A new set of hands wrapped around me and I knew it was Lilah, I recognized the scent of her hair. “Sister,” she murmured, “I have missed you.”
Lilah pulled back and smiled, her mouth slightly higher on one side due to her scar. Lilah’s gaze then went to Flame. “Flame. Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah.” I glanced to Flame whose eyes were fixed on me. Beauty and Letti stood behind Lilah. Beauty addressed Flame. “Damn good to have you back, Flame. Been quiet ‘round here without you.”
Flame did not reply, and Beauty, seeming to not expect one, waved to me. “Hey, Madds. Nice to see ya, darlin’.”
I smiled at her and Letti who flicked her chin at me from behind her best friend. Next, I looked to the only occupied seat and saw Sarai watching me.
“Good morning, Sarai,” I greeted and she smiled.
“Hello, Maddie. It is nice to see you again.” She looked better, I thought. And I was glad. She was so young. So innocent.
The door to Styx’s cabin opened. Styx and Ky walked out. Their faces lit up when they saw Flame standing beside me, every inch the Hangmen, as he stood in his leather pants and leather cut, his scarred bare chest and torso on show.
“Fuckin’ Flame!” Ky called and began clapping. Styx smiled beside Lilah’s husband. The two men approached and Ky stood in front of Flame. “You doing good, my brother? Y’all were going through some fuckin’ crazy shit for a while there.”
Flame took his blade from his belt and ran his finger down the edge. This was his tell that he was anxious. Ky, not receiving an answer, turned to Styx. “Church, Prez?”
Styx nodded, then walked to Mae and crushed his lips to hers. Mae melted in his arms. Ky then did the same to Lilah, and without conscious thought, my gaze drifted to Flame. As always, he was watching me, but this time, his nostrils were flaring, and his blade was running along his wrist. Panic flared within me. Something was troubling him in his head.
“Flame, let’s go. Got a shit ton of brothers that’ll be fucking relieved you haven’t checked out on us for good.” Ky’s voice snapped me back to the moment and I cleared my throat.
Flame glanced to Ky, then to me. I forced a smile to hide my trembling legs. Those kisses… Flame’s intense stare...
“Maddie?” Flame rasped, and I noticed all around us had gone silent.
Hating the attention, I stepped closer to him. “Return for me after your meeting and we shall go to your cabin. You still need to rest.”
Flame nodded once, and joined Styx and Ky who were already walking away in the distance. But he looked back. He looked back eleven times. Eleven. I counted.
“Maddie?” Mae’s voice made me look her way. Her face wore an expression of worry and she said, “Go back to Flame’s cabin? You are to stay with him further?”
“Yes,” I said feeling embarrassed by too much focus on me.
The sound of a gentle cough sounded, and I heard Beauty say, “Well, I gotta get to the shop and open up. Busy day ahead.” I kept my gaze down as she said her goodbyes to Lilah and Mae.
“Sarai, darlin’. I’ll bring you by the shop soon, okay? Get you out in the world more.”
“Thank you,” I heard Sarai say in return.
Moments later, I looked up and Mae and Lilah were stood together watching me. Heat surged through me and I asked, “What? Why do you stare at me?”
Lilah’s eyes widened at my sharp retort. “We worry for you, Maddie. Because we love you.”
Some of the venom left my body and I said, “You do not need to worry. I am fine.” Neither said anything to me, but I continued. “Yes, I am to return with Flame. He needs me.”
The tension from my sisters’ clear disapproval thickened around us. I kept my attention to the ground. I would not be moved on this. They did not know Flame as I did.
Lilah eventually moved to sit down and I saw Mae do the same. “Maddie, join us?” Lilah asked. Spotting the free chair between Mae and Lilah, I took a seat.