Gray's Shadow (Kings of Hell MC 4)

Sometimes, Gray wondered if he shouldn’t have burned instead.

The lost arm was only a memory that he intended to soon let go of, happy that despite the occasional discomfort in the stump, there wasn’t much pain to speak of, to the point where he still kept being surprised his arm was gone.

He would get over it. He would.

The worst thing wasn’t getting used to doing things without all ten fingers, but that he kept forgetting about not having half of them. Every now and then he’d try to open a door with the arm that wasn’t there or press the light switch with the long-gone hand, and then, for the briefest moment, he would mourn the loss.

Gray was glad to be out of the hospital, but relief was punctured with worry that he would now be watched for the slightest signs of weakness. Each time he struggled, others would try to help him, or send pitying glances. Until he got used to this new situation, he would always have to keep his guard up. No one deserved to worry about him on top of all the problems piling up on the Kings of Hell MC’s plate.

He tried not to think too far into the future because he would have to admit he was frightened of the changes in his life. For now, he would take things one step at a time.

Get the Pigeon Heart.

Be home on the new moon.

Try to convince himself he didn’t break out in goosebumps every time he thought about the pact he didn’t understand. Come sundown, he’d be stepping into the unknown, confidently striding into the dark, unaware what kind of traps awaited him there.

But first, he needed to survive a ride with Laurent behind the wheel.

“Don’t worry, Gray, I’ve practiced a lot,” Laurent smiled widely, glancing over his shoulder when he should have been watching the road. On the upside, he was driving at the pace of a grandpa heading for church on Sunday, and there was no more snow left after the long winter.

Gray liked Laurent. The guy was as cute as a button, cared for the people around him, and made Beast smile in that gentle way which Gray had never seen on him prior to Laurent’s arrival. Their club president deserved a sweet, if a bit weird boyfriend after the ordeal he’d been through years ago. Spending a month in hospital had made Gray all the more aware of how horrible it must have been for Beast. Gray got away with very few burns on top of the amputation, whereas Beast had been forever changed by fire.

Gray’s suffering was nothing in comparison—all the more reason for him to avoid feeling sorry for himself. This was just a bump on the road. He would be fine. And if any pain remained with him indefinitely, he would offer it to the memory of his brother. After all, he would still be here if Gray had thought about anything but himself that unfortunate night.

Elliot, who sat in the passenger seat at the front of the car, grinned at Gray. With the eyepatch, the pocket watch, and the elegant clothing, he looked like he was the time traveller, not Laurent. “Just don’t tell anyone I let him drive. Beast would lose his shit.”

Laurent pushed back his long wavy hair, and Gray wanted to scream ‘keep your hands on the wheel!’ but worried that could have only been a distraction. “I’m almost ready for my driver’s licence exam, so I see no reason for Beast to worry so much. Everyone drives nowadays.”

Nowadays.

Said the expert on the 21st century. Gray had to give Laurent that for someone who skipped over two hundred years of world development and history, he did learn fast, but he still barely grasped some obvious concepts. In Beast’s shoes, Gray would have also worried about Laurent. Not because he was five-foot-seven and barely twenty, but because Laurent was getting overconfident in situations where he really shouldn’t.

Jake had told Gray that just last week Laurent had tried microwaving a blanket to warm it up the modern way.

“Even Knight thinks he’s made out of glass, but I always say that you can only learn anything if you practice. Moving up and down the driveway won’t prepare him for traffic. So I thought, ‘why not’?” Elliot said, relaxing in the seat as if he had no worries whatsoever about Laurent crossing the line between roadways and driving in the very middle.

Gray tapped his knee and cleared his throat. “Yeah... maybe it would be a good idea to do that once he has his licence? I still have a lot to do tonight.”

Laurent laughed and shook his head. “You can’t stop in the middle of the road, Gray. That’s not how traffic works.”

Elliot sniggered, but Gray just ignored him and leaned forward, grabbing Laurent’s seat. “I’ll teach you something, okay? Slow down and get closer to the right side of the road.” He proceeded to explain how to use hazard lights. Once they stopped and Elliot sat behind the wheel, Gray felt he could breathe freely again.