Page 19 of Bad for You

Dane had asked me to come into the shop next time I was in town. Today was that day. I did the Black Stone-to-Rocktown ride regularly. But I’d come back sooner than I’d planned. And there was no point bullshitting myself why. I’d wanted to catch a glimpse of Lila.

I had.

And I’d fucked it up royally.

I’d envisioned a million different versions of our reunion in my head. None of them had included me acting like a jealous prick or her mocking me for being a soft-cock-loser.

Dane leaned on the counter as Cal walked out, his client behind him.

“Cassy’s pregnant,” Dane said.

I lifted my hands in surrender. “Don’t look at me.”

Cal growled under his breath as he took money from the guy with him. His client walked out and Cal turned to us.

“You back at Bunkers?” Dane’s older brother asked me.

“Not yet.” Bunkers Tattoo and Piercing was Ramblers owned and where I’d worked before I went away. I hadn’t gone back yet. I’d been helping Soph settle in, which had been tough. She was confused and, despite my brother being a violent asshole, heartbroken. She’d just moved out of my place and in with her sister, and I hoped getting away from me, from our family, would be good for her. “Why?”

“Cassy gets bad morning sickness. She was…hospitalized when she was pregnant with Jack. I’m gonna take over the ranch full-time, look after my wife and my boy for a few months at least. We have plenty of work here if you’re interested. And the apartment upstairs is empty.”

Huh.

That, I hadn’t expected.

I hadn’t felt right since I came home. Part of that was worrying about Sofia constantly, making sure she didn’t flip out and run back to Trip. But also, my place didn’t feel the same. I didn’t know what it was, but I was restless. Probably because I’d been on the road for so long?

Whatever it was, maybe working here for a while would be a good thing, for me and for Soph. She’d been leaning on me heavily. Which was fine with me, but she needed to find her new normal and I got the feeling that was hard for her with me around all the time reminding her of Trip. Right now, she was solid with her sister, and Rocktown was still close if she needed me.

And Lila’s here.

That little fact went right in the pros and cons list.

Con: Because she wasn’t mine anymore, and seeing her with someone else would seriously fuck me up.

Pro: Because this was Lila, and I fucking wanted to see her no matter what.

“Yeah, sounds good. I’m in.” I had to be a masochist or dumb as shit to agree to this. I was going with the latter.

“Just like old times, brother,” Dane said.

Dane had lived in Black Stone for a while and finished his apprenticeship with me at Bunkers before he and Eves got together, which is how we’d gotten tight.

I snorted. “Except without all the drinking, fucking, and fighting.”

“I have a girlfriend. I’m not dead,” Dane said. “Eves and I regularly drink and fuck.”

“Showoff.”

Dane smirked.

I glanced at Cal, who was observing us, frowning. “Have no fear, Cal, my man. I’ll be on my best behavior. I swear no besmirching the Rocktown Ink name.”

Dane’s phone beeped, and he checked it.

Cal’s lips twitched, an almost smile. “Glad to hear it. Right, I need to clean up.” He headed back to his room, and I turned back to Dane.

“What’re you doing tonight. Bar?”