She blushes and ducks her head, so now I know it’s Heidi.
“You even remember who I am?” I ask.
“Of course I remember you,” she says, opening her arms and giving me a big hug. “Welcome home, Grinder.” She’s soft and light in my arms. Smells like strawberries and soap. Not that I’m trying to be a creep, sniffing a brother’s wife—someone I knew when she was a little girl—but it’s been a while since anything pleasant tickled my nose. I inhale deeply and release her. Heidi beams and rests her hand on my arm while Murphy lifts a miniature version of Heidi into his arms.
“This is Alexa,” Murphy says. “Wanna say hi to Uncle Grinder?”
“Hi!” the little girl chirps, waving her fingers at me.
“Well, don’t you look just like your momma did.” Shit, this is weird. Heidi couldn’t have been more than five or six when I went inside. Jesus, time’s a rotten thief. Now she’s got a kid of her own?
Heidi chuckles. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
“She’s not quite the holy terror Heidi was,” Teller says, patting his sister’s shoulder. “Not yet, anyway.”
Heidi grins up at him. “Give her time.”
Murphy sets his daughter down and she scampers over to Hope. My gaze lands on Murphy’s still crisp-looking VP patch. “Congratulations.” Even as a kid, he was reserved and thoughtful. A good choice to advise Rock and move the brotherhood forward. “That VP patch suits you, Murphy.”
His smile slips. “Thanks, Grinder.”
Dex muscles his way in next to Murphy. “So glad you’re out, Grinder.” His arms jerk at his sides and he cocks his head, silently asking if a hug’s okay. Time’s only sharpened his observant and perceptive nature, it seems.
I pull him in for a quick embrace and pat his back. “Real happy to be out, son.”
Ravage had barely patched-in when I went inside, but he still approaches with a respectful handshake and welcome.
Sparky was only a prospect, but he’s a hard kid to forget. “We’ve been working on raising the vibrations in the house for your arrival.” He presses his palms toward the ceiling. “Much healing and restorative energy for you, sir.”
My gaze slides to Rock, who answers with a quick just-go-with-it headshake and shrug.
“I’ll accept all the good vibrations you got for me, Sparky. Thank you.”
Stash side-eyes his buddy before shaking my hand. “Got all sorts of hotties lined up for ya, Grinder.”
That’s the last damn thing I’m worried about. “Appreciate it.”
Bricks is even stockier than I remember—a solid armful as I return his tight embrace. “Welcome home, brother.”
Wrath pats my back. “Trinity, Lilly, and Swan have been cooking all day. You hungry?”
My stomach rumbles at the mention of food. Although, after the garbage I’ve been eating, I’m not sure how my body will react to anything not coming out of a package. “Sure.”
The herd of us move down a long, wide hallway.
“We need to give you an official tour,” Rock says.
“Now that Wrath mentioned it, I’m kinda set on the food thing.” I clutch my stomach to emphasize my point.
“You got it, brother.”
Stash and Teller push open wide, swinging doors, holding them for everyone to pass. Inside, two long, rectangular dining tables take up the dining room. Smaller round tables fill the unused space. To the right, along the back wall, a bar and coffee station are set up.
“You want a drink?” Murphy asks.
“No, but real coffee would be nice.” I eye the dining tables anxiously.
“Coming right up.”
Rock casts a quick glance my way, then snaps his fingers. “Let’s turn this table to make it easier to get around.”
Rav, Stash, and Sparky go about moving one of the long tables so the people seated on the left side will have their backs to the wall instead of out in the open. If anything, it makes it harder for everyone to navigate, and I suspect Rock’s order has more to do with providing me with the comfort of putting my back against the wall—something you learn to do early on in prison if you want to survive.
I’m both appreciative and annoyed by the gesture.
Rock takes his place at the head of the table with his girl. He pats the spot to his right and motions me closer.
“You don’t need to go to special trouble for me, Rock,” I grumble as I pass him.
He studies me for a few beats. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”
I bark out a laugh and slap his arm. That works. I can tolerate the fussing for a day or two. Then I want to get back to normal. Whatever that is.
A door at the back of the room swings open. A tall blonde with curves to grab a man’s attention glides across the room, right into Wrath’s arms. He kisses her forehead and leans down to whisper in her ear.
Ah, now I understand how Wrath ended up settling down.