“No, I hadn’t even started it yet,” she mumbled, reaching out to set a soft hand on Reb’s back. “She played hard today, no surprise she’s tired.”
“Thanks for having her over,” Molly said.
“She’s always welcome,” my mom replied.
“You guys want pizza?”
“Sounds good,” she nodded then turned her head in surprise when Trix came in, carrying one of her boys on her hip and leading the other one by the hand.
“This is such a pain in the ass,” she grumbled.
“The fuck is going on?” I said under my breath. I didn’t want to freak Molly out, but if all the old ladies were coming to the club, something was happening. It pissed me right the fuck off that I had no idea what it was.
“You need help?” Molly asked hurrying forward.
“Nah, I’m okay. I left all our stuff in the car. My little brother can get it when he heads over from my parents’ house.”
Within an hour, all of my family had shown up. Any old lady who had a man in Ontario was staying the night in the clubhouse, and both Poet and Casper had brought their families, too.
“What’re you not telling me?” I asked my uncle after I’d finally ordered like twenty pizzas.
“Know as much as you do, Will,” he said quietly. “Grease called and said get your ass to the club, here I am.”
“Jesus Christ, what a clusterfuck,” I snapped, wrapping my hands around the back of my skull. “None of ’em are answering their damn phones.”
“Take it down a notch, bud,” my uncle said quietly, making me bristle. “They need to talk to us, they’ll call.”
“I should be there.”
“Shut the fuck up,” he growled, looking at me like I was an idiot. “You’re here with your woman and kid. That’s where you need to be.”
“You’re seriously not pissed that you’re not out there with ’em?”
“Will,” Casper sighed. “Nah, man. I’m not. Me and you got the most important job, makin’ sure these nutcases are safe.” He gestured to where Farrah and Cecilia were trying to get my mom to dance with them. I scowled at the way Cecilia was shaking her ass, and glanced over to see Leo staring at my little cousin from across the room while holding one of his nephews.
“It’s been a long ass day,” I said finally.
Casper nodded his head. “Fuck yeah, it has. For you, especially. How’s Molly feelin’?”
“Sore.”
“She was high as hell when you brought her home,” he said with a chuckle.
“Yeah.”
“You know, the truth is usually easier to spew when you’re not in your right mind,” he said, thumping me on the back. “Don’t ignore that shit she was sayin’.”
“I won’t.” I looked over and found Molly lying on the couch, her head pillowed on one arm and Rebel tucked into the curve of her body. They were both sleeping in the middle of the loud, crowded clubhouse. I fucking loved that.
Chapter 19
Molly
“Pizza’s here, sugar,” Will’s voice said quietly into my ear. “Wake up and get some.” His lips hit my neck as I slowly opened my eyes.
“Oh, shit,” I grumbled, looking around the room. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. I just slept all day.”
“I can,” Will said, lifting Rebel from the couch as she woke up. “Your body’s healing, baby. You need the rest.”
“Why’s everyone here?” I asked as I pushed myself to my feet. “This isn’t normal, is it?”
Will looked at me for a minute, then shook his head. “No,” he replied. “It’s not normal.”
“Is this everyone?” I asked as he pressed his hand against the small of my back, leading me over to the pizza-covered bar top.
“Nah, about half,” Will answered. “Just the families of the guys that went out of town.”
My eyes widened as I looked around. There were a ton of people in the room, mostly ones I recognized, but a couple of women I’d never seen before were sitting in the corner with a little boy around Rebel’s age.
“Cheese?” Will asked as he let go of me to grab a couple of plates.
“I can get them,” I answered absently, taking the plates out of his hand. “You want some?”
“Nah, I’ll grab a plate later.”
I nodded silently and moved over to the pizza. I didn’t understand why everyone was in the clubhouse. The atmosphere was subdued. Not worried, exactly, but not cheerful, either. I knew the guys were up to something, had known it since they’d left that morning, but I think it all really began to sink in then.
