“Okay.” I took a deep breath and let him pull me to my feet.
Chapter Nine
Mace
I pulled the truck up to the curb in front of Pax’s apartment building. It had been a couple weeks since he'd gotten so upset right there on those very steps, and even though he hadn't had another episode like that, at least not one he’d told me about, I was still worried for him. He admitted to me that he felt weak and ashamed at the way he still got scared sometimes, and I told him exactly what I thought—that he was one of the strongest people I'd ever met. I spent the night with him that night, cooking dinner, watching a movie, and just holding him. Other than him still being shaken up, it was one of the best nights of my life; I wanted more of them.
The door to the apartment building opened and Pax and Arden came out, headed toward me. It wasn't lost on me that Pax had never been on the back of my bike, something I fully intended to change and quickly, but for today, since Lex was out of town on Nomad business with Stone, the truck it was. We were headed to Eben and Cody's housewarming party, and I could see that the boys hadn't spared any expense in gifts. Both of them had a giant gift bag and another wrapped present. Pax pulled open the passenger door and the smaller door that led to the back bench seat.
"Hey. What did you guys do, buy out the store?" They both laughed, loading their gifts into the back seat behind me, and then Arden climbed up to sit behind the passenger seat, pulling the door closed.
"Only half of it," Arden said, leaning over so he could look in the rearview mirror to check his hair.
Pax hopped up into the passenger seat and without pause, leaned over and pressed a quick kiss against my lips. "Hey, thanks for driving us."
I gave him the look that told him he was being silly, and then waited until they buckled up before pulling us out into traffic.
"Speaking of gifts, is yours in the back?" Arden asked from his seat.
I chuckled and patted my vest. "Nope, it's right here. A handy-dandy Home Depot gift card."
They both chuckled and started chattering away about how happy they were for Cody, Eben's boyfriend. He was a relatively new addition to our lives as they'd only gotten together at the beginning of the year, but he fit right in, and Eben was completely gone for Cody. This would be their first home together since Cody had lived with JJ in his townhouse before this. First, Lex got himself all partnered up and moved Arden into his cabin, and now, Eben was playing house, too. Cleave and JJ were together, and seemed happier for it, but Cleave still chose to live in his room at the clubhouse, and JJ was back on the market for another roommate.
Apparently, all the happy couples had passed the Kool-Aid on to me, I thought, casting my eyes over to a smiling Pax riding shotgun. We were off to a good start, and there was still a lot to learn about each other, but it shocked me how important he already was to me.
The biker life wasn't for everyone, and sometimes club business took precedence over everything else in my life, but that was before Pax. Family was important to the club. Partners were important. Pax and I'd been friends for a year, and while we'd only been something more for a few weeks, it had already settled into me. This thing between us, it felt permanent and more significant than anything else in my life.
I maneuvered us through the residential neighborhood where Eben and Cody's new house was. We turned onto their street and there was no missing their house with all the bikes lining one side of the road. I drove down and turned around, coming back and parking on the opposite side of the street. We all climbed out, gathering up gifts and making our way to the front door. Cody opened it before we had a chance to knock, and Arden and Pax nearly knocked me out of the way to get through and hug their friend.
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, and after the boys released Cody, I hugged him myself. "Congrats on the new house. It's beautiful."
"Thank you," Cody said. "There's food and drinks in the kitchen which is back through the arch, and Eben set up a badminton net in the backyard if you guys want to play."
"That sounds fun." Arden started moving farther into the house, talking to Cody. Pax turned to follow them, but stopped and came back to me.
"Did you want to come outside or..."
"I'm going to make my way around, but don't let me stop you. Go have a good time." I stepped into his space, pulling him to me, pressing a quick kiss against his mouth. "I'll come find you soon."
A small, private smile lit Pax’s face. Then he was off after Arden and Cody, and I headed toward the kitchen.
Most of my fellow Heretics were gathered around the kitchen island with some form of libation or another in front of them. Eben set his beer down on the counter and walked over to me, offering me his hand and pulling me in for a backslapping hug.
"Thanks for coming, man," he said, pulling back with my hand still firmly gripped in his. "Cody and I appreciate it."
"Of course. Wouldn't miss the chance to see your new digs. And I'm pretty sure Pax and Arden needed my truck just to get all the gifts they bought for Cody over here."
Most everyone laughed, and Calix gave me a nod from his place at the end of the island, his back to the large picture window overlooking the backyard. "Things are going well with your boy, I take it?"
I walked over and slipped onto the stool beside Calix, one of the Prospects in the room automatically going to the refrigerator to get me a beer. "Real good." I picked up the bottle and twisted off the cap before clinking my bottle against Calix's and taking a long pull.
"That's good to hear," Calix said after taking a long drink of his own. The President wasn't the most talkative guy, but he always managed to have an eye and ear on everything.
"We still haven't seen any backlash from the Devil’s?"
"None. Quite frankly, that makes me a little nervous." Calix rested his arms on the island and glanced around at the others. "Let's not worry about business today. We're here to celebrate because our little Eben’s growing up."
"Hell yeah, he is," Axel said, standing up and putting Eben in a headlock. "I swear it was just yesterday this little shit was in a Prospect vest."
I chuckled and took in the razzing they were giving Eben while letting my eyes drift over Calix's shoulder to the window. The badminton court was set up in the middle of the backyard, and with this house being on a corner lot, I could see the street beyond. Cody and Pax stood on one side of the net with rackets in their hands while Arden and JJ were on the other. Arden had the birdie in his hand and looked like he was preparing to serve when I noticed someone walking down the sidewalk, then turning up into the yard.
When I caught sight of what he was wearing and the insignia on his vest, I shot to my feet as ice poured into my veins. “There's a fucking Devil in the backyard."
"What?" Eben shoved his way from between Axel and Cleave where they'd still been giving him a hard time and ran for the door. I was hot on his heels, and I could hear the others behind me. All I'd been able to tell was that the Devil had something in his hand, but I didn't know what.
My gun was in my hand before I cleared the door.