quick, and Kicks had no intention of leaving Jude on that beach.
Which was probably what the asshole intended, but it had been worth it. He wasn’t in a cut, and though his bike was a Harley, it had no distinctive markings. He was exactly the sort of person who could get lost in the city full of bikers, and no one would be able to pick him out of a crowd.
He hated how clever Hydra was. He hated that a man with a face no one could remember might just be the end of who they were.
13
Kicks rolled up to the house half an hour after leaving the bar. Traffic had been a bitch, but the moment he got on the A1A, he managed to avoid slow traffic, and his bike ate up the miles like nothing. He felt a bit of panic popping and sizzling under his skin as he pulled up to the house, which only got worse until he smelled something cooking just inside the front door.
He took a handful of breaths before turning the corner and stepping into the kitchen, and he found the other man at the stove, swaying back and forth with one hand braced on his cane, the other stirring something in a massive pot. He was singing under his breath—deep and melodic, and good.
And definitely not in English.
When Kicks cleared his throat, Jude didn’t react, and it was then he noticed the earbuds. If this were anyone else, he’d do what Logan taught him—he’d stomp on the floor or flicker the lights. But he didn’t want to startle Jude. The man was jumpy enough as it was, though he was doing his best to hide it. But it was obvious.
In the end, he realized there was no good option, so he moved into the kitchen with heavy steps, and Jude whirled around, pulling one of the earbuds out. “When did you get here?”
Kicks shrugged, tossing his keys and phone on the counter. “Like two seconds ago. Why? And should you be up doing that?” he asked, jabbing his finger at the man’s stance.
Rolling his eyes, Jude pulled the other earbud out, then reached for his phone and tapped the screen. “You mean exercising my leg? Trust me, my doctor will be thrilled that I got anything like physical therapy done today.”
Kicks winced when he realized dragging Jude here was probably fucking with his entire routine. “Do you like…need to go in somewhere, or…?”
“I’m alright.” His voice was flat, and Kicks had no idea if he was telling the truth or not, but it wasn’t his place to push him on the issue. “I thought you were going to be gone longer.”
Shrugging, he brushed past Jude and grabbed a beer from the fridge, cracking the top on the counter before sinking onto his little barstool. “Church didn’t go as long as usual, but that’s because we don’t got new information.”
At that, Jude’s mouth quirked into something like a smile. “It still kills me that you lot call it church.”
Kicks shrugged, feeling a little prickly over that. “Not much difference between what we do and what y’all do.”
He expected push-back, but instead, Jude looked at him with a considering stare. “That makes sense.”
“Does it?” Kicks asked, and Jude let out a small scoff.
“Contrary to your instant judgment of my character, I do understand that this life—and everything that comes with it—is important to you.” He shuffled over a few steps and grabbed two bowls out of the cupboard, setting them down next to the pot. Kicks was too far away and turned slightly on his blind side, so he couldn’t get a good look at what Jude was ladling, but the smell was rich and homey, and his stomach twisted with hunger.
He said nothing in response, not quite sure what to do with the guilty feeling in his gut. He was doing exactly what Jude accused him of. But he didn’t exactly have good experiences in his past with religious types like him. Never in his damn life did he think he’d be playing host to some religious leader, of all fuckin’ people.
And never in his life did he think it would be to one who had fucked him stupid on the road.
Licking his lips, he glanced down at the bowl Jude pushed across the counter and saw soup with dumplings floating in the broth. “Uh…”
“Matzo-ball soup,” Jude said. “My mum used to make it every time I was poorly.”
Kicks’ mouth twitched in a