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“Thanks to you,” I tell him and look over my shoulder at Stone’s blue gaze, the intensity of it making my breath catch. “Both of you.”
The tension between the three of us is thick, and I feel myself being pulled in two different directions. I care for Gray, but now that Stone’s home, I can’t deny my connection with him.
But I don’t want to hurt either of them, so I simply ignore it, focusing on being safe.
“Of course,” Stone growls, looking unhappy and guilty, his jaw clenched tight. “I need to get back to the ranch,” he grumbles as he stomps to his bike.
I chalk it up to worry over my safety and guilt because he thinks this is somehow his fault, even though it’s not.
But I wonder if there’s more to it, if he feels the same pull I do. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.
I’m with Gray, and that’s how it has to be, even if my heart’s not fully in it anymore.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Stone
I speed down the highway, the wind whipping at my bare forearms as I head back to the ranch. The image of Ivy wrapped up in Gray’s arms keeps flashing through my mind, and it’s like someone reached into my chest, scooped out my guts, and tossed them on the hot concrete.
Why the fuck does it bother me so much? She’s his girl; he’s my friend. I shouldn’t give a damn. But I do, and it pisses me off that I can’t shake this feeling.
I take the long route back to Hardtail Ranch, trying to calm the storm raging inside me before the inevitable talk with my dad that I avoided two nights ago. “Fuck!” He’s going to be pissed, and I have no choice but to accept it. This is all my fault—the fight at the bar and the attack on Ivy. It all falls squarely on my fucking shoulders.
I’ll happily take the blame because I fully intend to put an end to this bullshit.
The last thing I wanted was to leave any of them standing, but Gray was right. I can’t kill anyone without the club’s approval.
I march into the house and follow the sound of Ma’s voice. She’s in the kitchen talking to my dad. The sight of Dad’s hands on Ma’s ass makes me frown instantly. “Y’all got a minute?”
Ma looks over her shoulder and offers me a smile. “Hey, kiddo. What’s up?”
“Hey, Ma.” I kiss her cheek and turn to my dad, gripping the kutte in my hand before tossing it on the back of the nearest chair. “We need to talk.”
He nods, motioning for me to have a seat. His eyes narrow as he takes in the kutte. “What’s this?”
“Skull Crushers MC.” I describe what went down at the bar. “I killed him before he could kill me,” I explain, so he knows that I understand I can’t just act on my own. “You know this club?”
“Heard of it,” he says, his gaze never leaving my face. “Why are you telling me this now?”
Shit. He knows. “I was going to tell you the night it happened, but I didn’t because I wasn’t ready to see that disappointed look on your face.” I point to the exact look he’s wearing now. The one that cuts deeper than any knife. “But those assholes came after Ivy today. They surrounded her on the interstate. Gray and I had to go get her.”
“Is she all right?” Ma asks.
I nod. “She’s not hurt, just scared.” And safe in Gray’s arms.
“Ford told me about the fight already. He said you tried to avoid fighting until he came after you.” Dad’s mouth splits into a grin. “How fucking hard was that?”
I relax a little and smile back. The thousand-pound weight on my shoulders finally lifts. “Harder than I’ll ever admit.”
“You’re learning. Good.” He nods at the kutte and sighs, the lines in his face deepening. “They’re a problem, and they will retaliate. The guy you killed was an enforcer.”
My fists ball up tight, fury coursing through me like hot lava. Yeah, this is my fault, but those motherfuckers started it. “Who do they think they are? Going into Smoky’s place and acting like fools. Seriously, Dad. This is our turf.”
“At least we know what kind of men we’re dealing with,” Dad says through clenched jaws, his eyes hardening.
“Yeah, we do. Dead men,” Gray says from the kitchen doorway. His sudden appearance catches me off guard. Why is he here instead of with Ivy? He stands there with his arms crossed over his chest like he’s tough. Which, I guess he is, but he’s glaring at me with an intensity that makes me want to kick his ass.
What the fuck?
