Kendra, of course, revealed her stupidity. She didn’t wait for Digger to help her off her knees—a position she was probably way too comfortable being in—she surged forward like something from that goddamn Naruto show that Cyan loved so much and aimed herself at me.
But I was ready for it.
And not unlike my daughter, I channeled Giulia.
I headbutted her.
Sadly for me, I wasn’t as proficient with the move, but as I knocked myself out, I had the delight in seeing that Kendra went down first.
I considered that a win.
Twenty-Eight
Storm
PRESENT
After a church from hell, where Grim decided to start throwing his pacifier and everything fucking else out of his crib, bitching about how I was turning the Sinners into a riding club instead of a one-percenter MC, about how I was colluding with the sheriff, raking the past five months of my tenure through the coals like he could’ve done fucking better, it had been a relief to leave the clubhouse and to head for the diner.
Digger had come with, because MaryCat would be there, tutoring my kid in French, and when we walked in, the first thing we were greeted with was the sight of Keira slamming Kendra’s face into the counter.
For a second, I wasn’t sure where the hell I was. It was like a déja vu moment where we were all back in West Orange or something. But nope. This was Coshocton. Ohio. Not Jersey. So what the fuck was Kendra doing here?
Even through my confusion, I was goddamn happy to see my wife defending herself.
Defending us.
Protecting us with her fists.
Standing up for herself, and for our marriage and our family, because no way in hell would she have done this if Kendra hadn’t said something about Cyan. Knowing how wicked she was, I didn’t put anything past her.
Only when she hauled Kendra over the counter did I decide to step in.
Keira had never been in a fight in her fucking life. I made sure of that. She’d been mugged once before a Sinner helped get her out of danger, and a couple of other times it had almost happened, but a brother of mine had taken care of the situation for her before she even knew it. That was as close to danger as she had gotten. Kendra, on the other hand, wasn’t of the same ilk, so I knew I needed to do something before my woman got hurt.
Hauling her back, I knew I should have foreseen Kendra’s next move, but Keira’s words were ringing in my ears, and when the sweetbutt surged forward, I didn’t have a chance to twist Keira and me around so that I took the brunt of whatever the clubwhore was going to dole out because my woman acted first.
She headbutted Kendra.
The dull thud, the crack, resounded around the diner like a bullet gone wild, and everyone hissed like it was a boxing match as both women slumped, one in my arms, and one KO’d to the floor.
Cameras were whirring, guys who’d been taking bets groused when their pick lost, and I found myself wondering if the town of Coshocton was more interesting than I’d first thought.
I tipped K back in my arms, careful with her head as I told Digger, "Mop her up."
He nodded, but then approached me to mutter, "What do I do with her?"
"I need to speak with Rex."
Digger frowned. "Why?"
"I just do." I heaved a sigh. "Stash her in one of the rooms at the motel. Put a brother on her." I narrowed my eyes in thought. "Which one is less likely to cheat?"
"Techie."
I lifted my chin. "Put him on the case."
"Will do. You don’t want her going anywhere?"
"Not without me telling her sayonara first."
"Got it." He didn’t. I could tell he was confused, and who could blame him?
I’d have tossed her the fuck out faster than spitting on her like my wife had—dayum, that was a brutal move I didn’t know she was capable of and didn’t my pride in her just surge a thousandfold—but she was Bear’s daughter.
Bear’s fucking daughter.
Of all the goddamn bad luck in the world, Kendra was Sinner royalty. How the hell she’d turned into a cum dumpster instead of becoming an Old Lady was beyond my understanding.
Jaw tight, I turned to find MC and Cyan. Both of them were watching with big eyes. MC looked more impressed, whereas Cy just looked spaced. As if she’d turned on the TV expecting SpongeBob and had tuned into a live cage fight instead.
Couldn’t blame her, not really.
I walked out from behind the counter, which ran in a circle in the center of the diner, my woman in my arms.
As I passed Jump, I groused, "Well fucking done, Jump."
"She told me to stay out of it! What was I supposed to do? Get in the middle of that catfight? I’d have lost an eye."
"Fucking pussy," Digger grumbled, and I couldn’t argue.
Men moved out of my way as I surged through the crowd, some complained as I saw cash being passed over to the guys who’d gambled against Keira, and when I made it to Cyan’s table, she jumped up without asking, quickly gathered her things together, then muttered an, "Au revoir," at MC.
As we headed out of the diner, Keira still out for the count, I moved over to the SUV before I realized I didn’t have Keira’s purse.
"Ladybug, can you go and get your mom’s things?"
Cy nodded quickly, dumped her book bag on the ground, then ran into the diner, returning with the purse a few moments later. Moments in which I looked at the goose egg on K’s forehead, at the delicate silk of her skin, how the lashes brushed against her cheekbones, how her parted lips were a cherry red as she breathed.
Christ, she was beautiful.
I wanted to eat her up like an ice cream sundae.
Making a mental note to teach her how to fight because the next time I saw her pull those moves I wanted to fuck her in the aftermath, I pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Not unlike Sleeping Beauty, she awoke at my kiss, mumbling, "Did I get her?"
I had to grin. "You got her, baby girl."
She harrumphed. "Good. Hurts."
"I know. Cy’s getting your purse."
Keira nodded, then hissed. "Ouch."
"Yeah, it’s gonna hurt for a while," I soothed.
As I placed her carefully in the passenger seat once Cy opened the car up, she grumbled a little, but as I delved into her purse to find the pills I knew would be in there, I came across a small wallet. It didn’t seem to serve any purpose other than that of a photo book, but under the guise of finding the meds, I quickly flicked through it and found baby photos of Cy and me together.
Smiling because I hadn’t known she’d taken them on the many circuits I’d danced around the fucking living room to music Cy and I had loved, I decided to stop being a creep and found the meds.
There was a half-empty bottle of water in the cup holder, so I dosed her up, placing the pills between her lips, then pressed the bottle to them as well.
She sighed. "Was worth it."
I snorted and let that be my answer.
"Mom? Are you okay?" Cy whispered, sounding a lot shaken, more than I’d have expected.
I wasn’t sure if the nerves were because Keira had KO’d herself, or if it was because she’d seen her mom fight. I hoped it was the latter—mostly because Cy had declared that K wasn’t a Sinner, but what she’d just witnessed proved otherwise.