Battle Hearts (Storm MC Reloaded 3)

I reach for Winter’s arm, drawing his attention to me. “Leave him be.” Winter told me why Maddox and Eloise are at the clubhouse. All I can think is that the boy must be feeling lost and confused over the events of the last couple of days since finding out Eloise isn’t his aunt, as well as being forced to stay somewhere he probably doesn’t want to be.

“He pushes all my damn buttons,” Winter says. “He’s given me nothing but fucking lip since he’s been here.”

It’s so unusual to see Winter this worked up, but then again, he’s tense from club stuff, so maybe that’s why his fuse is shorter.

“He’s a teen, and his whole world has been turned upside down. I’d give you lip, too, if that happened to me.”

Heat flashes in his eyes. “And I’d bend you over if you gave me lip. At least I’d be able to do something with it.”

I move into him, putting my hands on him. “I really need you to bend me over. Like, soon.”

“Fuck, I wish I had time for that now, but I don’t.”

“Maybe tonight?”

Before he can answer me, Ransom calls out, “Winter, you got a minute? Hunt just found something you’ll be interested in.”

“Fuck,” Winter curses under his breath. Then, nodding at Ransom, he says, “Yeah, gimme a minute.”

I drop my hands. “You go. I’m thinking I might spend some time in the kitchen.”

“Here?”

“Yeah. You’ve got men who need food, and I’ve got time to make it. And then maybe you can take me home and whisper dirty things in my ear.”

“I’d fucking like that,” he says before kissing me and leaving to go talk with Ransom and Hunt.

I find a mess in the kitchen. Two of the shelves on the wall have fallen down and it looks like someone started to assemble new ones, but got sidetracked. On top of that, someone has done a big food shop and just dumped all the cans and cartons of long-life milk and juice on the counter in the middle of the room.

I set to work putting the food away and cleaning up. When I get to the shelves, I go in search of the power tools the guys keep in the maintenance cupboard. I’m on my way back to the kitchen when I spy Maddox sitting in the corner of the bar looking bored. Or pissed off. I can’t be sure which, but he certainly doesn’t look happy.

“Hey,” I say, joining him. “You got a minute to help me with something?”

“What is it?” Going by his voice, I’d say he’s pissed off about something rather than bored.

“It’s a boy job I don’t think I can handle on my own.” It’s only a small lie, but I have a good reason for it.

“A boy job? Haven’t you heard that women can do it all now?”

I smile, liking the change in his tone. He doesn’t sound so annoyed. “Well, that might be what your generation says, but I still firmly believe there are some jobs that boys are more suited to.” My smile grows. “But that’s just between you and me, okay? I would never tell Winter that.” Another small lie; Winter knows exactly what jobs are on his list of things to take care of.

He looks a little interested in the conversation now. Crossing his arms, he says, “Okay, tell me, what jobs are boy jobs?”

I take the spare seat across from him, placing the drill I’ve been holding on the floor. “My list is long. You got time?”

He nods and remains silent, waiting for my list.

“Fixing the car when it’s broken, taking the rubbish out, building furniture, painting the house, mowing, removing spiders and bugs from the house, pest control, trimming hedges. Things like that.”

“So basically anything you don’t wanna do?”

I grin. “Bam. You got it.”

“Right, so you look like a princess because you are a princess.”

I lean forward. “No, I’m a fucking queen.”

He doesn’t smile, but his eyes let me know he likes that.