Page 68 of Sabre’s Guard

“What do you know?”

“Nothing,” Shelly says.

Aunt Carol presses her lips together. I narrow my eyes. Something has been off all afternoon. I glance over at the grill where Sabre is deep in conversation with Siege. For a moment they both look at me and then look away.

Okay, this isn’t pregnancy hormones making me extra sensitive. What aren’t they telling me? The moment I think that I suddenly have an awful thought that something’s changed with Dylan. Like maybe the extra charges have been dropped and he might be getting out.

I push myself upright and Aunt Carol grabs my wrist. “Where are you going?”

“To find out what my old man is up to. I know something’s wrong.”

Shelly makes a strangled noise and I freeze. Slowly, I turn my head. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Shaking my head, I start heading across the yard. Halfway there, Sabre spots me coming and says something to Siege who then grins in response.

I put my hands on my hips. “Harvey.”

His grin disappears and he looks genuinely alarmed. I rarely use his real name. “I know something’s up. Have you heard from the jail? Is it Dylan? My father?”

“Nothin’ bad’s happened, darlin’,” he says.

Then Noah runs past us. “Dad, Siege says it’s time.”

He skids to a stop and his eyes widen.

I look at Sabre, who shakes his head.

Noah whispers, “Crap. I didn’t spoil it, did I?”

“Noah.” I use my best scolding voice. Sabre is good at not cursing too much around him, but boys will be boys.

“Sorry, Mom,” Noah says and glances at Sabre again. I can’t help but notice the conspiratorial look that passes between them. My old man, my son, my aunt, cousin, and apparently the entire Savage Legion have been trying to keep something from me and they’re spectacularly bad at it.

“Fine,” I say. “Whatever it is, just do it.”

Sabre looks at me for a long second. Then something changes in his face and he looks nervous. At that moment the music cuts out and he takes my hand.

I glance around and see that all eyes are on us. “Oh my Go—”

Before the words are out of my mouth Sabre takes me to the grill. Noah hurries over carrying Sabre’s knife roll. I have a feeling I know what’s about to happen, though I’m not sure what his chef’s knives have to do with it.

He unrolls the package and pulls out a black velvet box. “Kept it there for safekeeping,” he says in a low voice. Sabre turns towards me and says, “I had a whole speech. Been practicin’ it for two fuckin’ weeks.”

My eyes are already prickling and I reach up with my free hand to give them a wipe.

“I spent most of my life believin’ I had everything I needed. Had my club. My brothers. Had work I liked. Cooked when I wanted. Rode when I wanted. Nobody depended on me too much and I didn’t depend on anybody.”

His thumb moves across my knuckles.

“I thought that was freedom.”

My throat tightens.

“Then I walked into your cookin’ class and saw what was missin’. I fell for you so fuckin’ fast I didn’t know what hit me. Then I fell for your kid too.”

Noah moves closer and Sabre looks at him. “And somewhere along the way, all that responsibility I spent my life avoiding stopped feeling like a burden.”