I shrug, not sure of the answer. “I hope to hell not, but I don’t know. I think the old man would do anything for money.”
My brother lifts his brow, cutting his eyes across the room. I follow them, finding our father staring at us. “I think this is a conversation best had somewhere else.”
“I agree, need to talk to you about something else anyway.”
“What’s up,” I ask, taking another drink.
He lifts his own bottle, letting the prospect know he needs another. “What do you got planned for Shay?”
Shit! That is one name I didn’t want to hear today. The entire time I was gone, I thought of one thing and one thing only, Shay. The words Nina said to me played on a continuous loop in my head. The woman’s got my brain so fuckin’ warped, I don’t know which way is up.
She’s just not my type; I’m not in to up tight bitches. I like blonde hair, huge tits, and a loud personality. I want a woman that will ride on my bitch seat and enjoy every minute of it, not some woman that looks like she belongs in a limousine.
“How’s she doing?” I ask, unable to keep the interest I feel out of my voice.
He smiles, a smile that has me wanting to jump across the table and rip his damn head off. “She’s doing just fine, fine as hell to my eyes.”
“You better not fuck with her, brother.”
He shakes his head, letting out a laugh. “If I had the chance, I wouldn’t just fuck her. That is one woman I’d make love to all damn night.”
I slam my beer bottle onto the table, causing the glass to shatter. “Stay the hell away from her, Tin. I mean it, this is one woman we won’t be sharing.”
He loses his smile, as he stares at me. “If you want her, you better get your ass in gear. Every brother that stops by Mamá’s wants a go at her.”
“It ain’t happening. She’s Lock’s sister; she’s untouchable to the club.”
I’m not the only veteran wearing club colors. Hell, half the damn club served at one time or another. The brotherhood understands the bonds that are formed with your fellow soldiers. They may not know Lock or anything about the situation with Shay, but they know she is related to one of my army buddies and they know that she means something to me. The brothers do a lot of things, but they’d never cross that line.
“They wouldn’t if they just wanted a piece of ass, but Shay isn’t the kind of woman you fuck and run. I think some of them would gladly give her their patch.”
“Fuck that, it’s not going to happen.”
Tin-Man pushes his chair back and stands up. Looking down at me, he smiles. “It will, if you don’t do anything to stop it.”
I watch him walk away, as I stand up. Fuck, guess I better go check in on Shay.
Home Alone
Shay
“Are sure you don’t want to go with us, Shay?” Rachel asks for the third time, tapping her foot against the floor. “It’ll be fun.”
I can tell she is on the verge of begging, so I need to nip this in the bud right now. Slowly shaking my head, I pull a tub of butter and a package of chocolate chips from the fridge. “Nope, I just want to relax today. I spend enough time at the mall as it is.”
“Oh, come on. You can never have enough of the mall.” She sticks out her bottom lip, showing me her favorite facial expression.
After months of living with her and Nina, I’ve learned to ignore Rachel’s pouty face. It’s not easy, but it’s something I have to do. If not, I would have a sixteen year old girl running roughshod over me. I adore her, but she can be a bit over the top at times. It’s part of her charm.
“Sorry, hun. I’m going to make some chocolate chip cookies and chill out in front of the TV.”
“You just want to watch Supernatural and slobber over Jensen Ackles,” She says with a laugh.
I shrug, smiling at her. “What can I say; he’s slobber-worthy.”
A few months ago, I never would have had such a carefree discussion. Every word I spoke before had been carefully chosen. Even my conversations with our housekeeper were strictly monitored. With every action, every move, and every mannerism, I had to replicate Gwendolyn to a tee. It was draining; absolutely and completely exhausting.
It has taken me a while, but I’m slowly getting my sense of self back. Being part of a family again, even if they aren’t mine, has helped me heal. Rachel’s so full of energy and always has a smile on her face. Her exuberance for life is rubbing off on me. Nina’s affectionate nature is also helping. She allows me to be myself, without pushing. The two combined are helping me become the carefree person I once was. I’m not quite there, but I’m a whole lot closer than I was.