As soon as Rebel and I sat down at a table, another thought occurred to me. “Where’s Mel?” I asked Will in confusion.
Will’s head snapped up and he searched the room hurriedly. “Fuck!” he blurted. He got to his feet and yelled for Brenna.
“What?” she asked, spinning toward Will.
“You call Melanie?”
“No,” she said slowly. “Thought Molly told her.”
“What?” I asked. “Why would I tell her?”
“You wouldn’t,” Will said, shaking his head. “Not your responsibility.”
He dug his phone out of his pocket and pounded his finger against the screen before raising it to his ear.
“Mel? Get to the clubhouse.” He scratched at his face in frustration. “Rock wants you here,” he said deeply. “Don’t care. Bring her.” He paused. “Yep. See ya in a few. Straight here, Mel.”
He ended the call shaking his head. “Fuckin’ ridiculous,” he murmured.
“What’s ridiculous?” I asked, still watching him.
“Your best friend.”
“And you’re just realizing this?”
“Nah,” he huffed, dropping down into his seat. “Still surprises me a bit, though.”
“She’s coming here?” I asked, oddly anxious.
“Yeah, she was at a movie with her sister. Who answers a phone in the fucking theater?”
“Mel,” I said dryly. “She wouldn’t want to miss something.”
“Sounds about right,” he said absently.
“How do you have her phone number?” I asked quietly, looking down at Rebel, who had already eaten half of her pizza slice. Thank God she’d grown out of the eczema or that cheese would be wreaking havoc on her later.
“I got all of the old ladies’ numbers,” Will answered. “All of us do.”
“Even yours?”
“What?” he asked in confusion. “Yeah, I got your number.”
“No, that woman you were with before,” I said, looking up to meet his eyes. I’d been thinking about her before Rebel and I had fallen asleep on the couch. I hadn’t seen her since the day before, but that didn’t really mean anything. Maybe she was working or something.
“Woman I was with before?” His words faded to nothing. “Casey? She’s not my old lady.”
“She’s something,” I replied, watching him squirm.
“She’s a friend.”
“Bullshit.”
“I’m not with her.”
“You’ve fucked her,” I said flatly, immediately regretting it when Rebel shifted on my lap.
“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I have.”
I nodded, looking away.
“Casey and I were never together,” Will said, reaching across the table. I moved my hand to my lap before he could touch me. “Molly, it was never a relationship.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, shaking my head.
It mattered. It totally mattered.
“Sugar, look at me.”
“We weren’t together,” I mumbled, reaching up to mess with the pizza I hadn’t even touched yet.
“Molly,” Will persisted. “Look at me.”
When I met his eyes, there was apology there. I looked away. I shouldn’t have asked. It was none of my business. It wasn’t like I could deal with any of it then anyway. I was still reeling, my life completely upended in a matter of a few hours. Rebel and I had
n’t even been home in days and it still felt like my dad was going to call me at any minute asking where the hell I was.
“She’s not someone you gotta worry about,” Will said, making me tense.
“I’m not worried,” I said flatly.
“Baby, she’s just—”
His words were cut off as my best friend pushed through the front door. “What’s going on?” she asked, never slowing as she stomped toward us. A few seconds later, Heather followed her in at a much slower pace.
“Slumber party,” Will said dryly as he watched them move closer.
“I was watching a very well-done sex scene when you interrupted,” Mel said dramatically. “Hi, monster,” she greeted Rebel, giving her a kiss that Rebel tried to dodge.
“Leave her alone,” I griped as Rebel almost wiggled off my lap.
“How’s the arm?”
“Still attached,” I answered.
“Is that medical humor? Because it wasn’t very funny.”
“Damn, recreational vehicles are obviously not your thing,” Heather said, her gaze darting over my face as she reached the table. “You should probably stick to walking.”
