MOUNTAIN
Pinkie laughs from behind the bar. It isn’t often she works the bar here, usually it’s a prospect, but I can’t deny it’s nice to have Pink here serving me my drinks. She is not a bad sight to have when you want to get trashed.
Fucking Della.
She just had to be here, had to have Santiago in her arms. Had to fucking be here. I saw the way her eyes lit up at the sight of me and Leighton. She wants that for me, happiness, a family. Maybe to assuage her own guilt about bringing my kid into the world. I don’t really know.
At the time she had him, I knew he was in a better place with her and Eagle. I’m not angry, not really. What I am is… confused.
“She knows,” Della whispers a few minutes after I’ve taken two quick shots. I don’t respond to her words. There is nothing for me to say. “She thinks you’re in love with me, that she’s sloppy seconds,” she whispers.
I close my eyes. I am not in love with Della. I am, however, a bit regretful that I didn’t force my claim on her, on Santiago. Maybe that makes me a dick, I don’t know. Well, it does make me a dick, but I’m finding that I don’t care too fucking much about that apparently.
“She ain’t,” I grunt. Ignoring the fact that she’s telling me something I already fucking know. “She’s mine. She is who I choose.”
“Maybe you should tell her that instead of groping Pinkie,” Della snaps.
Turning my head, I look over to her, my anger bubbling just beneath the surface. I’m ready to lash out at her, but the instant my eyes catch that tuft of black hair peeking out from the blanket, it all disappears.
Fuck.
“Maybe,” I rasp, turning away from her.
Eventually, she lets out an annoyed sigh and walks away from me. With a shrug, I ask Pinkie for another. There is a moment before Dragon walks up to me, I expect him to say something about Leighton, but he doesn’t.
“You need me to send someone else?” he asks. “You got shit here to deal with, I can send someone else in your place.”
“Nope,” I say, popping the p. “I got this.”
“You’ll pick up Hawk on your way, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I murmur.
“And take Dutch with you.”
Turning to face him, I watch as his lips twitch into a small smile. “The fuck?”
He chuckles. “Don’t want her runnin’ back to him while you’re gone. Heard he’s got a soft spot for your girl. She can stay here, in your room, under fucking guard until you return. But I already talked to Bones. You’re taking Dutch.”
He doesn’t allow me to ask any more questions. He just fucking walks away from me—the fucking asshole.
Fuck that.
I stay seated as the night groans on, the music is turned up louder and louder, the crowd starts to get rowdier. And there is no sign of my woman. When I’ve decided to be finished drinking, I slide off of the stool and sway.
“Fuck, you are trashed,” Mamba calls out.
Lifting my hand, I give him a wave. He’s got Maria perched on his knee, and Gator sitting next to them. Gator’s eyes are glazed over as he stares at the floor in front of him. I think about asking him if he’s okay, but decide that I’m too drunk to care.
Walking out of the bar, I make my way outside, toward the last place I saw Leighton run. She’s sitting outside, on the top of a picnic table. Her feet are perched on the bench and she’s staring out into the darkness.
“Babe,” I call out, leaning against the door. She doesn’t move. I know she’s alive, because I watched her entire body tighten before my eyes. “Leighton,” I call out.
Slowly, she turns her head. “What?” she sighs heavily.
“C’mon, mi reina, let’s go to bed. I have to get up in a few hours and head out.”
“Fuck off,” she snaps.
My brows lift in surprise. I can’t walk toward her though. I would probably fall on my face if I did. Instead, I stay where I am.
“You can come with me, or I can go to you and trust me, you will not like it if I go to you.”
“Are you finished grabbing boobs and acting like an asshole?” she asks, batting her lashes sweetly.
I can’t help it. I can’t stop it, I burst out laughing. “Probably not,” I admit. “C’mon, Leighton. Come to bed.”
She lets out a huff and I watch as she climbs down from the table. She makes her way toward me but doesn’t take my hand. That’s okay, I slide my arm around her hips, gripping her tightly as I guide her toward our room.
Our room.
Our home.
Ours.
Because she is part of my life now—forever.
Chapter Thirty-Four
LEIGHTON
The room he takes me to, his room, it’s even more disgusting than it was the last time I was here—smells worse too.
Wrinkling my nose, I look over my shoulder at Mountain as he starts to strip out of his clothes until he’s completely naked. Looking from his beautiful naked body to the dirty bed sheets, I shake my head.
“I have to change those,” I say, pointing at the offensive sheets.
He sways, standing still, his gaze flicking from me to the sheets, then back to me. “They dirty?” he asks.
“Wilder,” I warn.
His lips twitch into a smile. “There should be another set in the bottom drawer of the dresser,” he offers.
I’m surprised by his words and even more surprised when he gets them himself. “Why don’t you sit in that chair,” he offers, pointing a finger to the chair across the room.
“You are in no condition to change sheets.” I laugh as he stares at the bedding in his hands. “Go shower,” I rasp.
He nods his head once, then drops the sheets onto the bed and stumbles toward the shower. I worry about him losing his footing and falling but decide that I can’t join him. If I do, I’ll have sex with him again, and right now I don’t want that.
Instead, I focus on the task at hand. I change the sheets. By the time I’m finished, I’m huffing, puffing, and completely exhausted. I sit down on the edge of the bed, closing my eyes in an effort to catch my breath.
The door opens, but I don’t bother to look at who is there, I already know. I can sense him. “You okay?” he asks, his voice sounding less slurred.
Turning my head, I look over to him and smile. “I am,” I say. “And I’m not,” I admit.
“Della fucks with my head. Shouldn’t have ignored you,” he surprisingly admits. “Wasn’t nice.”
“It wasn’t, and I’m not sure I want to stay here. I think that this may have been a mistake, that this won’t really work.”
Even saying the words aloud makes my entire body ache. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I like him, but I have a feeling that I’m going to be a burden to him really really quickly. Mountain takes a step toward me. He still has a bit of a sway, but nothing like he did before his shower.
I watch in shock and maybe a little bit of awe as he sinks down to his knees in front of me. It’s not the first time he’s been on his knees in front of me, and my face heats at the memory of him in just this spot earlier today.