matched. Therapy won’t do it. Neither will chatting with your friends or writing in your journal. There’s no growth imaginable that will ever compare to the way you’ve taken your life back.”
“I feel guilty,” I mutter.
“That shit will pass soon enough.” Emmalyn winks at me. “You not only saved yourself, but you saved whoever would’ve come next after he finally killed you.”
Blunt and to the damn point, I think I love this woman.
“Callum and Miles said you want to return to work, so that’s why we’re here.” Misty holds up a bottle of foundation. “We’re going to show you how to cover your bruises without looking like a drag queen.”
“Don’t get us wrong,” Emmalyn interjects. “Drag queens are fabulous, but it’s really not going to work for your nightly shift at Jake’s.”
Misty drifts closer with a sponge. “Once you heal, you’ll never have to hide your beautiful face under a pound of makeup because he can’t hurt you anymore.”
I nod, facing my new friends as they tenderly apply makeup to my face. I ruin it with tears more than once as I listen to details of Emmalyn’s story and how long it took her to heal, but they remain patient with me, even as I confess some of my own fears.
What I don’t mention is the baby and how complicated things are right now.
By the time they leave, I’ve been given everything I need to replicate the look for when I return to work, and I have two new numbers programmed into my phone with the insistence that when I feel up to it, I call them so we can have lunch.
I’m smiling when they walk out, but then sadness settles back over me once again because I’m not so sure they’ll remain in my life once Rocker and Jinx finally realize I’m not worthy of either of them.
Chapter 11
Rocker
“I’m surprised you let her leave the apartment,” Grinch huffs when I can’t seem to pull my eyes from the bar.
Simone was off for a week, and it still makes my jaw clench to know that yellowing bruises remain under her makeup.
Calling in Misty and Emmalyn to help her was a good call. Too bad it wasn’t something I ever would’ve considered. Jinx is stepping up his game where she’s concerned. I love my best friend and everything, but I never expected to see him as the damn competition. Hell, I never would’ve expected to be a man willing to fight over a woman.
It’s one of the main reasons I’ve taken a few steps back. Everything has changed so fast; it’s giving me fucking whiplash.
“We don’t own her,” Jinx says, lifting a bottle of water to his lips. Normally, by now, he’d be a pitcher of beer deep, but he doesn’t seem to be drinking tonight. For all his insistence about Simone, his focus is exactly where mine is tonight.
I pull my eyes from the bar long enough to look at Grinch, only to find his eyes darting between Jinx and me.
“Baby momma drama?”
“I’m not a fan of drama in my clubhouse,” Kincaid mutters, but his eyes stay on the dance floor, a frown painting his lips as Hound and Gigi dance like no one’s watching.
Shadow laughs, his lips smiling around the mouth of his own beer bottle. “The clubhouse is nothing but constant drama. Just look at your Lieutenant and Gigi.”
Gigi, as if she heard her name, looks over at our table, waving at her father without stopping the roll of her hips against Hound.
“He’s the father of my only grandbaby,” Kincaid says with a warning tone.
“It’s sounding like you’re hoping for more soon,” Shadow teases as he watches Kincaid’s other daughter Ivy nuzzle her face into Shadow’s oldest son’s neck. “You may get that wish soon enough, old man.”
“You’re looking in the wrong direction there, Pops,” Cannon says, but his girl Rivet, one of the Cerberus crew, slaps him across the chest.
“Bite your fucking tongue, Griggs.”
Cannon grins wide when Shadow’s smile quickly drops off his face.
“He’s joking, Boss Man. I swear.” Shadow looks from Rivet to Cannon and back again, and the pure terror in his eyes makes Kincaid laugh.
“I think Delilah and Lawson will have a baby next,” Snatch says as he wraps his arm around Itchy’s back, the joy of having a grandchild clear on both their faces.
His husband smiles wide, and it’s easy to see that they’re hoping for exactly that as we all turn our heads to see Lawson and Delilah dancing close and whispering