“Hey, sisterbeast,” I greeted with a smile. I loved Heather. She was a freshman at University of Oregon, but she still offered to babysit Rebel and stopped by my house at least once a week to check on us.
“Hey, yourself,” she said, kissing Rebel just like Mel had, but with better results.
“Hawk!” Rebel said, grinning.
“Hey, Sparrow,” Heather said, catching Rebel as she lurched off my lap.
“Hawk?” Will asked, raising his eyebrow.
I glanced at Heather, taking in her bleached, chin-length hair. “Rebel couldn’t say Heather for a long time,” I said with a smile.
“I had a mohawk,” Heather explained, tickling Reb’s belly. “And you could say Hawk, couldn’t you?” She looked at Will. “So I’m Hawk and she’s Sparrow. Because we’re badass.”
“Totally badass,” Will agreed, his lips twitching.
“Can I grab some of that pizza? My sister wouldn’t even buy popcorn.”
“Have at it,” Will said, waving his arm toward the bar.
“Sweet.” She turned and carried Rebel off.
“She’s such a pain in the ass,” Mel said, sitting down at one of the open chairs.
“You’re just pissed that Reb likes her more.”
“Yeah, I am!” Mel bitched with a smile. “I get that kid all sorts of cool shit.”
“Maybe you need a mohawk,” Will said, standing up from the table. He walked away without another word.
“What’s going on with you two?” Mel asked as soon as he was far enough away that she didn’t think he could hear her. “Looked like that conversation was bordering on serious when I came in.”
“Nothing,” I replied, shaking my head. “I don’t know.”
“Well, he wants you back. Clearly.”
“Yeah.”
“So what’re you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there anything you do know?” she asked in exasperation.
“I know that my dad is in the morgue of the hospital where I work, and my arm hurts like a motherfucker right now,” I snapped, losing patience.
“Well,” she said, drawing out the word as she watched me take a bite of my pizza. “None of that has anything to do with banging Will.”
She smiled as I glared and stuffed even more pizza in my mouth.
* * *
“Are you sure?” I asked Heather later that night as I changed Rebel’s Pull-Up.
“Yeah, she’s slept with me tons of times,” Heather replied. “Sleepover status: achieved.”
“I know, but you guys aren’t at our house,” I said worriedly as Rebel reached behind her on the bed and pulled a stuffed animal against her face.
“You’re right down the hall, Molly. I’m pretty sure we can hack it.”
“Okay,” I said, sighing. “Just bring her back if it doesn’t work.”
“I’m not coming anywhere near this room after lights out,” Heather joked, raising her hands out in front of her. “That guy Will has a serious thing for you.”
“We have history,” I replied darkly.
“Don’t we all,” she said, nodding her head. “But sometimes that’s all it is, just history.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re talking about?” I asked dubiously as I lifted Rebel into my arms.
“None whatsoever,” Heather admitted. “Now gimme that baby.”
“Good night, princess,” I said softly, kissing Rebel’s hair. “You wanna go with Hawk?”
She didn’t answer me, but turned toward Heather and sleepily reached for her.
“Boom,” Heather joked. “Told ya.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled, pulling all of Rebel’s sleeping supplies off the bed and stuffing them into Heather’s arms.
I dropped to the bed with a huff after they were gone. It was late, and I should have been tired, but I’d slept all day. I was wide-awake and had absolutely nothing to do. I wondered if there were any snacks to be had in the little kitchen off the side of the bar. I’d never been in there, but I’d seen people come out of there with all sorts of food.
I got to my feet and shuffled quietly out of the room, hearing different voices coming from random bedrooms down the hallway. It was close quarters, especially for the moms that had more than one kid with them. I could hear people making beds and arguing about phones—I was pretty sure that one was Farrah—and a deeper voice was talking to Trix. Probably her brother, Leo. He’d introduced himself earlier. He wasn’t a super friendly guy, but that was probably because when he’d stopped to talk to me, I’d jerked in surprise at the scars on his face. I’d felt like shit afterward, especially since I knew what it felt like when people stared, but he’d seemed even more uncomfortable with my apology.
