Page 79 of Misguided

“That he’d been blackmailing you, but you refused to fess up what he wanted, and as a consequence, he got dragged over the coals by his bosses,” I smirk, remembering how Crackers recounted the story when he phoned mid-week. “From what I hear, he was pretty damn pissed at you, big brother.”

Hooch frowns, clearly thinking the news over. “What did the guys say to that?”

“Crackers wants to know why you never brought it to them, as does Murphy. And Digits …” I glance over at Dog, wondering just how much we should share.

“What?” Hooch asks.

Dog takes a seat on the end of the bed, his hands hanging between his knees as he leans forward, elbows on his thighs. “He was more concerned with why you involved Dagne.”

I’ve heard the murmurs going around, about Digits’ apparent fascination with the woman Hooch brought home. Can’t say I’m all that comfortable about it, but at the same time, I’m confident the guys will watch out for her, even if she is only a guest in our home.

Because that’s what these guys do: look out for their own. And Dagne? I’m pretty sure by the fire in Hooch’s eye, she’s one of us now.

Dog and Hooch continue to discuss specifics as I slip outside to catch a breath of fresh air. The first hues of the sunset streak across the sky, mottled with the fading blue of the day.

I close my eyes, feeling the whisper of a breeze on my face, and take a deep breath. This is my life. These people are my loves, and I don’t know how I ever thought that I could be anyone different.

If I had left the safety of the club, if I had run away again to look for myself, what would I have found? Did I really think there was something better out there? People who would mean more to me than this lot do?

I shake my head and smile, opening my eyes to the world around me as a peace like I’ve never known washes over me. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in this moment or have it any other way. Because despite our losses, despite the terrible things that have happened to the Fallen Aces as a club, we’ve proved our worth. When the whole world felt as though it was falling apart, our guys managed to come together and pull through.

A strength that makes me so damn proud to call the Fallen Aces my family, to say that the Fort Worth clubhouse is my home.

I’m home.