Page 41 of Gunner
The nightmares that plagued her seemed to recede into the darkness, and I know the emotional vulnerability of losing Mick was dredging up the painful past she worked so hard to bury. I could only imagine how hard this is going to be for her and her brothers, and knowing the club was there to take the burden off her, gave me comfort.
My phone chimed from beside me, and I gently shifted her to the couch, moving slowly as to not wake her. She rolled to her side and tucked her hand under her face as I pulled a blanket over her. Looking down at Bear, he lifted his head and sighed before resting back down. He would watch her and alert me if she began to struggle, so I reluctantly left her alone and slipped out the back door.
The cold morning was giving way to a pleasant Tennessee afternoon, and I opened my phone to see a missed call from Skid. I glanced over my shoulder and saw she was still sleeping, so I dialed his number and waited for him to answer.
“Hey, man. We’re about twenty minutes from the house.”
I exhaled the stressful breath I was holding, knowing Sadie will be happier when her brothers are back home. “How’s Jacob holding up?”
Skid lowered his voice and responded, “He cried himself to sleep about an hour ago.”
I shook my head, wishing I could take the pain away from them but knowing I couldn’t. “I’ll see you when you get here.”
The call disconnected, and I slipped my phone into my jeans before walking back inside. The noise must have woken Sadie because I saw her turn her head, bringing her red, puffy eyes to me. She smiled sadly and sat up, casting the blanket to the side of the couch. Bear sat up and moved in front of her, resting his head on her knee. She began to rub his head, and I saw her visibly relax.
“Skid and Jacob should be here soon,” I explained, and she nodded before standing from the couch.
Her eyes were cast to the floor, and I lifted her face until her eyes met mine. “Sadie, baby. What can I do?”
“Don’t . . . please don’t leave,” she whispered through a watery gaze.
I pulled her into my chest and replied, “I’m never leaving you.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist, and she rested her head against my chest. I kissed her on the top of the head and rubbed my hands up and down her back as I swayed us slightly. I’ve never been a soft man, but I couldn’t help myself around Sadie. She was the only person I showed this part of myself to. The rest of the world got the gritty Death Hound who could party with the best of them and had blood-stained hands.
The sound of a pickup truck pulling into the driveway had Sadie pulling away from me and turning her attention to the front door. With purposeful steps, she opened the front door as the truck door slammed closed. Jacob ran onto the porch, and Sadie fell to her knees as the little boy fell into his sister’s arms.
She stood with him, and he hung from her as his tears wet her shirt. Her watery gaze met mine, and I could see the heartbreak as her brother clung to her. Skid stepped onto the small porch, and his gaze met mine over Sadie’s head. I could see the pain in his eyes as he tried to stay strong at the gut-wrenching scene in front of us.
Jacob cried as Sadie moved into the living room and sat down with him on her lap. She whispered to him, and he nodded his head against her before he sat back, using the back of his tiny hand to wipe his damp cheeks.
The front door closed, and Skid walked into the living room, sitting down next to his siblings and placing his hand over theirs. The three of them sat there for a moment, and I leaned against the wall separating the kitchen and living room, waiting to see where I was needed. Sadie broke the silence between them, clearing her throat before speaking.
“I know it hurts right now, but one day, you’re going to think about all the good things Uncle Mick did for us, and the sadness won’t be so heavy. You’ll smile at his lame jokes and remember how much he loved both of you. He got to spend his last days on earth with his two favorite guys, and I know he couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
Skid turned his head and brushed a stray tear from his cheek as I blinked back my own. Seeing her be so strong, offering comfort through her pain, made me love her even more. Jacob’s bottom lip trembled, and he looked to his brother for guidance.
“I told you, little man. Real men cry when the pain gets too much. There’s no shame in that,” Skid reasoned, and Sadie snapped her head to him with a shocked look.
For the last three years, he’s worked more and more with Devlin Callahan, and the changes in him are evident to anyone who knew the crazy kid whose only desire was to be a Death Hound. The night Jacob almost died, bringing Callahan into the club’s path, I saw a shift in my friend from carefree to serious. Skid finally grew up, and I was honored to call him brother,twice.Once for the club, and once for the family we were creating.
“Dalton’s right. Tears are a measure of how much you miss someone, and I know I’m going to miss Uncle Mick so much. But he’ll always be with us as long as we remember him.”
Tears fell down her cheeks, and Jacob placed his small hands on her cheeks and whispered, “I won’t ever forget him.”
Sadie wrapped her arms around his little body and pulled him into her as he wrapped his arms around her neck. Dalton leaned over, his arms wrapping around them both and his head resting against theirs. Even though they had a shitty upbringing, the closeness of the three of them made me wish I wasn’t an only child. It was hard to understand the kind of bond they had without having experienced it, and I figured my brotherhood with the club was as close to that level of connection I’d ever experience.
Skid sat back from the embrace and stood from the couch as Jacob crawled onto the couch next to Sadie. She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled sadly as Jacob tucked himself against her. I knew the boy was going to be needy for a while and my sexy time with her was on hold as long as he needed her.
Skid clapped me on the shoulder, and we moved into the kitchen as I watched Bear climb onto the couch and place his head on Jacob’s lap. The boy ran his hand across the dog’s back, and Sadie kissed him on top of the head as she turned the TV on and handed him the remote. He turned to some cartoon channel and turned the volume up as Skid and I moved into the corner to talk.
“Smokey called you and told you the plan?” I asked, and he nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.
“He said you and I were responsible for clearing out Mick’s house and bringing the ledgers back to the club. Is there anything in particular he’s looking for, or is this a general sweep?” he asked, and I shrugged, unsure of the reason, only understanding the orders.
“He only said that once we get Sadie and Jacob dropped off at the clubhouse, he wants us to go to Mick’s and bring back anything club related. I’ve never been around when a brother dies, so is this normal or is it because of Mick’s position?” I questioned, and Skid paused for a moment.
Mick, or Scribe as the club called him, was what Smokey described as the club’s historian until a year or so ago. He recorded all kinds of information for the club that we had to ensure didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Namely DEA, ATF, and FBI. You list the letters, and I’m sure they wanted a piece of the club.