“—they’re spillin’ all sorts of shit,” Casper was saying as I reached the main room. “Kozlov’s soft. Dragon says he’s singin’.”
“Kozlov’s Rocky’s ex’s pop, right?” Will asked, making my eyes widen.
“Yep. The man’s—” Casper’s words cut off as I cleared my throat.
“Hey, sugar,” Will said, pushing off the bar. “Thought you were goin’ to bed.”
I glanced at the other men, smiling nervously when Amy’s husband, Poet, shot me a little wave.
“I was,” I said quietly when Will got to me. “But I was kind of hungry.”
“Figures,” Will said, grabbing my hand. “You barely ate today.”
“Get what you want,” Casper said with a nod. “Food’s there for everyone.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled as Will pulled me past them.
“Finish this in a bit,” Will said, lifting his chin.
“Eh, that’s fine, boyo,” Poet said. “Take care of your woman.”
My eyes went wide when we got into the kitchen. The appliances were all restaurant sized and stainless steel, and the pantry took up two full walls. They had everything, from Froot Loops to big cans of baked beans.
“Holy crap,” I muttered.
“Whatcha hungry for?” Will asked, moving toward one of the walls. “Salty or sweet?”
“Sweet,” I said, searching the shelves. “Oh, a Twinkie,” I ordered, pointing to a huge box of them near the ceiling.
“You want a Twinkie?” he asked, walking to where I’d pointed. “Classy.”
“Twinkies are good,” I argued as he shook the box, then stuffed his hand in the side and pulled two out. “I hope both of those are for me.”
He shot me a look and tossed me the snacks before reaching back in the box and grabbing one for himself. “You want something to drink?”
“No, I’ve got some water back in the room,” I answered around the pastry thing in my mouth. Was it a pastry? It was a kind of cake. Sort of.
“Come on,” Will said, herding me back down the hallway while I stuff
ed my face. God, those things were good.
When we got to his room, I expected him to leave me there, but he didn’t. Instead, he closed the door behind us and leaned against the dresser to eat his Twinkie.
“Good, right?” I asked, opening my second one.
“It’s a Twinkie,” he answered blandly, stuffing it into his mouth.
“You’re going to choke,” I pointed out, biting mine in half.
“So are you,” he said, the words garbled.
“Nope.” I chewed and swallowed. “You’ve got some crumbs in your beard.”
“You wanna get ’em for me?” he asked, taking a step forward.
That girl with dark hair flashed through my mind. Did she do that? Make sure he didn’t have food on his face? Did they laugh about it?
“No, thank you,” I answered after I’d swallowed the last of my food. “I’ve played that game before. It didn’t end well for me.”
His head jerked back like I’d slapped him. “We’re doin’ this now, then? Alright,” he said, tilting his head to the side.
“I think it’s better if we’re just friends or something,” I replied, reaching for the water bottle I’d left on the floor near the bed.
“We’ve never been friends,” Will pointed out.
“Ouch,” I mumbled, lifting the water bottle to my lips. “Fair enough.”
“You wanna have this out?” he asked softly, coming closer. “Let’s have this out.”
“There’s nothing to have out,” I said, meeting his eyes.
“Baby, don’t play that game.”
“No game.” I shrugged my shoulders and winced. “You moved on.”
“I didn’t fuckin’ move on,” he argued. “Told you that.”
“You were sleeping with someone else.”
“That doesn’t mean shit,” he growled, throwing his arms out to the side. “Just sex once in a while.”
“You sound like a cliché.”
“It’s the truth! She knows the score. We hung out a few times around the club, fucked when we felt like it.”
“And outside the club,” I countered. “I saw you, remember?”
“Fuck yeah, I remember.” He leaned forward at the waist, pointing toward the door. “I haven’t been with her since.”
“Should I be happy about that?” I asked incredulously.