“What’s up?” I ask, opening the door. I’m worried something happened since it’s the middle of the night and he’s here.
“I was wondering if my sister could spend what’s the rest of the night here. She got picked up at a local party and the deputy called me to come get her. I can’t trust her not to go back out if I’m not there.” He pulls a sullen-looking young girl from the side of the house; I hadn’t noticed her before. She’s beautiful. Her hair is the color of midnight and she’s got these deep, inky dark eyes and long, thick eyelashes. Her skin is pale and flawless, and she could easily be on the cover of any magazine, coming or going. She’s also full of anger and looks like she wants to kill someone.
“Sure, come on inside,” I tell them both, opening the door wider and stepping back.
“Annie this is my baby sister, Lucy. Lucy, this is Annie, she’s Sabre’s old lady.”
“I’ll be seventeen in two weeks, I’m not a baby,” she grumbles.
“I think we’re always babies to our big brothers. I know I was,” I tell her trying to make her feel better as I lead them into the kitchen.
“Was? How on Earth did you get him to stop treating you like a child?” Lucy asks.
“Well, my brother died in a car accident and there’s not been a day since then I haven’t wished he was back here to be over-protective again,” I answer, hoping my message gets across. I watch out of the corner of my eye and see her look at Latch.
“I just made a pot of coffee, would you guys like some?”
“Thanks, that sounds great. I didn’t want to bother you, but I saw you had your light on and figured it’d be better for Lucy to sleep here instead of my truck.”
“Why on Earth are you sleeping in your truck?”
“Remember, Sabre asked me to keep an eye on you. I can’t hardly do that Annie if I’m not around.”
“I thought you went home! You can’t stay outside all night. I’ll fix you a bed on the couch, and Lucy can have my spare room.”
“Annie, we should probably talk about that with Sabre, and I don’t mind….”
“Just hush it, I’ll go find some clean sheets. Lucy, if you want to follow me, I’ll show you where your room will be, sweetheart. You can get settled and then come out and have some coffee, or I could warm you some milk.”
“Warm milk? Please. That sounds so gross.”
I laugh, “It kind of does, but it actually helps relax you. I was just about to make me some. Sabre texted me to let me know they made it okay, and I was just too keyed up to go back to sleep.”
“So they’re all good?” She asks and she seems interested, maybe just a little too interested.
“Yes, I believe so. You know how they are. They never give too much information.”
“Yeah, I do. I know them all though Latch doesn’t let me hang around at the clubhouse much anymore.”
“Really, why’s that?” I ask, opening the door to the room she’ll be staying in.
“He says I’m too old. One of the guys started asking me out and shit. I thought Latch was going to pop his lid. He doesn’t seem to get that I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“I get that, but he’s your brother. Still, you are just sixteen so that’s a little young for one of the members to be wanting to take you out on a date.”
“It was Keys. He’s only six years older than me, but it’s not him I’m interested in,” she says plopping down on the bed.
“So, there is someone in the club you are interested in?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t see me as anything other than a child and he’d never stand up to Latch to ask me out, even if he did.”
“Well, you’re too young to think about settling down anyway. But if it’s meant to be, when the time is right, it’ll happen. Look at me. I’m twenty-six and had given up the idea of ever finding someone I could love, and then my car broke down and I found Sabre.”
“Yeah, maybe, thanks for the room, Annie. I wasn’t doing anything wrong at the party, but I guess some of the neighbors thought we were too loud and called the law.”
“It’s okay. You get settled and come on out when you’re ready. I’m just going to get some sheets and things for you brother and get him settled on the couch.”
I spend the next hour or so talking with Latch and his little sister. I really like her. She’s sweet, funny, and a really good kid. I get the feeling she’s hanging with the wrong crowd and that’s why Latch is concerned. I also get a bigger feeling that she’s got a huge crush on Beast. That’s bad news. He’s a good sixteen or seventeen years older than her and there’s no way he’ll ever see her as more than a little girl, even after she becomes legal. Hopefully, that will work itself out. Once I get them settled, I head back to mine and Sabre’s room. I reach over and grab Sabre’s pillow and pull it into my body, hugging it tightly. I can smell his aftershave on it, and I inhale deeply. Just the scent alone is enough to relax me, and I feel my eyes closing fast. My last thoughts are that of Sabre. I really do love him.
Chapter 13
Sabre
I never had the feeling that I was coming home before. Annie makes everything different.