boy with bleach blonde hair, exactly like Penny’s but a lot shorter, runs down the front steps and straight for me.
Fucking hell. The kid looks even more like a miniature Gary than the last time I saw him a few years ago. He’s cursed with the same dark blue eyes, the same cleft in his chin as his wife-beating dad.
Maybe I should hate the kid for that, but I can’t. He’s innocent, and like Penny, I refuse to condemn him because his father’s fucked up, the way people could have done to me if they’d known. This kid could have easily been me.
I laugh and catch him in my arms, lifting him up. “Hey, little man.” I lift him onto my hip with a pretend grunt, as if he’s heavy enough to weigh me down. “Jesus. When did you get so big?”
“I did a picture for you,” he announces with a happy grin.
“Another one? You got me in my costume again?”
“Uh huh.”
“You know, if you keep doing that, everyone’s gonna know my secret identity.”
Behind me, Rat laughs, ruffle’s Ben’s hair, and then bounds up the steps for the arm wrestlers.
For my statement, Ben just shrugs.
“Who’s that?” he asks, pointing at Emma.
I look back at her and she clears her throat, giving him a shy wave, then looking pointedly at me. Waiting for me to explain something you can’t easily make kid friendly.
I smirk at her, watching her grow increasingly nervous. Her eyes plead with me to show tact that I, thus far, have proven I don’t possess.
Completely cool, I turn my eyes to Ben as if he hadn’t spoken. “Show me your artwork later, okay?” I tell him with a pat on the hip.
He looks shrewdly at Emma. “Is she your special friend? Auntie Jules told me about those, you know.”
I choke back a laugh. “She has, has she?”
“Oh my Lord,” Emma mutters, covering her eyes.
The laugh slips out of me. Emma glares.
Still sitting on his bike and putting his arm around a blond bombshell with more hair than should be allowed, Striker watches this exchange with the first real smile I’ve seen from him since the café.
“That’s one way of putting it,” I chuckle, kissing Emma’s knuckles and loving watching her squirm.
“Sorry, Spidy.” Ben’s aunt rushes over to us, smiling brightly and waving at me to let her relieve me of the boy. Penny’s sister is almost exactly like her, but with more hip, more chest, and a few inches less height. “He’s been watching for you all afternoon.”
“It’s no problem. I’ll take him.” I give her a one-armed hug. “How are you, Jules.”
“It’s good to see you, Spidy.” She hugs me with the air of a woman seeking consolation from a big brother, and I squeeze her the same way. “I think I’m making someone jealous, though.”
I glance at Emma, and a thrill races through me at the way she watches me hug another woman under lowered lashes. Her jaw tightens before she looks away and pretends not to notice.
It’s impossible to resist toying with her. “Striker, get her inside and put her to work. I’ll be in in a sec.” I keep my arm around Jules and hoist Ben more firmly on my hip, then start up the steps with them, looking over my shoulder.
Emma’s jaw tightens until I’m sure her teeth will crack. Striker, who’d been moody all the way up here until that smile a minute ago, bites his fist on a snicker, clearly catching on.
“Come on then,” he says, heading up the steps with her. “Let’s put you to good use.”
Her face loses its color. If looks could kill, the one she gave me would have me lying flat on my back.
Okay, so, first, there is no way in hell anything would ever happen between me and Jules. I’ve known her since I was Ben’s age, like Penny and Diesel. She’s cute, but she’s like a sister to me. And no way in fuck would I let any man get his hands on my Wildcat. I’ll lay claim to her in front of all these guys in a minute, and I trust Striker enough to know that any work he puts her to will consist of serving cold ones and helping out the girls behind the bar. But she got on my bad side. Fucking with her is par for the course.
Fear around these guys is a problem, but I know Striker will watch her, so nothing will come of it.