Page 49 of Wild Card
“I did.” He frowns.
“I don’t know what Brett would think about that. I know we did it before, but that was different,” I admit, even though I’m longing to sit on Ash’s saddle again. I wanna wrap my arms around him, rest my cheek on his back, and just forget tonight ever happened.
“Well, Brett ain’t here to take you home himself, and I ain’t about to leave you here stranded. Come on, Rube, we’re both going to the same place.” He shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal.
“I guess when you put it like that, it does seem stupid.” I smile and grab my jacket from the chair, and when he slides his strong arm around my shoulder, tucking me under it, I rest against him and let him lead me out to the parking lot.
Everything’s locked up and dark when we get home. Ash drops his keys on the table, shrugs out of his cut, and heads behind the bar.
“Join me for a nightcap?” he offers, taking down two glasses, and when he starts filling them with scotch, I laugh to myself.
“Now, after all that's happened tonight, what could you possibly find so funny?” He looks at me suspiciously as he swishes the amber liquid around in his glass.
“I just find it strange that you always seem to know what I need.” I knock mine back and let it warm my throat on its way to my stomach. Turns out Ash picked a good one.
“My mother hated scotch. But I really like it. I’ve always wondered if I got that from my dad.” I laugh a little more when I realize how pathetic I sound.
“You ever thought about seeking him out? I’m sure he’d like to meet you,” Ash tells me.
“I don’t think so.” I shake my head and slam down my glass, sliding it toward him so he knows to hit me up with another. “I was born in a whorehouse, raised there until I was ten. The guy who ran the place adored my mom; he took good care of her, then he died, and we moved on.” I take the drink he pours me and clutch it in my hand. “We moved around for a few years, never really settled, then we found this place and straight away it just felt like home,” I explain with a smile.
“Hack told me she got sick. I’m sorry.” Ash goes all serious on me, and after the night I’ve had, I don’t want his sympathy. I want more of his comfort.
“Being sorry isn’t gonna bring her back; nothing will.” I hold back my tears and try to sound brave. “I miss her every day.” That last part just slips out.
“I know how ya feel. I’d give anything to see my mom and sister again.” Ash shocks me with his admission as he pours us both another drink.
“Home invasion,” he answers before I have the chance to ask. “Some fucker broke into their home while they were sleeping, and when he got disturbed, he shot ‘em both. Shot my stepdad, too.” He downs his drink in one swallow.
“Shit. Ash, I’m sorry.”
“What’s being sorry gonna do? Ain’t gonna bring ‘em back.” He throws my own words back at me with a clever smirk.
“We should go to bed.” I stand up from the barstool when I start feeling that sexual energy tugging between us again.
“I thought you’d never ask.” He raises his eyebrows, and when I reach over the bar to slap him in his chest, he suddenly grabs hold of me, clutching at my hand and holding it over his heart.
“You feel that?” he asks, narrowing his eyes and looking all vulnerable.
“I feel it,” I assure him.
“Thank you…” He takes my hand, raises it to his lips, and kisses it before releasing me and heading toward the door upstairs.
“Thank you?…Thanks for what?” I stand and call after him, confused.
“For reminding me that I’m still human. That I can still bleed and hurt like everyone else.” He smiles before he pushes his way through the door and leaves me to finish my scotch.
TWENTY-THREE
Ash
“Have you slept at all?” I ask Hack when he eventually shows up at the club, he’s looking rough as hell and still as angry as he was when I last saw him at the hospital.
“Not at all.” He takes a seat on one of the stools while Cass gets to work fixing him a coffee.
“She tell you where she scored?” I ask, really hoping we’ll have something to go on. I’m getting pissed off with all these dead ends.
“She just said it was some kid in the city; apparently, she met up with him when she took Ruby for her wedding dress fitting. I don’t know, Ash, I don’t fuckin’ buy it.” Hack shakes his head. “She’s hidin’ something from me. I can tell.”
