“So domesticated,” Dex quipped as I set the plates on the table.
A sharp retort burned on my tongue but I wanted to be respectful, so I held back.
When the coffee finished, I set everything on the kitchen table and sat with them.
Dex took a quick sip of his coffee, then set the mug down with a harsh clunk. “So tell me, Henry Homemaker, what are we doing about this situation?”
I rolled my eyes at the homemaker joke. Last time he accused me of leeching off Juliet. I couldn’t win with this dude.
“We aren’t doing anything,” I answered. “I’m going to kill that motherfucker if he gets out on bail.”
“You go at it stupid, cops will cart you off to jail next.” He glanced at the stairs. “Then who’s gonna look after Juliet?”
He had a point.
“Cops seemed to be worried you’d do something about it too,” I reminded him. “Seems like your club’s got a less than sterling reputation.”
Murphy chuckled and glanced away, like he couldn’t believe my audacity.
“We’ll come up with a plan,” Dex said, ignoring the jab at his club. “One that doesn’t land either of us behind bars.”
“They’ll probably hold him at the county jail.” Murphy glanced at Dex and lifted an eyebrow. “We know people—”
“No,” I cut him off. “He’s mine to deal with.”
If anyone was going to snuff the light out of that prick’s eyes, it would be me.
Chapter Fifty-One
Juliet
I spent a few days at home recovering with Roman by my side. If we needed something, he called Dex and it was delivered to the house.
“What do you think about a road trip?” he asked me the night before I went back to school.
“Where?”
He shrugged. “Anywhere. Everywhere.” He cast a sideways look my way. “After graduation, of course.”
“How would you feel about selling the house?” I asked. “We can go on the road. Live like nomads for a while. Then pick a place to settle down.”
“What about college?”
“I can go to college anywhere.”
“It’s your house. I can’t tell you what to do with it.”
I glanced around. None of it felt like mine. I was forever grateful to Mrs. Shields, but after Jared’s attack, it felt tainted. Even though it had been fixed right away, I couldn’t look at the front door without bile burning the back of my throat.
My aunt still lived down the street. A constant reminder that one day soon Uncle Jared might be in the same house while he waited to go to trial or if he accepted a plea deal.
“It’s our house,” I insisted. What was mine would always be his.
“I’m okay with it if you are.”
“I’ll talk to Mr. Porter.”
School seemed to move at a snail’s pace. I so desperately wanted to graduate and move on with my life. At least the ice cream shop opened and Ulfric hired me for the season again. It gave Roman and me more time to spend together. Every night after he finished at the front gate, he’d help me close the stand.
“You want to stay for the second movie or go home?” he asked one Saturday night.
I glanced toward the big white screen. Through one of the back windows, I caught a glimpse of the horror movie playing. “We already saw it last night. And last weekend.”
Someone knocked at the front window. Cursing, I hurried to answer. I hoped they wanted something simple.
I raised the window with a whoosh and click. The guy standing on the other side was so tall, I had to bend over and stick my head halfway out to see his face. Thick hair, strong jawline, tentative smile.
“You wouldn’t happen to be Juliet by any chance, would you?”
I studied his wide shoulders and thick biceps. No ink that I could see, but it wasn’t like I wanted to ask him to take off his shirt. I couldn’t tell if he was a biker friend of Dex’s or someone else.
“Who’s asking?”
He smiled wider. “I’m a friend of Roman’s.”
“Eraser!” Roman shouted. He hurried through the small space and cracked open the side door that led to the parking lot. “Holy shit, brother. What are you doing here?”
Curious, I followed Roman outside. The two of them tackle-hugged each other.
Eraser thumped Roman on the back. “Good to see you on this side, brother.”
“You too.”
They moved to where I was standing at the side of the shack. Roman slipped his arm around my shoulders. “Juliet, this is Easton Cash. He saved my ass on many occasions while we were at the Castle.”
“Family can call me Eraser,” he said, extending his hand to me.
“Oh! Roman’s mentioned you.” I quickly shook his hand.
“I was in the area.” He gestured toward Roman. “Remembered you said you worked here. Took a chance thinking maybe you got your old job back.”
“I’m glad you did.” Roman tilted his head. “Griff’s not with you by any chance, is he?”