Days later, and Jeremy’s kept true to his word that he wouldn’t say a thing about what we did. The club’s figured it out by, now and they’re pissed off all right, but we got bigger shit to worry about. Still, when the local news station reports on the well-being of the poor comatose beating victim, Darren Jennings, and the search for his attacker, both Nic and Jeremy watch until the segment’s done. She knows I did it, but she won’t ask. Since that night, she’s been a little softer and a little less irritable, and being able to give her that matters to me.
“You ready, baby?” she asks as she shoves the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Dressed in black jeans and a black and gray top with her black leather boots on, she’s damn fuckable.
“Think Chief would mind if we skipped out?” I ask, letting my eyes slide over her frame.
“On his funeral?” she asks. Her eyes are narrowed, and she shakes her head while giving me a look like I’m the stupidest mother fucker on the planet.
“Yeah,” I say. She knows I wouldn’t skip out on laying a brother to rest, but she’s so playful now, and I like playful Nic. Still, I ain’t letting her in the garage near my wrenches.
“Yes. He absolutely would mind,” she says. “Put your dick away for once.”
Standing from the table and walking over to her, I place my hands on her sides and press my half hard dick into her stomach.
“I don’t like your last name,” I say. “It’s confusing.” She stares up at me, only partially confused. She gets where I’m going with this. She’s just in denial about it right now. “Is it pronounced ‘Wee-len’ or ‘Whay-len’?”
“And your last name’s any better? Do you not remember what they called you in high school? Joshua Will-Suck-Cocks ring any bells?”
I grin down at her, loving that she’s playing along.
“I remember who started that,” I say and narrow my eyes at her playfully. She reaches up and tugs on my beard with a huge smile on her face.
“You trying to say you want to make me an honest woman?” she asks on her tip toes.
“I don’t know about honest,” I say to tease her. She scrunches her nose up and gives my beard a pull, making my dick stand at attention. She knows damn well how that shit gets me going.
“I don’t know how I like the name Nicole Wilcox,” she says and licks her lips.
“How about Nicole Will-Suck-Cocks, because baby you gotta know, having had it once, I’m gonna need that on the regular now,” I say and lean in, devouring her mouth with my own. She bucks her pelvis against mine, and just when things are getting hot, a throat clears from the hallway.
We both turn and look at Jeremy, who is wearing all black and his prospect vest that Jim gave to him the day after the shit with Darren. Almost took it back after finding out where we left Darren, but Jim knows that wasn’t on Jeremy—that was on me.
“Okay, cool,” Jeremy says with a smile on his face. “Making me an uncle, and a brother-in-law, and one day—a brother,” he says as he pinches the leather of his cut between his fingers. “Now how about getting your own place?”
I pull away from Nic, proudly adjust my dick, and smirk at the stupid punk.
“We already got our own place,” I say and clasp him on the shoulder, then stride out to the car. I call behind me with a chuckle, “You’re the one who needs to find his own place.”
My good mood falls instantly when I see the plastic hospital band that’s tied around the windshield wiper. I check the door to find that neither Jeremy nor Nic have made it outside yet, and pull the band off the wiper blade and give it a good look. On the band, there’s a bunch of information printed from patient’s chart number to the date of admittance, and even special instructions about allergies. But it’s the name, in bold print, that reads JENNINGS, DARREN that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Playful laughter sounds from the doorway, and Nic comes out first, then Jeremy. She’s too happy and in too good of a place to know about this, so I shove the bracelet into my pocket and climb into the car with my woman and the kid who will one day be my brother. And we take off to say goodbye to an old friend.
Epilogue
Nic
Sometimes I feel it in my bones—Duke loving me. Sometimes I don't feel anything but sheer terror at the thought that he might be telling me the truth. Because when you love and you are loved by someone else, you have something to lose. And way too many times in my life have I lost things I've held dear to my heart. But things are looking up. I tell myself that every day, because the gifts I've been given are outweighing that which has been taken from me. And it's because of him.
I turn over on my side and look down at the most precious thing in my life—my daughter. She's covered in a pile of blankets, nestled beneath the muted pinks and creams. And even among a sea of pretty, she stands out. She’s gorgeous. Robin is close to nine months old now. She grows so much every day, but we’re often so busy I wonder if we’re missing some of it. And I don’t want to miss a single second. She’s mobile and chatty and so damn opinionated already. I love it.