After Burn (Lost Kings MC 10)

“Next door with Carter.” Hope points to the arcade entrance and he leaves to go find them.

Dante’s girl jumps up and waits for him to take a seat before sitting in his lap. With their age difference, I can’t decide if they’re cute or creepy together. Since I don’t want to fuck either of them, I suppose it’s none of my business.

As soon as Alexa sees Murphy, she stands up in Heidi’s lap and reaches for him.

“Da, da, da!”

Trinity slides out of the booth so Murphy can get next to Heidi and Alexa.

“You being good for mommy?” Murphy asks, taking Alexa and kissing her cheeks.

“Oh my God, she’s so adorable, I can’t stand it,” Athena gushes, stopping to give Romeo a meaningful look.

Once everyone’s settled, the waitress runs over and we order more food.

Hope fixes her gaze on me, trying I think, to figure out if everything’s okay. I reach under the table and squeeze her hand, hoping it’s enough to reassure her for now.

Dante’s girl and Heidi seem to have taken a shine to each other and keep chatting about school. When Alexa’s had enough of their conversation, she reaches over and slaps the table in front of Heidi.

“No one paying enough attention to you, cutie?” Romeo says.

Alexa stares at him for a few seconds before turning her big, questioning eyes Murphy’s way. All of us laugh and Z cracks a “stranger danger” joke.

“Teaching her right from the start?” Romeo jokes.

“Trying.” Murphy slings his arm around Heidi. “She takes after her mom and does whatever the fuck she wants most of the time, though.”

Everyone laughs. Even Heidi.

“That’s not true,” Hope says. “She’s always good. Right, Alexa?”

Alexa grins at her. “Tee!” We haven’t decided if she’s trying to say “aunt” or something else, but it’s what she usually says to get Hope’s attention.

Dante’s gaze slides between Heidi and Hope, finally landing on Hope. “You’re not grandma, right?”

Hope blinks and sits back. “No.”

“Didn’t think so. Too young to be her mom and too pretty to be Gingersnap’s mom.”

Hope chuckles. “I don’t know about that.”

Since we discussed business outside, we mostly relax and listen to the girls talk.

“Trinity’s a photographer,” Athena tells Romeo. “She said she’d help me get some better headshots in Florida.”

Romeo nods at Wrath. “That’s real nice. Thanks, Trinity.”

Wrath’s expression is unreadable, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he asked Trinity to befriend the girl who probably has a lot of information about the Iron Bulls.

That’s why he’s my Sergeant at Arms.

Finally one of the guys from the other club—Savage Dragons MC—ambles in and tells us the highway should be clear for us to continue.

Since the Dragons’ president isn’t with them, Romeo and I take the lead when we return to I-65. Not too far down the road, a tow truck’s pulled over on the side, loading up two bikes. Whoever got pulled over must’ve been arrested.

Only as we pass the tow trucks do I realize I recognize one of the midnight-blue-and-silver Harleys.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I am not in the mood to meet with Priest and the rest of National again.

But a text went out, stating the meeting was mandatory.

The only thing I’m interested in finding out is what the hell happened to Sway and if he’s made bail.

Priest and Valentina have a suite at a hotel not too far from where Hope and I are staying.

Officers from each charter were asked to attend.

It’s a lot of guys crammed into one space.

“Apologize for the tight quarters. I couldn’t secure a bigger space until tomorrow and this needs to be said now.”

The room quiets and everyone turns toward Priest.

“As some of you are aware two of our brothers were arrested and taken in on the way here.”

Curses and grumbling go around the room. Wrath and I exchange a look.

“I want to repeat what I said before leaving. Stay under the radar. I’m working on finding out what they’re being held for. But we know there’s a possibility law enforcement’s gunning for the whole club and Sway and Shadow are just the beginning.

“Jesus Christ,” Z mutters.

“I don’t want anyone leaving early, unless you were already planning to. Let’s make our presence known. We’re here to have fun and relax. And for fuck’s sake, stay out of trouble.”

After the room clears to only a few people, I make my way over to Priest.

“What can I do to help?”

Yeah, Sway’s a pain in my damn ass, but I can’t stand knowing a brother’s sitting in jail.

Priest takes me aside. “Nothing to do right now, Rock. I got attorneys for each of them, but for it’s moving slow. I’ll let you know if I hear something.”

“Thanks.”

He mentions something about a party downstairs, and I nod absently. Hope and I already have plans.

Outside, Wrath’s waiting. “Well?”

I shake my head. “Nothing yet.” I lean in closer. “Gonna call Glassman when I get back to the room and see what he can find out for me.”

“He know any lawyers down in Ala-fuckin’-bama?”

“That prick knows people everywhere.”

“You still coming by tonight?” Murphy asks when we meet up with him outside.

“Yup. Hope’s looking forward to it.”

I nod to Z and Wrath. “Check this party out Priest mentioned. I at least want some of our guys there.”

“You got it,” Z says.

“You’re here!” Heidi opens the door wider and throws her arms around me even though we just saw each other last night. “For once I get to invite you over,” she says breathlessly.

I can’t help smiling at her excitement. “Oh wow. The house is really nice.”

She and Murphy give us a quick tour of the small beach house they rented so they could be close enough to go to the rally with us, but far enough away from the noise and crowds for Alexa.

Rock and I are at a hotel right in the thick of things with everyone else.

“It’s so peaceful here. I might come stay with you,” I tease.

“You can. We have an extra bedroom,” Heidi says. Completely serious.

“I’m kidding. It’s fine.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing,” she insists, gesturing toward the living room. “Carter, Charlotte, and my brother are here too.”

“Hey, Carter,” I call out. I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to him on the trip and feel bad. I don’t want him to feel excluded.

He waves and goes back to his sketchbook.

“He’s been very inspired on this trip,” Teller says with a slight eye roll.

“That’s great.”

Murphy, Teller, and Rock end up grilling outside on the patio. Charlotte and I talk about the work waiting for us when we get home.

“Is it bad that I kind of want to set my office on fire when we go back?” she jokes. At least I think she’s joking.

“If we don’t have that fantasy once at least once a month, we’ll go insane.”

“When the arson investigators come knocking on our door, I’ll pretend I never heard that,” Carter says without lifting his head and looking at us.

“You blend in awfully well, Carter,” I tease.

“Necessary skill in our family.”

Charlotte’s mouth twists into a grimace. “He’s not wrong.”

Curious about what he’s been so diligently sketching on our trip, I inch closer to him on the couch. “Am I allowed to see your sketches?”

He glances up with wide eyes. “You want to? Why?”

“Well.” I flick my gaze in Charlotte’s direction, seeking assistance. She smiles. “Teller keeps saying how talented you are and—”

“He does?”

r />   “Yes. And Murphy mentioned you were working on some sketches for a mural for Alexa’s room.”

Slowly, he turns his sketch pad around. It’s a black and white sketch of a seagull on the sand with the ocean in the background that he’s coloring in with pencils.

“Sketched it this morning on the beach,” he murmurs.

“He’s really good at everything,” Charlotte gushes. “You know some artists only focus one or two things, but he’s good at everything. Portraits, cartoons, drawing, painting, sculpture—”