Thirty-Three
Skye
Jesse was a shitbag.
But in the best way.
We talked for ages about fuck-all, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was making me cry of laughter.
My heart glowed. The bikers had crashed the grounds and were everywhere. I ditched the fake friends I was trying to make and went to every familiar face I saw. Even Roy was there with Kayla, and I couldn’t help but hug her tightly.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said, unable to hide my surprise.
Since when did Kayla come out to any social event? She was so reserved. I thought it was a miracle itself that she was spending some nights at Roy’s. To boot, she was dolled up in a pretty blouse and shorts. Her skin looked sun-kissed, her dark hair was down and curly. Roy’s huge frame was attached to her side, his large arm wrapped proudly around her shoulders as he peered down at her with that smile you give to the person you love and can’t believe is yours.
“I blame Roy,” she said quietly, lips spreading into a soft smile.
I gave Roy a look of approval, and he laughed deeply. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,” I said, which just made Kayla flush.
“How are you?” she asked next, looking me over. “You look like a bright light in that dress.”
“I’m just so happy to see you guys,” I admitted. It had been hard being away from them.Sometimes—
Ugh.
I let those thoughts go mute.
She looked past me, eyeing Leo and Shane. Her eyes warmed at the sight of Leo, but her smile faded. “He looks sharp, that man, but haunted, too.”
I looked back at Leo. His face was turned in every direction but ours, like he was searching for someone. I nodded once, looking back at her. “He is.”
“Where’s the alcohol?” Roy cut in.
I laughed. “You know we’re throwing this to rebuild the park, right?”
On cue, a bunch of kids raced past us.
Roy’s eyes brightened. “Yeah, but that doesn’t answer my question, sweetheart. Where’s the alcohol?”
I pointed him in the direction of a group of Warlords who had already set up cooler stations and were passing out beers.
“Don’t forget to donate,” I reminded him, cheekily.
He grinned. “Darling, it’s already been done. You think the Warlords neglected this place? Think again.”
With that, he took Kayla by the hand and steered her to them. She looked a little anxious as she waved goodbye to me. The woman squeezed at my heartstrings like no other, and I suddenly missed my mom.
I turned to look back at Jesse, but he was face-to-face with Lance. What was new? Lance was a shithead, never giving a shit he was at the bottom of the totem pole. I knew it was secretly because he was the son of one of the members.
They were having a big disagreement about something. Jesse gave him a warning, but Lance’s young ego was too big to let it drop. Before I could even think about going to them, a scuffle between them broke out, and then another person leaped in, cackling loudly to proclaim, “First man down cooks breakfast in the morning!”
Miles.
My shoulders dropped as I saw him jump in, itching for violence. He swung his giant fist at Jesse, who jumped back just in time to dodge it. But Lance wasn’t so fortunate. He took a punch to the face and dropped to the ground like a bag of potatoes. Guess the poor prospect was going to be making breakfast, though I wondered why Faden would relinquish that job; he loved cooking grub in the morning.
Now it was Miles toying with Jesse. Jesse was a big boy, but Miles had that predatory nature about him. He reminded me of the kind of wolf that played with its food. As he threw his punches, dancing circles around Jesse, I caught the way his shirt rode up. I glimpsed the muscle, the hair, and then I saw the end of a brutal scar just under his ribs—
I looked away, mindful of my own scars as I peered down at my leg. The dress was short, and it was like Leo wanted me to proudly show my scars off or something. It hadn’t bothered me entirely, but I didn’t feel as beautiful as he said I was.