Page 54 of The Convict

“I’m not. I’m not clean. Finn is wholesome, he’s good, he’s clean. That ain’t me.”

“Does he mind being sullied? Looks like that boy can take it. If he couldn’t, I’m sure he’d still be cowering from you. The boy I saw when you first arrived ain’t the same boy fixing cars in my garage. Nothin’s wrong with you, Rax. You’re rough around the edges, you kill, you can’t control your temper, but it’s not something I see Finn being afraid of.”

He could be right. Prez is preceptive of all kinds of shit. He must have seen how I looked at Finn, even when I tried to hide it. If anyone at the MC would have noticed, it would be Zeke and Prez, if that kiss didn’t seal it.

Exhaling roughly, I say, “Yeah, well, that doesn’t matter. I’m leaving and he’s going back home.”

“Did you ask him to go with you?”

“No and I won’t. I’m not going to uproot him because I lov—” I stop talking and shake my head. “No. He’ll be fine after a few months. He’ll forget all about me.”

Prez hums. “Sure, man. Go out there and get you a few drinks. Talk to the guys and reconnect for a bit. Unless those boys fly down to Cuba, you won’t be seeing them again.”

I nod, melancholy washing over me. When I was locked up, I didn’t see my brothers all the time, but I knew I could if they drove a few hours. Now they would have to catch a flight. Most of us have felonies and can’t get passports, so I’ll probably never see them again. And most hate plane rides, on top of that. Prez and Zeke are clean, so I know they’ll be fine to visit but everyone won’t be able to. This will be the last night I get to hang out with my family.

“When will Finn be let go?” Prez asks, then raises an eyebrow. “You do plan to let him go, right?”

Swallowing past an unexpected lump in my throat, I nod. “Yeah. I gave him my word.”

“You trust that he will keep his mouth closed?”

“Surprisingly, I do,” I tell him, almost not believing it myself. “He’s kept his end of the bargain by doing everything I told him to do. Now I have to keep mine.”

Prez dips his head. “Okay, let’s get that ironed out then.” We discuss what will happen and when we’re both happy with the plan, we shake on it.

We head back to the party to the sound of pool cues cracking on balls and the prospects slinging drinks. The one that I had to choke the shit out of looks up and gives me a stupid little sarcastic grin. His little buddy—the one that looked as if he wanted to disappear into the floor when I had that prospect by the throat, Sam—shoots him a look, as if to tell him to cut the shit. I start to make my way over there to rearrange that smug bitch’s face, but Prez grabs me. “I’ll bring you a drink. You need to relax tonight. No trouble for you.” Knowing it’s an order from my president, I concede and walk outside where Finn and Zeke are.

There are a few other members standing around, hanging on to Finn’s every word. I stand back, listening to his animated voice as he tells them what he’s doing and how to keep their cars maintained without breaking the bank.

“And don’t fall for that synthetic oil shit if your car has less than one hundred and fifty thousand miles on it and you’re not towing shit behind it. That’s how some shady mechanics like to get extra money from you. If your old ladies take your car in, some mechanics will try to add extra services to get more money because they think women don’t know anything about cars. Don’t allow that. If you have to, make a list of exactly what needs to be done for them and tell them to tell the mechanics not to try to add any other services. Tell your women not to be afraid to walk out if they try to tell them they need something more.”

“My old lady knows more about cars than me,” Jace says, grinning. “I’m sure she knows all that shit, but I’ll tell her anyway.”

“I don’t trust my old lady to walk out. She’s too nice. Don’t know how she ended up with me,” another member, Ripper says. He draws a finger down the scar on his face with a grimace.

Finn wipes his hands on a cloth and looks at him. “I think if she drops your name, they’ll think twice.”

“Got that right,” Ripper rumbles.

The group laughs, thanking Finn as they disburse. Finn catches my eye and smiles, walking over to me. He stops in front of me, hands twitching like he’s holding himself back from touching me.

We can’t have that.

Grabbing around his waist, I pull him close, my lips only an inch from his. “Are they behaving?”

Finn’s breath comes out in puffs, his pupils blown. “Can’t really say. I don’t know what they’re like otherwise. They’ve been nice though.”

“Nice?” I ask, tilting my head as I look at his mouth.

His breathing stutters as he says. “I think so.”

“Get a room, fucking love birds,” Zeke says, guffawing at the look on Finn’s face when he pulls away.

Smirking over my shoulder, I shoot Zeke the bird. Me and Finn have a seat by the pool table—Finn on my lap, right over my dick—and talk shit with my brothers. A few jokes are cracked at our expense and Finn’s face is bright red, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He’d fit right in if I were staying. He has a filthy mouth just like the rest of us, telling us jokes he heard around the shop.

“Mechanics curse like sailors and their jokes are rated X,” Finn jokes, laughing as I kiss the side of his neck.

In the back of my mind, I know this isn’t the best idea. I probably should have stayed in our hidden cabin, waited it out and got on the plane without fuss. But the thought of never seeing these guys again and how happy Zeke was when he told me he planned this made me throw caution to the wind.

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