The Biker and the Loner (Oil and Water #3)- S. Ann Cole Page 0,13
my missing trigger-finger, this goddamn pole in my leg, and my PTSD, I highly doubt it."
"Would you wanna go back, though?” he inquires. “If given the chance, that is.”
"In a heartbeat."
As though that's not the answer he wanted to hear, he lets out a distressed sigh, then peels himself off the couch. "Gonna head upstairs. Painkillers are kicking in."
"Cool."
Mid-leave, he stops and turns. "Hey, Toni's been on the fence about selling her house in Opal Meadows, and it’s just been sitting there empty for almost two years now. If you wanna get off that damn compound, you can move in."
"Wasn’t she neighbors with Cookie at that house?"
"Yep."
"Lord have mercy. Why would you wanna do something like that to me?"
Cookie is Judge’s sister and the nosiest woman on the planet. Always up in everyone's business. Manipulative, conniving, and meddlesome as all get-out. That said, she's also the most legit, authentic, ride-or-die woman on the planet.
Grunt laughs from his chest this time. "Lived next to her damn near three years. You learn to appreciate her. Plus, I'm getting the feeling the compound isn't where you wanna be anymore."
"It's not," I admit.
"Well, the offer's on the table. Up to you." He shrugs and leaves it at that.
Once more, I close my eyes again and wait for the painkillers to do their thing. I'll never be cleared for combat again. This is it for me. The notion leaves me feeling even more useless than before I left. My purpose, to die fighting for my country, was not fulfilled. And now I'm left with what? A Den of Heathens' life of drugs, guns, and prostitution?
How on earth do I go back to that, destroying a country that I—along with countless other heroes who lost their lives on the battlefield—fought so hard to protect? The lens I see through now is different. I've seen the other side. I've seen the sacrifices made for our country. It's impossible to go back to being a part of what’s wrong with it.
But once a brother, forever a brother. Get in too deep and there's no getting out. Grunt had been an exception only because I’d shielded him from real club shit from the get-go. A deal I made with Judge before we swore him in. To keep Grunt on the surface so he could leave if he ever decided to.
Not the same for me, though. I know too much.
So, what the hell do I do?
Chapter 4
Ley
I walk into the pub and glance around, searching for Isaac. It’s his first night performing as the lead singer of the new indie band he’s recently become a member of and I'm here to show my support.
Isaac Vaughn is the brother of Alec Vaughn, Kendra's boyfriend. About a year ago, he dropped out of college and moved here to pursue a career in music. He and Kendra bonded almost immediately, and when Kendra started dragging me out with them, we sort of became a social trio.
When Kendra is off traveling with Alec, it’s just us. I’m more reliant on his companionship than he is on mine, though. Isaac’s a social butterfly; people tend to gravitate toward him. He’s not short on friends at all, so I never say no when he invites me out to lunch, or a party, or his rehearsals…I take whatever social invite I get. We don’t have a deep bond or a “bestfriendship”, we’re just friends who understand each other.
The scent of alcohol and salty French Fries wafts on the air. Chatter, laughter, and clinking beer bottles surround me, the pulse and beat of the music thrumming through me.
Someone pokes me in my side, and I whirl around, coming face to face with Isaac. With a wide grin, he wraps me into one of his large hugs. "You came."
"Of course. No way was I gonna miss your debut."
He makes a face. "I'm nervous. Can you tell?"
I drag my gaze over the sizzling Asian-American. Isaac is rockstar-level handsome. All tousled hair, chiseled jawline, sculpted lips, and take-you-to-bed eyes. Tatted, skinny jeans, hipster swag, long legs and long arms.
Although he’s only twenty-one, he has the maturity of a thirty-year-old.
"Un poco," I tell him, bringing my thumb and forefinger together. "But you'll totally rock this. You're a natural."
"I know," he replies with a cocksure grin before grabbing my hand and tugging me through the bar with him. "C’mon. Mindy’s here. You two can catch up."