley Skye” and remind them why they call me Queen of the Horsemen.
Stepping into the house, I’m hit with the sound of laughter. Real, belly-deep, kitchen-table laughter. The table, the one weneveruse, is filled with dishes, women, and kids. My sisters. The ladies from the club. Their little monsters are passed out on couches, on the floor, draped in towels from the pool. It looks like they had a damn good time.
Drake’s the first to notice me. “Hey, darlin’. We missed you.”
Just like that, my mood lifts.
The girls chime in too, smiling like they’ve just pulled off a heist. One of them says, “We had to hang out at Uncle Drake’s house. Had to entertain your man. Or annoy him. Same thing.”
“He’s been a champ,” another adds. “We already had dinner, sorry, the guys will be here soon but we left you plenty in the microwave.”
I start to ask why the guys are coming over when one of the ladies answers first: “We came in our own cars this morning, but they said they wanted to make sure we got home safe. Escort service.”
“Liars,” I mutter. “They just wanted to see their VP.”
“It’s like separation anxiety,” one says, laughing.
We’re still chatting when we hear a low thunder, if thunder rode Harleys. All the kids get up and bolt outside. The moms stay behind to clear the table.
“I’ll do it,” I tell them.
“You look tired,” one says. “Let us. It’ll be done in a jiffy.”
And they mean it. Within seconds, dishes are in the washer, and the table is spotless. I follow them out the front door. Drake’s already standing there, arms crossed, watching his brothers from a distance. They can’t come in. He can’t step out. So, they just stand there, silent, staring. Men and their pride. But the girls? The kids? They run to them like it’s a family reunion.
Drake’s brothers give me hugs when I follow them, surprisingly warm. One even says, “Take care of our VP.” God, it’s like a bromance, don’t tell me he’s gonna start crying. I give him a cringe smile and then they’re off, engines roaring.
For a moment, I catch Drake watching them leave, something distant in his eyes. Maybe loss. Maybe pride. Maybe just missing the chaos.
Christina pulls in right after, parking inside the gate. I hit the button to close it behind her.
“Tell me those bikers didn’t coming in,” she says, eyeing the retreating headlights.
“They just stared at each other like long-lost lovers,” I mutter.
We head inside. I ask, “Did you eat?”
“No. I’ll eat at the hotel.”
I start toward the kitchen but Drake steps in.
“You two sit. I’ll get the food.”
