Page 50 of Single Mom's Biker Brigade
“I’m fine.”
“Cody.”
“I’m fine, Mom.”
Mom. My eyes sank closed at the grown up way he addressed me. He’d done it once last week, then gone right back to Mama. I had a feeling those days were over, especially with these three anywhere close by.
Diesel materialized beside me. I’d almost forgotten how good he was at that. He kept his eyes up, his gaze scanning the roof and tracking over to the shop next to me, then the dark stretch of road past the edge of the lot.
My shop.
I hadn’t let myself really look at it. I did now, and wished I hadn’t. Water sprayed over the front in heavy blasts. Smoke and flames billowed from the windows and rolled up the exterior walls.
The heaving in my stomach returned. One second I couldn’t imagine standing here without them. The next, I wanted them gone so far away I never had to hear a breath of their name. Having Hawk handle the police gave me a chance to breathe. There were a few situations where having three dangerous men beside me came in handy.
What would the truth do to Cody?
“Paramedic’s at the engine.” Diesel faced me, his face drawn in to a series of hard lines. “I’ll walk you over. You need to let them check your hands.”
“I’m fine.”
He ducked his head to look straight into my eyes. “Please. Do it for me.”
Fuck.
Cody looked up at Diesel. “You’re really tall.”
Diesel looked down, then crouched on one knee. “Yeah.”
Cody’s eyebrows drew down. He twirled the sodden hoodie string between his thumb and forefinger. “You a good guy or bad guy?”
“Good guy.” Diesel grinned, and it took all the anger out of me in a whoosh. “But you should never trust that. Bad guys will tell you they’re good guys so you trust them. Trust what you see, kid. Trust your gut.”
“My gut’s too hungry to make decisions.” Cody held out the string he’d been chewing. “Want some?”
“I’m good.”
Cody smirked. “Should I believe that?”
Smartass. Just like his father. With a fair bit of my smart mouth thrown in.
Colt inched over again, sidling toward us like we wouldn’t notice. Like if he moved carefully enough I wouldn’t send him away.
“Nice shoes, man. I always wanted shoes that lit up.” He dropped down beside Diesel, the two of them making a kind of barrier between Cody and the burning building.
Cody glanced down. “Yeah. You gotta stomp though. They don’t work if you walk normal.” He demonstrated, stomping twice on the gravel. Blue and red flashed across the ground, mingling with the lights from the emergency vehicles. “See?”
Colt’s throat worked. “Very cool.”
He didn’t look at me. Thank goodness. If he flashed those hooded eyes in my direction, I might end up on my knees begging them to forgive me.
Another deputy cut toward me. Hawk’s firm shoulder brushed mine as he walked past me. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I can talk to a deputy.”
“I know.” Hawk didn’t slow. “You have burns on both hands, a kid who needs to be checked out, and probably a million questions. Let me handle the deputy.”
Damn him for always being right. Except for when he let a stupid rule ruin everything that we had. “Fine.” I motioned for Cody to join me. “Come on, Cody. Let’s get your arm looked at.”
