the crew.”
“Sounds like a deal.” Gunny thudded a closed fist against Bane’s shoulder. “I’m fuckin’ ready to roll, brother. Get that piece of shit dealt with so those boys can put all this behind ’em. Time to make good memories, startin’ right here and now. Those boys gonna love Truck’s place, and you’re givin’ ’em a good fuckin’ family.”
Bane remained at the window, staring down at Myrt as she laughed with her brothers, ducking back as Luke flung water her direction. She glanced up and their gazes caught and held, a smile stretching across her face. It only lasted an instant until Luke was successful in splashing her, but Bane felt the connection between them grow stronger.
Somethin’ about this woman.
Not too much later the boys were dried off and seated at the table in Gunny’s room. Myrt perched on the edge of a bed nearby, watching her brothers eat with a satisfied expression on her face.
“Hey, Myrt?” She looked up at Bane where he leaned against the wall. Tipping her head to the side, she scrunched up her nose, questioning silently. “Happy looks good on you, babe.”
Thad’s chair jolted as he turned halfway around to glare at Bane.
Gunny’s chuckle was dark as he muttered, “Oho, gonna have to watch out for baby brother.” He brushed past Bane on his way to the door. “Let’s roll, man.”
“Right behind you.” He tossed the van keys to Gunny and detoured to stand next to Myrt. With his back to the boys, he loomed over her, pleased to see no fear in her face as she looked up at him. “We’ll be back soon.” Fingers around the hinge of her jaw, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Stay inside. You’ve got food and drinks. My card if you need to order anything else. Just sign it in a scribble, they’ll think it’s me anyway.”
“Okay.” Her bottom lip pouted out the tiniest bit, turning her from pretty into even more gorgeous. “Be careful.”
“I told you, we will be.” He bent and brushed his lips across hers, thrilled when she chased his mouth. “Leave the door between the rooms open; that way, you can hear the boys.”
Her repeated response was soft. “Okay.”
With final soft kiss at the corner of his mouth, he slid his lips to her ear. “Back real soon, baby.”
The noise she made was the one that made his dick get hard, and he had to fight his instinct to take more, kiss her deeper, bend her backwards on the bed until she whimpered underneath him.
Jesus.
Bane forced himself away, turning towards the door and walking through, finding Gunny chuckling in the hallway. The door clicked shut, and he thudded his fist against Gunny’s chest with a muttered, “Fuck you.”
Non-club-related small talk got them halfway up the mountain, rounds of “did you know” and “where is he now” weaving the threads of common connections between them. They were easy enough together so when Bane had a thought, he voiced the question without worrying Gunny’d take it the wrong way.
“When you patched over the Jailbreakers, were you cool with takin’ on a bunch of members like that?” He glanced over to where Gunny lounged in the passenger seat. “Lotta new blood all at once.”
“Yeah, lotta men, but they were in our pocket anyway.” Gunny stared out the window. “Good guys. We nearly lost ’em to the IMC. Was glad to keep ’em in the family.” He sat up and pointed. “Hey, stop a minute. Let’s pick that up. I’ve got an idea for what we can do when we catch up to Sallabrook.”
Without a word, Bane steered the van to the edge of the road and stared at what Gunny had indicated. “You fuckin’ kiddin’ me?”
“Naw, brother. Trust me on this. I got an idea.” Gunny’s chuckle was dark and wicked sounding as it rumbled out of him. “Get it.”
Bane exited the vehicle, staring up and down the empty road. He walked to the back of the van and flung the doors wide, glaring into the interior and considering his options. There was a partial roll of trash bags off to the side, left over from his and Myrt’s shopping trip for the boys. Plenty remained for what was needed now.
He finished and slung the bag into the back of the van, then scrubbed his hand against the damp grass, kissed by the evening dew—the dichotomy of using something so pure to cleanse away filth flashed clear in his mind, one he didn’t even try