Page 5 of Gentleman Wanted
“Organised?”
“For you all to come home. You and Bobby need to be around family.”
***
I could feel Gent hovering at my back as I stepped up to brush back Bobby’s dark curls. It was almost like he knew how hard this was for me, and he wanted to be there for me.
“Shit.” Ruin stepped up to the other side of the narrow cot. “His face…”
Behind me, Gent bristled. But he didn’t say a word.
“It’s better than being shot.” I couldn’t keep the sharpness out of my voice. Hell, I didn’t even try. And they all heard it.
“I wasn’t saying that, Gem.” Ruin’s long legs brought him to my side in a few easy strides. “You did well to protect him, you as well.” His eyes met Gents. “I will always be in your debt for that. Family is important, you know?”
Yeah, I knew. I hadn’t really understood it before I became a mother. My own family life wasn’t exactly something to write home about. But now I had Bobby; I got it.
Tears sprang into my eyes, unbidden. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying. It was suddenly so overwhelming.
“Come on, Gem.” Gent’s arms pulled me back against him. And I went easily, burying my face against the solid muscle of his chest. “No tears now. You have been strong for so long.”
I hadn’t been strong, though. I knew that. He had been strong, and I had leant on him every step of the way. There would have been no way I would have coped without him.
“You have your family back, your Black Aces family. You and Bobby aren’t alone in this anymore.”
I wanted to tell him that we hadn’t been alone to start with because we’d had him, but something held me back for a moment.
I could feel Ruin and Truth’s eyes on us. I knew they were wondering if anything had happened between Gent and me in the months we spent together. The whole club was probably talking about it.
But the truth was, there was absolutely nothing for them to gossip about. Gent had been nothing but an absolute gentleman the whole time. Maybe, in the beginning, I could have been tempted by more. But, after several weeks had passed, he had slipped so solidly into the role of friend that it was hard to think of him as anything but.
“We were never alone, Gent,” I whispered. “We always had you.”
His brown eyes crinkled. “And you always will have me, but now you have everyone else as well.” His eyes lifted to Ruins. “Make whatever calls you need to Ruin. Just get us home, brother.”
