Chapter Ten
AYDA
There was so much going on in my head, it actually felt strange to walk out of the room and into the bar where no one knew what was going on inside of my body. I hadn’t realized I’d been in a bubble with Drew about the baby until I looked around and saw every guy in the place meeting my gaze and wincing because of my damn bruises.
For them, the physical abuse was still their main focus when they looked at me, and from the scowls they all wore, the fact that the bruises had been issued by someone they’d considered one of them, stung.
I didn’t know what to say to appease the situation. I knew reassurance was pointless. The men of the club looked fit to be tied.
When I spotted Deeks behind the bar restocking the shelves with liquor, I headed straight for him. He seemed like a safe bet, and I was hoping he needed the distraction as much as I did. Sliding into the stool directly behind him, I slapped my palm against the counter.
“What’s a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?”
Deeks spun in a jerky motion, his cut slapping his sides as he floundered and almost dropped the bottle of bourbon in hishands. After a quick save, he pushed the bottle onto the counter and shook his head in disbelief.
“Jesus, kid, you trying to kill me?” He paused and reached out a hand, his index finger brushing over the swollen bruises by my eye. He frowned, creating deeper creases in his forehead. “Makes me wanna kill the bastard all over again.”
“It’s done now,” I said, catching Deeks’ warm hand and holding it affectionately between the two of mine. “I’m not made of glass, Deeks. They’re just bruises.”
“They shouldn’t be there, and certainly not at the hand of a Hound.”
It was my turn to scowl. All that my bruised face was doing was reminding each and every one these guys that one of their own had been working against them for years. It hurt me to know it hurt them to look at me.
“He was never a real Hound. A Hound would never have done any of this. Not to me or any woman attached to the club. A Hound would never have betrayed you guys or done the shit he’d been doing. He wouldn’t have stolen your money, given away your secrets... not any of it. The rat bastard was a snake who wore the cut and convinced us all that he fit in. He convinced us that he deserved to be here. But, Deeks, he’s just one man, and we can’t let that one man be responsible for everything falling apart. Especially not now; not when we need to be united.”
Deeks curled his fingers around my hand and squeezed in encouragement, but the hurt he was feeling was still worn right there in his eyes. This wound cut deep and was going to scar the club for good. Owen’s betrayal would always be something they looked back on, a shadow cast over that blind trust they’d always had for one another. This realization pissed me off more than anything Owen had physically done or said to me. The asshole had secured himself in this club’s history for good. Owen Sinclair would never be forgotten, even when hedeserved to been buried in obscurity as though he hadn’t existed at all.
“Drew will figure it all out. He always does. Don’t you worry about that,” Deeks said confidently.
At least that faith in their leader hadn’t changed. Belief in Drew was something every man seemed to have in common. I could see Moose nodding at the other end of the bar in agreement. Raising his bottle, Moose mumbled something unintelligible before drowning it out with a mouthful of beer.
Deeks looked concerned for only a moment before turning his attention back to me. “You want a coffee?” he asked.
I would have physically killed for a coffee. My body was craving it with as much enthusiasm as I needed oxygen, but what little I knew about pregnancy, I understood caffeine wasn’t a great idea—at least not in the capacity I suddenly needed it. Shaking my head in refusal was far harder than I’d thought it would be, and I watched Deeks’ eyebrows rise in surprise. I never said no to coffee.
I guess I did now.
“What? You think Drew didn’t feed me caffeine already?” I asked flippantly.
“Smart man. I’ve seen you without your coffee before. Terrifying.” Deeks mocked a shudder.
I stuck out my tongue and grinned at him, releasing his hand when he finally moved to tug it from my grip. His eyes had flickered to the door that was now bleeding bright sunshine into the darkness. I followed his gaze and immediately recognized Howard Sutton strolling in with the same confidence he’d had for the last couple of months. I never got tired of seeing how at home he was in this world now.
Gone was the hand resting on the grip of his gun, and the swagger he’d always used to exert control. The only thing close to that now was his thumbs hanging over the buckle of his belt as he scanned the place.
“Is that coffee I smell, Deeks?”
“Is that a hint, chief?”
Sutton rolled his eyes, but Deeks shot me a wink and headed to the kitchen, leaving Howard and me alone at the bar. Howard settled himself on the stool next to mine and shifted his belt to the side so he was more comfortable before he turned to face me.
“No one gave you steak or peas yet?”
“Jeeze, you asking me out to dinner, Howard?” I asked teasingly, my smile breaking free.
“For your eye, smartass. It helps with the bruising.”
“I’m fine. It’ll heal.”