Skeletons of Us (Unquiet Mind Book 2) (34 page)

“I need out,” Killian said, almost as soon as everyone sat at the table.

Cade’s eyes settled on him.

“I need out of the club,” Killian clarified, ignoring the heavy silence that came with his words.

You didn’t get “out” of the club. It was for life. It
was
life. It was that to Killian until he found someone who meant more to him than the patch. She’d always meant more, but he’d never really believed she was truly in his grasp. That he’d be able to hold onto her forever. He’d always thought, in the back of his mind since the beginning, that they had a time limit. He saw her wings the moment he laid eyes on her. He knew he didn’t have them and he’d resigned himself to sucking out every bit of sweetness until she realized that too. Turned out he’d been the one to make her realize it. It didn’t change the fact that he thought the club was the only thing he could really possess. Now he knew better.

It hit his gut, the prospect of not being a part of this any longer, at saying good-bye to the only family he knew. It was nothing compared to the thought of saying good-bye to Lexie. He’d never do that. Not again.

Cade didn’t look surprised, nor did Zane, though he stiffened slightly.

“I’m assuming this has to do with Lexie and her situation,” Cade said.

All the brothers knew what was going on with Lexie and her stalker. They were all prepared to do whatever was needed to protect her and catch the motherfucker. Lexie was family.

“It’s because of Lexie,” Killian agreed.

“’Bout time,” Steg muttered.

Killian jerked in surprise. The old man had damn near raised him and spent twenty years at the head of the table where Cade was now sitting. The club was his life. Killian had been most anxious about his reaction to this news. He expected a fist to his face, not a fuckin’ smirk.

Cade nodded. “You’re sayin’ this ‘cause you’re movin’ to L.A.?”

Killian nodded. Lexie didn’t know it yet, but he’d be with her from now on. Well after they caught the fucker that had so far evaded him, Keltan’s boys, and the police. That had haunted Killian. He’d lain awake with Lexie in his arms every night since their reconciliation, holding her as tight as he dared, scared shitless at the prospect of anyone trying to get to her. They wouldn’t. Kill would die before that happened.

There was a long silence. Killian waited for it.

“We’ve been in talks about startin’ a chapter in L.A.,” Cade said finally.

Killian stiffened, and Steg grinned at him. Actually fuckin’ grinned.

“We’ve got a handful of brothers lookin’ to make the move. Want you to take point on it,” Cade continued.

Killian would not have been surprised if his mouth dropped open. “You mean take the gavel at a new chapter?” he clarified.

Cade nodded.

Holy fuck. As far as Killian knew, Cade had been the youngest member to take the gavel at a chapter. Until now.

“What do you say?” Cade asked.

Killian looked at him. “I say fuck yeah.”

There was a multitude of grins around the table. Lucky slapped him on the back. “Got a couple of boys from the New Mexico chapter comin’ in too.” His eyes moved down the table. “Plus Gage.”

The man nodded. “Damn straight. Not enough explosions in this burg anymore.”

“Jesus Christ,” Killian murmured under his breath. Gage was a crazy fucker, and that was sayin’ something since he’d known Lucky his entire life.

Despite that, he grinned. Finally, after four years, bitterness was rolling off his tongue and he was tasting sweetness.

*****

Both he and Bull silently watched Lexie sing to her newest brother, Killian’s entire form stiff.

She was his again. This amazing creature was his.

Bull nodded inside the room. “This for good?” he asked quietly.

Killian nodded.

Bull slapped him on the back. “Good. You hurt her again, I’ll kill you.” He turned and left Killian to watch Lexie finish her song, saying nothing else. He didn’t need to say anything else.

As if she sensed him, her head turned and her beautiful face softened even more, an easy smile tugging at the corners of her rosebud lips.

Killian felt that smile in his dick and in his soul. For multiple reasons. In his dick because anything Lexie did made him hard. Fuckin’ breathin’. He still had the residual warmth of her body on his hands after he’d taken her against the wall in his room at the club earlier today. He tasted her sweetness on his tongue after he’d brought her to climax with his mouth. The room had filled with her cries, with the scent of their coupling.

That smile, though, it was more than beauty. She was the same girl he’d fallen in love with six years ago, but now she was a woman. Her freckles danced across her sun-kissed skin, her curls bounced down her back longer than they’d ever been. Her body had matured, blossomed into something more beautiful than it had been six years ago. If you’d told him then that it was possible for that little body to evolve into something better, he would’ve punched whoever suggested his girl wasn’t already as beautiful as she could be. But she was. It was the very thing he cursed himself for doing that made her more beautiful. The pain she experienced. The beauty of his girl six years ago with the lightness of youth was breathtaking. The beauty of his woman after being broken and coming back to herself again? Soul breaking.

That smile was more important to him than anything. Because it was real. There was light in it again. Light he’d stolen away but he had brought back. He promised himself he’d do anything to make sure that light stayed where it belonged.

She set the guitar down carefully, kissing her fingertips and lightly touching her brother’s head. The tenderness of that gesture socked Killian in the gut. As did the image of Lexie doing the same thing with their kid, with the baby he’d put in her tomorrow if he could.

He didn’t care if they were both still young and he should wait to think such thoughts. This was his world, his sanctuary. He wanted everything with her. And he wasn’t a patient man now that he had her.

