The Scars That Define Us (The Devil's Dust #2)

“It’s okay,” I whisper back.

“Bobby took a bullet for me, saving someone who doesn’t deserve the act of saving.” His words are edged with sorrow but make me angry. I turn around in his hold where are noses are nearly touching.

“You are worth saving, Shadow. You mean something to me and your baby,” I clip.

Shadow pulls me in and kisses my forehead, tucking my head under his chin.

“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” I respond against his neck.

“If it’s a boy, I want to name him after Bobby,” Shadow suggests. I lift my head up and look at him, his eyes hooded with emotion.

“What is Babs’ real name?” I ask.

“Delilah,” Shadow mutters.

“If it’s a girl, we should name her that, after Babs,” I whisper. Delilah is a beautiful name.

“I think that is a great idea,” he agrees.

“Kiss me, Firefly.”

Without a second thought, I smash my lips to his, my mouth trying to overtake his pain and drown it with love.





“SHADOW, YOUR PHONE IS going off.”

I open my eyes to a half-naked Dani holding my phone inches from my face. I grab it and answer, hoping it’s good news from Doc.

“Hello,” I say, half-asleep.

“He’s awake,” Doc chirps.

“I’m on my way,” I exclaim, jumping out of the bed.

“What is it?” Dani asks.

“He’s awake,” I tell her, grabbing clothes from the dresser.

“Really?” she asks with excitement.

“Hurry up. Let’s get over there.” I’m pulling my jeans up as fast as I can. I couldn’t sleep at all last night, but to be fair I didn’t want to sleep. I thought I would fall asleep and not hear my phone go off if Doc called me. I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell Bobby before he left this world, words I was afraid would have to wait and be spoken at his eulogy instead. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for acting like such a pussy when shit went crazy with Dani. That he’s the only family I ever considered to be my own aside from her. The idea that someone I considered a brother turned on the club is a shock on its own. And a woman I looked at as mother is now gone because of that asshole. I prayed, something I’ve been doing a lot of lately.

I grab my cut and throw it on. I look over at Dani to see if she’s ready, and she looks absolutely stunning this morning. Her skin is glowing and she just has this energy about her. I fucking love her pregnant.

We ride over to the hospital quickly. When we pull up, we rush inside, afraid Bobby’s moment of alertness will pass and I’ll miss my chance to talk to him.

I grab Dani’s hand and run in the direction of his room. As soon as I enter, Bobby slides his head from looking at Doc and turns to me. He looks pale as Hell.

I walk up to the side of the bed and grip his hand firmly.

“Brother?” I question, wondering if he can hear or answer me.

“All his vitals are rising slowly. I think he’s going to make a full recovery,” Doc informs us with a smile.

Bobby smirks. “You fucking owe me, man,” he says with a low rasp, his energy weak. All I can do is laugh and nod. The asshole has my emotions running like a teenage girl who’s been dumped at prom.

I feel Dani tuck her arm around my waist as she slides up next to me.

“Firefly,” Bobby whispers.

Dani smiles that drop-dead-gorgeous smile.


Dani

The next couple of days Bobby is nothing but a tornado of angry. He refuses treatment and tries to check himself out of the hospital early. He doesn’t want to see anybody, unless they are there to take him home. Doc says she has tried to reason with him, but he just won’t listen. So I’m going to try and work my magic today to see if I can persuade him to stop being an idiot. Shadow stays at the club, his only solution to the problem is to shoot Bobby in the leg to keep his ass in the hospital bed.

I step into the hospital room and see Bobby lying in bed watching TV. His face is pale and he has machines hooked up to him everywhere. He looks like shit and that’s putting it lightly.

“I hear you’re being stupid and trying to check out early.”

Bobby looks at me and raises a brow. “I’m fine. I don’t need to be here,” he says, his tone bitter. He takes his gaze from me back to the TV, dismissing me altogether.

“He needs to be here,” Doc says, walking in the room.

I reach over and grab his hand, giving it a friendly squeeze. “Bobby, you died. You killed us along with your death. We can’t have you back only to lose you again because of your stubbornness.” Bobby’s gaze remains on the TV, pissing me off by ignoring me.

I reach over and punch him in the arm.

“What the fuck, Firefly.”

“You think that hurts? Think about what’s it’s going to feel like when the wound on your side is infected,” Doc yells. I take a deep breath, he’s trying my patience.