Page 52 of Never Trust the Living (Battle Crows MC 7)

“I walk down memory lane because that’s the only way I get to run into you,” I whispered.

What I didn’t realize was that Bram had heard.

CHAPTER 14

If you’re ever in an argument that you can’t get out of, take off one of your socks and hand it to the other person.

-Bram to Shine

BRAM

After introducing Dory to Jeremiah’s new cook, Gracelynn, and obviously other things that he wasn’t ready to admit to yet, I went to the front of the store when I heard a commotion break out.

Jeremiah was way ahead of me, and when we got there, it was to find Noel and Peter, Jeremiah’s counter employees, arguing with a camera crew.

“No, you cannot come behind the counter! Get back!” Peter cried.

I moved to block the camera dude with my body as I said, “You either listen to what the employees say, or I force you to get the fuck out.”

The man’s camera swung to me, and he grinned. “Are you part of the MC in town? The Battle Ravens?”

“Battle Crows,” someone that was standing quietly in line said. “And that’s Bram. He’s by far the meanest of the bunch. I would suggest getting out of his face as soon as possible.”

There was a reason that I was known as the ‘meanest’ among the town population. Mostly because I’d spent the last ten years in a perpetual state of anger, at myself, and there was no onebetter to take it out on than people that didn’t stay out of my fucking face.

Hell, my boss had told me for years that he didn’t like my attitude, but I did such good work, he wasn’t entirely willing to fire me because I always made him look bad.

“I just wanted to get a closer up look of the products for my Insta page.” He waved his hand in the air, indicating all the pastries behind the counter.

“Listen.” I pushed him out of the way until Jeremiah could get the gate closed behind me. “You need to leave. Now. Before I do it for you.”

The man didn’t take the hint, so when he tried to sidestep me and push me out of the way while he was at it, I’d had enough.

Since the guy probably weighed a buck fifty at most, I picked him up by placing my hands underneath his armpits and escorted him out of The Sweet Spot, Jeremiah’s bakery. Depositing him on the front step, I pointed at the other camera crew that was still recording their own version of the same shit outside.

“Keep the cameras outside,” I ordered. “And only come in if you’re willing to pay for something.”

They all nodded at me mutely, and I jerked my chin up to the girl that’d been patiently waiting for her pastries.

She smiled at me, then went back to the conversation she was having with her daughter, and I made my way back to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was staring at me with a look on his face I couldn’t quite decipher.

“What?” I asked as I pushed past him.

“You’ve changed,” he said as he followed me to where I was going—his office.

He closed the door to his office, then leaned his shoulders against the wood.

“I’ve… come to terms with a few things,” I admitted.

“And what are those things?” he asked. “You’ve finally pulled your head out?”

Meaning, I’ve finally admitted to myself that Dory meant the entire world to me.

“Yes,” I answered. “I’ve also committed myself to losing her at the end of all of this.”

He blinked. “What? Why?”

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