He had to take small steps, though. Lexie had given him her forgiveness, but he knew she didn’t forget. Knew she was still bracing, waiting for the next hit. Waiting for him to leave. He’d have to prove he wouldn’t before he got all of her.

She padded over to him, and as soon as she was in reaching distance, he yanked her to his body, burying his face in her hair. He breathed deep, relaxing as the scent of vanilla and coconut washed over him, as Lexie washed over him.

She leaned back, her eyes lazy.

“Hey,” she whispered.

He couldn’t help himself, he leaned forward to capture her mouth. “Hey,” he said once he’d finished.

Killian gently pulled them out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He laced her hands in his, reaching them up to kiss her fingertips. “You ready to go, freckles?”

She nodded, her curls bouncing.

He stopped, right there in the middle of the hallway. She kept walking and was tugged back when his hand worked as an anchor. She moved back and tilted her head, confused. “What?”

Killian drank her in. “I just love you so fuckin’ much, Lexie.”

Her whole body tightened at his words then her face went soft, relaxed. She leaned up on her tiptoes to press her mouth to his. He didn’t hesitate in imprinting her body on him.

She leaned back slightly. “Take me home, Kill,” she said, voice husky.

He didn’t miss the fact she didn’t say anything back.

That silence was a punch in the gut, but he’d wait.

Forever if need be.

Because he wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re not coming back until the end of the week?” Mark’s voice was tight at the other end of the phone.

“No, Mark. We’re having some time off. You know, relaxing. Heard of it?”

Sam grinned from the kitchen table.

“The concept sounds foreign considering I manage a band that’s sole purpose is to get me to have a heart attack,” he bit out.

I grinned. “You know you love us, Mark.”

“You’ve got a music video to film,” Mark replied, ignoring my last statement.

I looked at the boys, lounging at the kitchen table, and was propelled back six years to when they’d done that for the first time. When we were young and eager and had no fucking clue what we were doing.

“Yeah, we’ve got it sorted,” I reassured him.

“What does that mean?”

“It means we’ve got it sorted. Got to go, see you Sunday. Kisses.”

“Lexie, if you hang up—”

I took the phone from my ear and Wyatt gave me a look. “On a scale of one to Britney circa 2007, how close is he to having a meltdown?”

“Let’s just send Jenna a text and tell her to hide the clippers,” I responded.

Sam snorted and smiled.

“Okay, are we ready to film?” I asked, rubbing my hands together.

Sam grinned. “Fuck yeah, this is our best idea to date.”

I nodded. “I know. I’m the brains of this team.”

Sam stood up. “Sure, and I’m the brawn and the beauty.” He looked to Noah and Wyatt. “You two are figureheads to be honest. It’s only a matter of time before Lexie and I go out on our own.”

Wyatt shook his head. Noah rolled his eyes.

“Let’s get to it. Daylight’s wasting.”

We were going to film our music video in Amber. We were starting literally where the band started, in the converted garage we’d turned into a studio/jam space in high school.

“Wow,” Wyatt declared as we stood at the open door. “It’s like going back in time.”

I agreed. Mom hadn’t changed a thing. Zane kept his garage and everything else in his place across the street, so this wasn’t needed for anything but what we’d repurposed it as. It was exactly the same. The same semi-ratty vintage sofa we’d shoved into the corner. The same space in the middle of the room for all our equipment. Mismatched rugs covered the concrete floor. Band posters littered the walls. The only changes were Mom had framed our
Rolling Stone
cover and first album cover and mounted them. Everything else was as we’d left it. As if no time had passed.

So much had. So much had happened. We were no longer a high school band jamming in Mom’s garage. We were world famous and sold out stadiums. Sold millions of albums. Attracted murderous stalkers, one who thankfully hadn’t followed us. That we knew of. Killian and Zane were still iffy about leaving me alone to film today while on “club business,” but I’d finally been able to convince Killian I’d be okay.

“Seriously. You’ve been away from the club for ages. I’m sure there’s stuff you need to do, asses you need to kick,” I’d told him after we’d dragged ourselves out of bed this morning. It was hard. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Killian inside me, without the complications of the outside world between us.

Killian’s expression had changed and something I couldn’t place flickered over his face. “I don’t like leavin’ you, not when you could be in danger.” His jaw was hard.

I stroked his stubbled face, catching myself at actually being able to touch him again. “I’m not in danger. No one even knows we’re here. Not even the media. I’ve got three large boys looking out for me. It will also be broad daylight. Nothing to worry about.”

Killian’s eyes blazed. “I’ll always worry about you. Till my last breath, Lexie.”

My heart stuttered. He kept saying things like that. Forever things. Things that almost felt like too much too soon. But it wasn’t like we had only just started dating. He was the boy who stole my heart at sixteen and had held it ever since. But it had been years. It was so familiar and so strange at the same time. I knew he was saying these things to remind me he wasn’t going anywhere, that this was a forever thing, but I was scared. Terrified of believing him. Because forever could sometimes only be a moment. Or forever could be a lifetime. I wanted a lifetime. But as soon as I relaxed into forever with Killian, I was terrified it’d be snatched away.

To hide my feelings, I did what I always did, retreated to the one thing between Killian and me that wasn’t complicated, that hadn’t changed, the way our bodies responded to each other. Like they were made for each other. I kissed him, long and hard and deep enough to chase away my doubts. For a time.