The world was a darker place without Shelly in it—my world was darker without Shelly in it.
Mark and I had barely spoken at the funeral, a quick greeting, and an even quicker goodbye. But he’d given me something that had belonged to Shelly, her favorite piece of jewelry. It was a gold plated necklace with a heart shaped charm. It was worthless, and it had turned her skin green, but she’d won it at the county fair when we were in high school and kept it all these years. She’d worn it every day until the chain had broken, but she’d kept it anyway because she was sentimental.
“It’s good luck. It’s going to bring me my true love,” she had said with a twinkle in her eyes.
We’d giggled and fantasized about what our true loves would look like. We were teenage girls who were bound together by loss and grief, who found solace in friendship because we were soul sisters.
“Love you, girl,” I whispered.
Colt was sitting on the closed toilet, grimacing as he tried to bandage his side.
“Need some help there, tiger?” I asked leaning against the doorframe.
“Would you think less of me if I said yes?”
I pushed away from the doorjamb and came to his side. “Let me see what you did to yourself.”
He reluctantly pulled the bandage away from his wound. It was angry and red, and reminded me that he’d been in a hospital bed not that long ago.
“Oh, that looks like shit,” I told him. “Let me wash it and bandage it.”
“Did you know?” he asked.
His question stopped me in my tracks. “Yeah. I knew.”
“You knew and didn’t tell me. Why?”
“Because Joni is my friend and I kept her confidence.” I looked him in the eyes. “Are you mad at me for that?”
“For loyalty?” He shook his head. “No.”
“You really didn’t know anything was going on between them?”
He rubbed a thumb across his stubble. “I knew something was going on between them. I didn’t know it was serious, but I knew.”
“You pretended like you didn’t.” I bent down to his side with a warm, wet washcloth and gently cleaned his wound.
He gritted in pain but didn’t make a peep. “I thought they were just fucking around.”
“You sound disappointed to find out that it’s more than that between them.” I set the cloth aside and blew on his skin before slathering on antibacterial cream and concealing it with a sticky bandage and tape.
“I wasn’t happy with either scenario. Fucking around meant that one of them would lose interest and then they’d go about their business. But making her an Old Lady? That’s serious shit. And that fucker went behind my back and defiled my little sister.”
I was pretty sure Joni had defiled Zip first, but I wisely didn’t voice that thought.
“What was he supposed to do?” I asked instead. “Come to you and tell you he wanted to screw your sister? And Joni didn’t want to tell you until she knew there was something to tell.”
“I’ve got no beef with my sister. But Zip and I—”
“You beat him into a pulp. That’s not enough?”
“He went behind my back,” Colt said again.
“I get it. You feel betrayed. But this isn’t about you.”
“You’re right.” He slowly stood up. “This is about the Blue Angels and brotherhood.”
“Did he fight back?” I pressed. “Did Zip defend himself? Or did he know he did wrong and he was willing to let you knock a few teeth loose so you didn’t lose face?”
“I’m pissed as hell at him,” Colt growled.
“But you still trust him, right? He made an honest woman out of your sister. Whatever was going on between them under your nose or behind your back, the end result is good. They’re together, they’re committed, and Zip doesn’t want any bad blood between you two.”
“I need a fucking pain killer,” he muttered.
“I’ll get you one.”
I helped him into bed and then grabbed him a pill and a glass of water.
“Why are you awake?” he asked, settling back against the pillows.
I took the cup of water and set it on the bedside table. “You woke me up.”
“You weren’t sleeping here. So how did you hear me?”
“I was in the basement with Silas. Your voice carries, you know.”
He grinned. It was lazy and sleepy. “After a fight I usually like a good fuck. All the adrenaline. But damn, I’m just wiped out.”
“Yeah, it’s called healing from a bullet wound.” I leaned over and brushed my lips against his. His hand came up to grasp the back of my head.
“What if you get on top?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I pulled back, but Colt’s grip on my wrist stopped me.
His eyes were dark, hazy with pain meds and lust. “You need a good fuck too, Mia.”
“Why?”
“To remember that you’re still alive.”
I swallowed. “I’m not—I’m not ready, Colt.”
“All right, darlin’.” His eyes were drifting closed. “Just sleep next to me. That’s enough for tonight.”
“What the fuck happened to you?” Boxer asked the next morning when Zip came into the kitchen.
“Colt,” Zip said. “For Joni.”
Brothers sat on the couch and recliners, some held up the walls, eating breakfast. Colt hadn’t yet made an appearance—it was slow moving for him. All eyes turned to Zip, waiting for him to explain.
“Joni’s my Old Lady now.”
“When the fuck did this happen?” Reap asked in surprise.
“Last night, I guess.” Zip shrugged. He ambled to the coffee maker to pour himself a cup.
The bedroom door opened and a moment later, Colt appeared.
Tension filled the room.
Colt glared at Zip but said nothing.
“You hungry?” I asked Colt.
“I could eat,” he admitted.
I fixed him a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon that Darcy had made in bulk with Rachel’s help. The kids were currently outside, playing in the sunshine with Captain. The girls were out there with them, but I hadn’t yet seen Joni.
“Fuck, boys,” Boxer said, glancing out the window. “Looks like we’ve got trouble.”
I frowned in confusion. No one was reaching for a pistol, so I knew it wasn’t Iron Horsemen trouble.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the front door of the clubhouse.
Boxer opened the door. “Sheriff Valenti, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
Ice chilled my veins as I saw the sheriff standing with his deputy and another officer, and three squad cars parked at the front of the clubhouse.
“We have warrants for arrest. For discharging firearms in a public space and within city limits.” He read off the legal names of Acid, Zip, Boxer, Reap, and Colt.
Torque and Gray stood by, their gazes alert as we watched the other Blue Angels get cuffed and shuffled to the squad cars.
Colt’s gaze met mine, but then slid to Gray who nodded. I tried to step forward, wanting to go to Colt, wanting to say something to him, but Gray’s hand on my arm stopped me. It wouldn’t be prudent to say anything in front of the Sheriff. Colt and I were committed, but we weren’t yet married.