Page 156 of Dirty Like Jude
“Thanks for leavin’ your colors at home,” I said, with somewhat mock gratitude. “I know it fuckin’ painsyou.”
Fuck if I could remember the last time I’d seen my brother wear any kind of leather without Kings shit all over it—but last thing I needed was him or anyone else showing up in Kings colors, drawing attention, twitching up the police and causing drama at Roni’s event. She’d worked too hard for thatshit.
“Thanks for invitin’ me,” he said, with the same mock gratitude right back. He was smoking a joint and offered it to me, but I declined. “Your girl put together a goodshow?”
“Yeah. Band’s happy. Brody’s happy. Everything’s goin’smooth.”
“Good.”
I took a big breath. No point dragging out the small talk. “I’m stayin’ Nomad. If you guys’ll letme.”
Piper stared at me. And right now, seeing him like this, just kinda dressed like a normal dude… he seemed just like some normal dude, and not the VP of the West CoastKings.
Mybrother.
“You know we’ll let you,brother.”
“I’m goin’ on the road withDirty.”
“Yeah.” He looked fucking disappointed. Sad, actually. I hated putting that look on his face. “Not like I didn’tknow.”
“Youknew?”
“If you were staying, you would’ve told me longago.”
Well,fuck.
He shrugged, as if to sayWhatever, but I knew this was important to him. Piper had done about everything over the years, short of actually chaining me to the floor, to make me stay. “I know it’s a toughdecision.”
“Itis.”
He looked at me for a minute, considering. “You’re not stayin’ forher?”
I gave him a dark look that said,None of your fuckingbusiness.
But truth was, I wasgoingforher.
Roni was one of my primary reasons for going on the road with the band. Because stepping into it with her—bringing her into my life—meant I had to protect her from MC shit in every way I could; same as I did with Jesse. She’d be welcome at the clubhouse. She’d bewithme in everyway.
But the lessIwas involved in Kings shit, day-to-day, the better it would be for both ofus.
And the safer it would be forher.
“She’ll be on the road with me,” I informed him, “sometimes. And when she’s not, she’ll be here. And if I ever call you up and ask you to look in on her or help her out withsomething—”
“Then I will,” he said, in all seriousness. “You know Iwill.”
“And you’ll drop your attitude towardher.”
His eyes narrowed. And yeah, I knew people didn’t talk to Jeremy “Piper” Grayson this way. But he was my brother, and I did whennecessary.
“Just lookin’ out for you, brother,” hesaid.
“She’s not theenemy.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re not gonna disrespect her or call her a slut or make any mention of the time you fucked her at that party and then tossed her away liketrash.”
