Fractured Brotherhood (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation 7)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tess

“You guys should come over to the clubhouse on Friday.” Meg gathered Buster in her arms, and he licked her chin.

“What’s happening Friday?” Zag asked.

I put the last cup in the cabinet and closed the door.

Meg and I finished up the dishes after having one of the best meals of my life. Zag hadn’t been joking when he said that Meg was one hell of a cook. I knew my cooking was top-notch, but I bet Zag thought I was horrible at cooking if he grew up with Meg cooking for him.

“I don’t know,” Meg laughed. “I just thought you two should come to the clubhouse on Friday.”

“Babe,” King drawled. “Do not even think about having some kind of last-minute party. We’re in the middle of trying to find Malcom.”

Meg looked around the kitchen. “Do you think this was a party?”

King kicked his feet out in front of him and folded his arms over his chest.

“He doesn’t know if he should say yes or no,” Easy whispered. “Each answer has a different outcome.”

I hung up the dish towel and moved next to Zag, who was leaning against the counter. He looped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side. I snuggled into him and rested my head on his shoulder.

Things had gotten better once we got back from the store. I still wasn’t talking much, but I wasn’t so much on edge at the thought of even opening my mouth. I kept reminding myself that these were the people Zag surrounded himself with, and they were like him.

“Well?” Meg drawled at King.

“No,” he grunted.

Meg clapped her hands together and smiled wide. “Perfect! We’ll do this again, but at the clubhouse on Friday.”

Luna raised her hand. “Ransom and I can’t make it. I haven’t seen that man awake for more than about four hours this week. He has off Friday, and I’m not letting him out of bed.”

“Bro,” Frost groaned. “We did not need to know anything after saying you won’t be around Friday. Those details about not getting out of bed were unnecessary and, frankly, gross.”

Luna lifted her middle finger at Frost. “Don’t care, fuckstick.”

“You kiss your mama with that mouth?” Frost laughed.

“Her mama would probably call you the same thing,” Zag chuckled. “You know, Aunt Marley probably would have called you worse.”

Luna smirked. “Mama raised me right.”

Meg grabbed a container of leftovers and put it in the fridge. “Thankfully, she didn’t raise you to be a horrible cook like she is.”

“Amen,” King, Frost, Demon, Easy, Zag, and Luna said in unison.

“I don’t think there is a worse cook than your mom,” King laughed.

Luna pursed her lips. “Yeah, I think it takes a special person to think that mixing tuna, carrots, mayo, and green sprinkles would be good.”

Meg held her hand to her chest and blinked rapidly. “I probably shouldn’t ask this, but why on earth just the green sprinkles?”

“She couldn’t find any parsley, so she thought the sprinkles would be the green.”

“Be the green?” Meg laughed. “Does she know that herbs do more than just give color to food?”

Luna shrugged. “I think she might know that now after dad threw up right in the kitchen garbage can.”

“Sweet tuna,” Demo winced. “I don’t even want to imagine what that would taste like.”

“Gross,” Easy and Frost called.

Meg sighed and shook her head. “Maybe someday she’ll get the hang of cooking.”

“Yeah,” King laughed. “Because the past fifty-five years of her life hasn’t been long enough.”

“I’m just glad she only gave us food poisoning once,” Luna sighed.

“Don’t forget when the whole club had the runs for a few days after Zag and Zig graduated,” Demon added.

“W-W-What?” I sputtered. Marley had food poisoned her own family? And the club? That was crazy.

Meg nodded. “Oh yeah. Marley tried to wipe out her whole family with a batch of her special potato salad.”

Luna wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t touched the stuff since. Even if I know mom didn’t make it, I still won’t touch it. It was like my butt was convulsing for three days.”

“Oh god,” Easy groaned. “That’s almost as bad as you talking about keeping Ransom in bed.”

Luna winked at Easy. “You’re welcome for those visuals.”

“And this is when I think it’s time to hit the road.” King stood and nodded to Meg. “Let’s hit it, babe.”

“Okie dokie.” Meg smiled at me. “You get all of the leftovers. That’s part of the deal when I cook; the leftovers stay wherever they were cooked.”

“Would you w-w-want to c-c-cook here every night?” I laughed.

“She would just need to cook here twice a week, and we would have enough to eat all week. Meg cooks for an army every time.” Zag squeezed his arm around me.

“I should start meals on wheels for all you bikers.” Meg blew her hair out of her face. “I could make a killing.”

“I know my dad would sign up,” Luna chuckled.

King walked over to Meg and put his arm over her shoulders. “She would make his meals for free so that we knew that Marley wouldn’t accidentally kill him.”

King led Meg out the front door, and we all followed behind.

Zag and I stood in the doorway and watched them get on their bikes and leave.

“Do you guys only drive your bikes around?” I asked.

Zag pulled me back into the house and locked the door. “If it’s above 32, and it isn’t raining or snowing, yes.”

“I guess that’s one way to save on gas, huh?”

It was half-past nine, and I was ready for bed. I was getting a little worried that we were going to have to kick Meg and everyone out.

“I think I’m ready for bed.” I smothered a yawn with the back of my hand and stretched my arms over my head. “Entertaining is something I haven’t done, well, ever.”

Zag gathered me in his arms and pressed a hot, searing kiss to my lips. “You did amazing.”