my mother’s illness as a way to get close to me quickly.” I made a disgusted face and told her flatly, “It was the first time in my life I acted dumb over a man and I swore I would never do it again.” I sighed again. “Then I met Shot.”
Kody got to her feet and walked over to me. She hugged me in a similar manner to how I’d hugged her earlier and whispered, “You didn’t have it any easier than we did, did you?”
I let myself melt into the comfort of her hug. “No. It wasn’t easy.”
However, I knew my mom loved me, and even as sick as she was, she did her best to make sure I never doubted how much. It wasn’t until she died that the full scope of what she’d done to make sure I was provided for was revealed. I hadn’t grown up under Conrad Lawton’s corrupt tyranny like my siblings had, but his misdeeds had found their way into my life regardless.
“You do realize that whatever you have with Shot isn’t going to be any kind of walk in the park, right? No matter how casual or serious things are between the two of you, it’s going to be complicated.” She gave me a look that was hard to decipher. “Case and Crew aren’t very fond of him, but they are both growing incredibly fond of you. Maybe just keep that in mind moving forward.”
I let out an uneven-sounding laugh. “Now who’s being the annoyingly reasonable one?”
She laughed at my flippant comment, and some of the heavy tension from the conversation lifted. “It doesn’t happen often, so appreciate it.”
I did. And I appreciated her.
Talking with Kody about the things we were afraid of, about the mistakes and memories that lived within us, felt good. Felt cathartic and healing.
It felt like I’d finally found a forever family and maybe even my place within it.
Chapter 13
Shot
To what do I owe the pleasure, gentlemen?”
I asked the question as I leaned against my bike, which was parked on the side of a remote back road. I didn’t take my sunglasses off, as both the sheriff and the Texas Ranger made their way toward me.
Case and Hill were dressed casually in jeans, boots, and plain T-shirts. They both wore cowboy hats; Case’s was black, Hill’s a light gray. It was almost as if their choice in headwear was meant to indicate which was playing good cop and which one was playing bad. Neither had his badge showing, but both wore their service weapons in plain sight, reminding me that, while Case might have called this clandestine meeting, they weren’t my friends nor were to be taken lightly.
Hill and Case moved the same, both full of purpose and authority. They held themselves the same, both alert and aware. They reminded me a lot of my brothers and the guys I’d served with. It made sense, since both had been in the military before coming back to Texas and taking up careers in law enforcement. In a different world, the three of us probably would’ve gotten along just fine. At our core, we had a lot in common, but I wasn’t one to walk the straight and narrow. Also, I’d dated Case’s little sister, who just happened to be the love of Hill’s life, so any bonds of brotherhood between us were bound to be unlikely.
Hill pushed the brim of his hat up and gave me a narrow-eyed look. “Did you come out here alone?”
I shrugged and waved a gloved hand around the barren and deserted landscape. “You see anyone else hanging around, Ranger?”
“Doesn’t seem like a smart move. It’s empty and isolated. Anything could happen out here.” Hill’s drawl was slow and smooth, making the threat sound less serious than I knew it was.
I rolled my eyes, even though they were covered, and pushed off the bike. I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, “Really, why did you ask me to meet you out here? I’m busy and have shit to do.”
And I didn’t like being so far away from Presley. Top threw a fit when I asked him to keep an eye on her while I rode out to meet the boys in blue. He still hadn’t wrapped his head around the lengths I was willing to go to for her, and he made it pretty obvious he wasn’t totally behind me starting something with her. For Top, the club came first, foremost, and always,