Blood & Bones: Ozzy (Blood Fury MC 9)

“Because Stella is my sister.”

What? Oh yeah… “And?”

Lizzy… Fuck… Liz rolled her eyes but her voice was soft and patient when she pleaded, “Don’t be like this. I don’t want it to be like this between us.”

He dropped his gaze to her hand that was now wrapped around his forearm. He missed her goddamn touch. “I don’t, either, but you won’t come the fuck home where you belong.” He yanked his arm free and she let it go.

“I’m home now.”

“But you’re with him. And you’ll go back to Shadow Valley with him. Then next thing will be you wearin’ his fuckin’ cut, then fat with his kid. That right?”

Her lips flattened out. Yeah, he was right.

“I love him, Oz.”

He started at the top and checked all his pockets again. Where the fuck was his Zippo? “Thought you loved me.”

It had been his father’s. He better not have lost it. It was the only thing he had of his.

He stopped his searching when she closed her eyes. He watched her throat undulate as she swallowed.

When she opened them, she looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Yes, I loved you, but I’m in love with him. He loves me and treats me with respect.”

Respect. The fucker should’ve given a fellow biker respect by not stealing another man’s property. He shook himself mentally. Another club’s property.

Fuck. Maybe stealing wasn’t right, either, since he had asked Trip first.

And it was Trip who said yes.

But that was before they found out her veins were full of Fury blood. That should’ve changed everything.

“And I called you a fuckin’ whore. Got it. Destroyed everythin’ ‘cause I fucked up with that one little word.”

“It wasn’t just one little word, Ozzy, that’s the problem.”

“I was fuckin’ pissed.”

“Yes, and you said out loud what you were thinking.”

“Was a fuckin’ mistake.”

“One you can’t take back.”

“You know what, Liz? I’m done talkin’ about this shit.” He jerked his head toward The Barn. “Your man’s in there waitin’ for you. Bet he’s in there wonderin’ if you’re on your knees suckin’ my dick right now.”

Liz groaned and shook her head. “Can you please make nice with him since we’ll be back on a regular basis?”

One corner of his lip curled up. “Askin’ for the impossible, baby.”

“I’m not, and he’s willing.”

“Yeah, of course he fuckin’ is, ‘cause he’s fuckin’ you. So, yeah, he can gloat about stealin’ you from under my nose.”

She sighed. “I wasn’t yours for him to steal.”

“Were you in my bed every fuckin’ night?”

“You wanted me there.”

“You never said no. Had to mean somethin’.” He raised his palm. “I get it. I hurt you, you hurt me back. We’re even. Or we were ’til you took it a step further by leavin’ with him.”

“I deserve to be happy.”

“Didn’t know you weren’t.”

“I love him, Oz.”

“Yeah, you said that already. Only been with him about six weeks. You were with me two fuckin’ years.”

“I was a sweet butt for two years. I wasn’t with you. I was with a lot of you.”

A reminder he didn’t need. “Didn’t know you wanted me to claim you.”

“I didn’t. I never wanted that. But if I had wanted that, would you have?”

He stared out into the dark over her shoulder.

“You can’t even answer that,” she said softly.

“Don’t matter if I did or didn’t. You woulda said no, anyway.”

“You’re right, I would have. Because I know you better than you do yourself. You didn’t want me forever, Ozzy. You wanted the idea of me but without the commitment. You wanted the convenience of me. You knew you could have me whenever you wanted and you could share me with anyone you wanted, too. Man or woman. You had it all with someone who didn’t complain about sharing you and didn’t get jealous. Funny how that ended up only working in one direction.”

“Said I was done talkin’ ‘bout this.”

She stared at him for a long moment, then eventually nodded her head. “I’m sorry, Oz.”

“Yeah, me, too.” He pushed around her and continued toward his sled, hoping his key wasn’t in the same place where his Zippo was.

His feet stopped moving on their own and he stared at his boots for a few seconds, taking a few breaths. When he was done, he turned and saw Liz still standing where he left her. She was turned toward him, watching him.

“Despite what you think, want you to be happy, Liz. Gonna do my best not to be a dick, but that’s the best I can do.”

“Thank you.”

He jerked his chin up at her, then turned and finished heading to his sled. When he got there, he straddled it and sat there, watching her walk back into The Barn.

And back to Crash.

Yeah, that fuck-up hurt.

It would be a while before that mark faded.

And maybe never would.

Chapter Two

The buzzer went off in his apartment, indicating someone had entered the office downstairs. He only turned that annoying alert on when no one was working the desk. Or when he was supposed to be working the desk and didn’t want to sit in the office, which was never.