Joker (Hell's Ankhor #8) - Aiden Bates Page 0,76

and offered half to Heath.

“Never thought I’d see it,” Dante murmured with a smile as he adjusted the teetering stack of scones. “Joker’s been at his throat for so long, Heath basically gave up on ever being friends.”

Heath laughed at something Joker said, loud and open, throwing his head back. Dante smiled at the sight.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” I agreed. “He’s opened up a lot.”

Dante nodded. “Yeah. And you have a lot to do with that.”

“I helped a little,” I said, “but he did all the hard work himself.”

“Brennan!” Beau said warmly as he walked up, then clapped me on the shoulder. “Good to see you. This is a hell of a setup.”

“Right?” Tru agreed as he flounced up, looking way too happy in his sleek black shirt and cat ears. “Very festive. Now, everyone yell at Beau for not dressing up as a firefighter like I suggested.”

Beau rolled his eyes, then tugged Tru close with an arm around his waist. “I don’t do costumes.”

“Yet,” Tru chirped.

“Tru!” Joker said, with his mouth still full of cookie. “Nice ears!”

“Oh, incoming,” Dante said, nodding toward the front doors of the hospital. “Here come the VIPs.”

“Oops, gotta go!” Tru said. “Time to man the bike. Come on, Heath!”

The four kids Joker worked with walked out of the hospital first—Heather dressed as Batman, Anna as a zombie, Devon as a fireman, and Patrick as—I stifled a laugh—a biker. They had nurses with them, too, of course, and other kids of all ages from the hospital were following as well, some in wheelchairs, others walking. And they were loud. The kids were laughing, grinning, talking to each other and urging the nurses to hurry up as they made their way toward the parking lot.

Joker lit up. He bounced to my side, looking like a kid himself, his eyes bright with excitement. He wrapped his arm around my waist and caught me in a brief kiss. “I’m gonna take the kids over to the bikes really quick, show them how this whole saddlebag trunk-or-treat works. Don’t let Devon eat too many cookies.”

“You got it, boss,” I said, and then Joker strode across the parking lot to meet the kids. He was nearly pummeled by the hugs the kids gave them, and I heard Heather squeal with delight even from across the parking lot.

The club members that had offered trunk-or-treating setups hurried over to their bikes, too. Dawson headed over to me at the same time that Nix was walking toward his bike—I saw their eyes meet, and then Dawson gave Nix a leering once-over, followed by a little smirk. I watched carefully, ready to step in—clearly they hadn’t sorted out their issues, and I wasn’t going to let an argument ruin this day for Joker.

But then, Nix just rolled his eyes and brushed past Dawson, and that was the end of that. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Joker had Heather and Anna hanging off his hands, tugging him toward the bikes. They were leading him, clearly, but both girls hesitated a little once they approached the motorcycles, each with a costumed biker leaning against it. The kids were obviously a little intimidated, but then Joker led them toward Blade’s bike, and knelt down so he was at eye level with them. He spoke to them both, and the girls stared up at Blade curiously, still a little hesitant.

Then Joker said something, and Blade grinned, and the girls burst into laughter.

“Watch it,” Dawson said from my side. “If your tongue lolls out any further, it’ll hit the floor.”

“Oh, shut up,” I muttered, but maybe my mouth had been hanging open a little bit.

“Serious heart-eyes,” Dawson said. “Kind of cute.”

He raised his eyebrows at me. I couldn’t deny it, though. Seeing Joker work with the kids made something in my chest clench. He was just so good with them, so attentive and caring, and now his whole club got to see him this way, too.

“How are things between you and Nix?” I asked, deflecting. “You seem friendly.”

Dawson cringed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ugh. None of your business.”

I knocked my shoulder against him. “I mean, it’s literally my business that you work for, so…”

“It’s fine,” Dawson said. “Things are fine.”

“If you say so,” I said.

Joker stood up, and the rest of the kids started approaching the bikers with bigger smiles, getting candy and admiring the bikes and costumes. He watched them for a few more moments and then, satisfied that they were happy, turned and strolled