Page 42 of Single Mom's Biker Brigade
The fact she stood there completely naked while she unleashed her frustrations turned me on. I listened to every word, but I also had every intention of making better use of our time together while Hawk decided my punishment for tonight’s fuck up. There would be one. There always was.
I stood and pulled Callie into my arms, holding her close. “I know. It’s fucked up. Someday, things might be different, but for now, this is what it is. Hawk can’t just change a rule because he wants to. And if he changes this one, everyone is going to know it’s for you.”
“And I’m not worth it.” She said it so low I almost missed it. The wistful note in her voice ripped my heart wide open. Another sigh rippled through her, and she backed out of my arms, reaching for her clothes without looking at me.
Dawn crept through the blinds shielding us from the outside world, the thin golden bands glancing off Callie’s skin and making my mouth water to taste her.
But she’d had enough of me, so I pulled on my clothes and laced up my boots.
Hawk’s signature single knock banged on the door. “Colt, it’s Hawk.”
I opened the door to let him in, but he lingered in the hallway, his gaze skimming over me and going to Callie. His jaw tightened, a familiar look turning his eyes to flint. He’d let us go last night, but that didn’t mean he stopped wanting Callie. “What’s up?” I forced him to face me and dole out whatever he’d come here to say.
“You’re riding out. I need you out of state for a few weeks to cool tensions with the Hellhounds.” His gaze shuttered, but notbefore I caught the regret as he turned on his heel. “Effective immediately.”
Fuck. I’d known it would be bad, but to have to leave the state? I glanced at Callie over my shoulder and caught her expression shifting from shock to that same closed off look she gave everyone. I crossed the room and settled my hands on her hips, bending to kiss her full lips. “Don’t decide anything while I’m gone.” I turned and walked away without looking back.
I couldn’t. If I saw even a glimpse of emotion in her, I wouldn’t be able to go.
I was already tempted to tell Hawk to go fuck himself and to tell the Hellhounds to do the same.
But that gave them exactly what they wanted, and I would not do that to my brothers.
11
CALLIE
SEVEN YEARS AGO…
Two months after Colt got injured because of me and I finally managed to find a routine with the Vultures.
Between working the garage and going on transport runs, I kept myself busy.
And I gave Hawk the key to the room he’d offered at the clubhouse, choosing my own place a mile away so I’d have distance from the temptation they presented.
I saw them all almost on the daily.
Colt came and went on his own schedule, and I kept pretending none of it bothered me. Being confused became a part of daily life, and I chose to ignore it in favor of begging for answers.
Who was I to ask them to make an exception for me?
I tightened my grip on the handlebars and steered my bike into Grady’s parking lot.
The run down gas station with the junkyard in the back was my least favorite stop but no one else had the exact part I needed if I wanted to fix the bike in the garage today versus next week.
I dropped the kickstand and scoured the lot, counting bikes and cataloguing patches on the men gathered close to the door.
Most of them ignored me when I swung off the bike and approached the side entrance where Grady promised to have the part waiting for me.
A guy to the left of the door shifted, revealing a Hellhound patch on his leathers.
He crossed his arms and stared at me until the hair on the back of my neck lifted. I’d been around enough rough men to know the difference between someone who stared because they were curious and someone who stared to send a message.
This was the second kind.
He didn’t look away when I met his eyes, and I forced my gaze to stick on him without flinching. Looking away first meant admitting I didn’t belong.
I’d rather get run over and dragged down the highway than give any ground to a man like him.
