Beast: Learning to Breathe (Devil's Blaze MC #5)

“Motherfucker.”

“I put a call out to Cade and he may not be kin to Hayden because she was Pistol’s half-sister, but he still agreed to make sure she was protected. He called some markers into the Torasani’s. Blade found out she was pregnant, and demanded her back, but he’s scared enough of us and the Torasani’s he hasn’t made a move. You going in like a fucking asshole declaring we have no interest there, causes a bunch of fucking headaches,” Skull growls.

I take a deep breath and go over everything Skull just said. Cade is the President of the Florida chapter of the Blaze. He’s a good guy even if he shares a mother with Pistol. If Skull says Hayden’s not kin to Cade that must mean Hayden’s father and Pistol’s is the same. He was a slimy motherfucker, maybe even worse than Pistol. It’s hard for me to believe Hayden shares their blood at all. Holding my head down, I rub my forehead, feeling a migraine starting to form.

“A couple of Blade’s goons ran me off the road today. They had me in their sites, but didn’t take me out.”

“A message.”

“I figure. I want all the intel you can find on the Dwellers Compound. I’m going to pay Blade a visit.”

“The fuck you will. You aren’t going without backup.”

“I don’t need backup to deal with these motherfuckers.”

“I’ll have a meeting set up and you will have some of our men with you. That’s non-negotiable.”

“No fucking way.”

“This ain’t for you to decide this time motherfucker. I don’t want these assholes getting brave and going after the girl.”

“What’s she to you?” I ask him, even if I do agree with him.

“Responsibility. I should have sent someone after her when Pistol first told me about her.”

I think on all the hell that Hayden undoubtedly went through under the Dwellers. I remember her panic attack and the sadness that I see on her face sometimes, and I have to agree with him. It goes against everything I am to agree to let Skull set up a meeting. If it was just me involved I would fucking shut it down at once. It’s not just me. I need to protect Hayden and her daughter.

“Set up the meeting. I want it soon,” I growl, finally agreeing.

“I’ll be in touch. You just make sure to answer your fucking phone,” Skull orders, and I disconnect on a grunt. I put my phone back in my pocket and then I march back over to Hayden’s. I need to know what the hell she was thinking. She kissed me.





47





Hayden





“You kissed me,” Michael says, and I turn around from the stove. I place the hot cookie sheet full of my peanut butter kisses on the stove top and turn to look at him.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“You kissed me,” he repeats, standing there, his face unreadable, his hands at his side.

“It was just a friendly kiss,” I answer him, confused. He’s been in the baby’s room for the last hour working. I tried to help at first and talk to him, but I got tired of being ignored and not even getting a grunt, so I came out here to bake and fix dinner. “Dinner is ready if you’re hungry,” I tell him, shaking my head and turning back around. “It’s nothing special. I just threw together a quick chicken casserole, but if you’re hung—” I stop on a gasp as he spins me around. “What’s wrong?”

“Why did you kiss me?”

“Michael, seriously. Do you have some aversion to being touched? I won’t do it again. You were just being sweet, and I had made a mess of everything, and I was grateful. We’re friends. I thought it was okay. It won’t happen again.”

“So, you kiss all your friends?” he asks, his tone disbelieving, his arms folded against each other at his chest. His eyes clearly say I’m crazy, but I’m starting to think he’s the crazy one here.

“I’ve kissed Charlie, yeah, though I guess not on the lips. Yet, in my defense Michael, you’re really...” I trail off not sure how to finish that won’t make him feel insulted.

“Really what?” he prods, sitting down at the table.

The change in his position gives me something to do, while I try to figure out how not to hurt the big guy’s feelings. I move to the stove, taking a plate from the cabinet and dish him some of the casserole. I take it to his plate and then pour him a glass of the homemade lemonade I made earlier. I still think it’s a strange drink for him, but whatever.

“Really what?” he prompts me, again.

I sigh as I fix my own plate, grab a bottle of water, and sit down across from him. I’m not hungry, but I like having someone to sit at the table and eat with me. I’ve never had that.

“Hayden,” he mutters warningly, when I still remain quiet.

I move my fork around the casserole and when nothing comes to mind on how to be more delicate, I give up.

“You’re really, hairy.” Michael stops with his fork almost to his mouth to look at me. I was afraid I insulted him, but when he looks at me, he looks more stunned. I think I shocked him. Though, I have no idea how. It can’t have escaped his notice that he’s hairy. If he was a girl I’d call him Rapunzel even…well except for the beard…though I guess some women do have beards. I’ve seen a few. I don’t get it. I’d wax, shave, pluck—whatever I had to do.

“You kissed me because I’m…hairy?”

“Well, I mean, I kiss Charlie on the cheek. To do that with you I’d have had to kiss mounds of hair and still not be sure I was in the right spot. As it was, I had to guess where your lips are.”

“Do you always kiss your male friends?” he asks, and I frown at him.

“I don’t really have any. You know what? With you it’s either feast or famine.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You either grunt and don’t talk, or you talk about a subject until you’re beating a dead horse.”

“Beating a dead horse?”

“Exactly.”

“This is good,” he says, using his fork to point at his food. He’s evidently decided that we have played beat-the-dead-horse long enough.

“Thanks,” I tell him, hoping for some reason that he goes back to grunting.

My head jerks up when he stands. I watch him take out a glass and open the fridge. He gets a glass of milk, and I shrug. Guess he didn’t like the lemonade. I think it’s better than the store bought, but I don’t guess you can please everyone. I jump when he puts the milk beside me.

“What—”

“You need to drink milk. It will help Maggie grow,” he mutters and sits back down to eat again.

“You’re a strange man Michael.” I sigh, but I take a drink of my milk.

In response, he grunts and I can’t stop the smile that forms on my face.





48





Beast