Cocky Biker(32)

“Sure. I’ll get you some coffee from the cafeteria.”

Throwing the blanket off me as my friend heads out, I walk the couple steps to Luna’s bed. “She’s one of Matias’s girls, Sunshine.” Her face contorts with surprise and confusion. In a hushed voice, I reassure her, “He’s in love with the girl. Gonna take care of her and the baby.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna brush my teeth. You want help?”

With her mind now on Carmen, she mutters, “Just give me the thing full of water. I’ll do the rest.”

“You got it.”

In no time Carmen — now nineteen and ready to pop — gets guided in to meet the woman who saved her, for the first time.

We were in it together, after all, in a weird roundabout way. It wasn’t my idea for Tonk to tell Carmen that Luna’s a hero, but he did it anyway because — the way he explained it to me — she did take out the bastard behind the whole cold-blooded enterprise. Permanently.

Carmen smiles with admiration and whispers a gentle, “Hello,” then glances to me with a small nod. “Hello, Jett.”

Luna’s dark eyes are misty as she takes the girl in, huge stomach and all. She’s clutching her hospital blanket, and the room is tense as we all wait for her to say something. She’s just staring at Carmen, which is making the pregnant girl self-conscious. Tonk takes her hand protectively, but remains quiet. This is a dicey situation crackling with emotion. Tonk is aware of Luna’s history, to the extent of what we know, which isn’t much but enough.

Luna starts getting out of the bed, but stops and whispers, “Dizzy.” She meets Carmen’s eyes again, and holds out her hand. “Can you come here?”

Tonk releases her as he exchanges a look with me. I nod that I understand this is tense.

Carmen walks to the bed and nervously smiles. Sunshine offers her an open palm and the young, pregnant girl lays her hand on it. A tear slides down Sunshine’s cheeks and she croaks, “I’m so sorry.”

Carmen starts to cry. Luna rises up on her knees and encircles Carmen in a hug. The two women close their eyes and hold each other. Tonk and I drop our gazes to the floor to give them respectful privacy.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Carmen whispers.

Luna pulls away, shaking her head. “It was them. It wasn’t me.”

Tonk’s voice is hoarse now, too, but he’s not having it. “No! It was all of us.”

Carmen buries herself into his side as he goes to her, her belly pressed against his.

“You hear from Honey Badger?” he asks me, trying to change the subject for his own sanity. He really wishes he was the one who killed Matias. He’s told me many times.

I get it.

I kinda wish I’d done it, too.

“Nah. What’s up?” I cross my arms with my feet spread wide.

“Mission accomplished. He said it was a piece of chocolate cake with gooey frosting after what we did here.”

Smiling at the description, I say, “No doubt.”

“Well,” He smiles at Luna. “Carmen’s due soon, so we were thinking of headin’ home, but I’m glad we saw you alright before we left.”

Tonk’s manner has changed dramatically since Carmen has come into his life. He still looks like a huge badass, but his heart is on his sleeve now. There’s a soft light in his eyes, and it shines like crazy when he looks at her like he’s doing now.

My eyebrows knit as I think about what he’s said. “Huh. Hadn’t thought of the next move. Been busy.”

I don’t have to look to know Luna’s watching me. I can feel her staring, wondering what I’m gonna do now.

Massaging Carmen’s back with the hand that’s holding her to him, Tonk explains, “I want the baby to be born there. Los Angeles isn’t our home.”

I mutter, under my breath, “Right. I guess I’ll meet you there later on.”

“Well, I was thinkin,’ Jett, that she can’t ride the back of my bike like this. And it’s too late for flyin’ — she can’t go on airplanes at nine months, so…what about the train? Amtrak?”

“By herself?” I ask with a deep frown. “I don’t like it.”

Tonk’s eyes drift to Luna and I realize what he’s trying to get at. I look over to see her reaction. She’s smart enough that she’s caught on, too, that Tonk wants her to watch over Carmen for the trip, while we ride our motorcycles. The hopeful look on his face gives him away.

Fuck, I wish he would’ve brought this up with me, first. Springing it on her like this isn’t a good idea. “Sunshine’s just woke up, man.”