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He was basically a recluse, hiding out in his cabin high on the mountain, never trusting a soul. Not that I blamed him after the shit he’d been through.
“Thousand bucks says you go home with a puppy tonight,” Theo razzed.
“Thousand bucks says I’m gonna kick your scrawny ass if I do since it’d be because of all you fuckers encouraging it.”
I pointed an accusatory finger between him and Kane.
They both laughed like they thought this shit was funny.
Thing was, I didn’t need any more responsibilities on my plate. This life was already a balancing act, and I was trying my hardest to give Nolan the most normal childhood that I could.
“Nah, brother. I think what’s really clear here is that kid has made you soft,” Theo said, pointing a finger at me.
Might have given Theo shit that he was about half the width asthe rest of us, but the guy could strike you down so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you.
He lifted his cup and took a swig of his beer, flashing the tattoo made of the stacked Ss on the back of his left hand that he had in the exact same spot as the rest of us.
I scoffed though it was true. Other than Raven, Nolan was the one person in the world who could turn me to a hapless pile of putty that he held in the palm of his little hand.
He was the one ounce of goodness I carried. A shock to the purpose I’d found.
“All while he acts like a total prick to the rest of us,” Kane ribbed, grinning from behind his cup. “Our brother here is nothin’ but rainbows and sunshine.”
“Have more riding on the line now,” I grunted, voice low, watching the child run in a circle within the fence.
I used to only have Raven to worry about, which was fucking stress enough, plus the rest of the guys.
My crew was an entirely different thing, though, since there wasn’t one of them who couldn’t stand for himself, but we never hesitated to jump and help each other.
God knew what we’d been through together. What we’d done to survive.
There’d never be an instance when I didn’t have my crew’s back.
But a kid?
Dread pulled through my chest. It was terrifying, and there wasn’t a day that passed that I didn’t wonder how the hell I was going to manage it.
When it was all going to fuckin’ crumble.
Made me sick to think of what might happen to him then.
“Heard you had to take him in to see the good doctor yesterday.” There was the hint of a question in Theo’s voice.
A bolt of angst rocketed through me at the thought. “Yup.”
Nearly crawled out of my skin any time I had to.
Kane raised a brow. “He still on board?”
My chest squeezed tight. “Always seems to be.”
“He’s being paid well enough.” Theo scratched a finger against his clean-shaven jaw.
“I think it’s more than the money. I think he gets it.” Kane dipped his head in a gesture that encouraged us not to worry.
Our voices were low, held between the three of us, though the decibel of the festival echoing around us was loud enough to ensure there wasn’t a chance that anyone could overhear.
Music rolling on the warm air was intermixed with the dull drone of conversations.
