One Chance, Fancy (Bear Bottom Guardians MC 5)

“I’m not afraid of needles,” he amended. “I dislike sitting still for the process of getting it done.”

“But you tattoo,” I pointed out. “That requires you to sit still.”

“It does,” he agreed. “But it also requires my concentration and engages my brain. I’m not the one sitting there with nothing to do for long periods of times. I’m working. Putting skills to use. That kind of thing.”

Ahhh, that made sense. “Gotcha.”

The radio squawked in Bayou’s hand, and the chick that’d ordered everyone out to the landing zone said, “Cancel the landing zone. Patient died en route.”

“Bummer,” Zee said, looking tired.

“Woke up for nothing,” I said. “Do you have clothes underneath that?”

I gestured to Zee’s flight suit.

“Yes,” he answered. “The insides of these are rough and uncomfortable. Plus, they’re very thin. If I didn’t have clothes on you’d be able to see everything from my nipples to the hairs on my balls.”

Before I could answer that, my phone was shoved into my face.

“Ack.” I pulled away when the light nearly blinded me.

The phone was removed from my sight, and I looked over to see Bayou tapping away on it before handing it back to Isa.

“Puzzles?” Zee asked.

“She likes them,” I shrugged. “I saw her playing with one when we first met her, so I downloaded a few of the apps to my phone so that she could play.”

“You should probably try to limit her screen time,” Brielle said. “You don’t want her to turn into one of those zombie kids that only plays on the phone and then gets fat because she doesn’t move around.”

I’d have flipped her off if my hand wasn’t going numb from supporting Isa’s solid weight. She didn’t look like she weighed that much, but the kid was packing a surprising amount of weight into her tiny frame.

I looked over at Bayou to possibly do a transfer, but it was to find him gone, talking to a few of the guys and gesturing at the firetrucks that were blocking the road.

I looked at Zee and smiled at him. “Do you mind holding her for a second?”

Zee held his hands out, but before he could take her, Brielle stepped forward and also offered her hands.

Isa, who hadn’t cared about being transferred over to Zee’s arms, did have a problem being transferred over to Brielle’s. She gave out a mighty pterodactyl screech, causing every man in the vicinity to look over with concern.

“No.” I smacked Brielle’s hands away. “She doesn’t do well with women yet.”

Brielle dropped her hands, but obviously not her attitude.

“You don’t get to decide who she goes to,” Brielle snapped.

“Actually, she does,” Bayou said as I made the transfer of Isa to Zee’s arms. Isa settled into his hold without complaint, and my arms finally had relief.

“Why?” Brielle asked. “Wouldn’t you think as her aunt that I would have more say so in her than this woman?”

She gestured at me like I was a piece of shit that had crossed her path.

“Maybe,” Bayou answered. “But she’s scared of women, and for some reason has bonded with Fancy.”

“Fancy?” Brielle stiffened.

“Phoebe,” Zee supplied helpfully. “Let me guess, it’s the hair?”

I touched a tendril that’d fallen down out of the messy bun I’d placed it in after my shower.

“Probably,” I admitted.

“No.” Bayou shook his head. “Not that.”

But he didn’t say anything more, causing me to become increasingly curious about why.

But before I could pester him some more, an ambulance passed by sans lights and sirens, and an arm popped out to wave at us.

“Did they say what was wrong with whoever was in that ambulance?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Twenty-nine-year-old mother of three had a heart attack,” Zee muttered. “She had a DNR that the husband was able to provide.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Twenty-nine?”

Zee nodded. “Yep.”

“Holy shit,” I said.

“You leaving?” Bayou asked.

Zee nodded. “Yeah, guess I should. They’re going to start asking where I am here in a few.”

Bayou reached for Isa, who again didn’t protest the move. Once he had her, he settled her awkwardly in his arms, making me want to laugh.

“Give her to me and I’ll go get her into her car seat.” I held out my hands.

Bayou passed her off to me and I skirted around Brielle who was looking more and more pissed by the second.

Keeping the smirk off my face until I passed her, I walked to the rear passenger door of my dad’s truck and got Isa settled in before leaning my butt against the running board.

Zee was climbing into the helicopter, and his partner, who’d been busy talking to Rome and a few of the other guys, followed him moments later.

Then the huge blades were spinning, and the helicopter was off.

I would’ve stared had I been able to. Seeing it go was actually a really awesome experience. I’d never been that close to one taking off before despite my grandfather owning a fleet of Angel Flight helicopters that serviced the entire Ark-La-Tex.