Out of the Ashes (Sons of Templar MC #3)(96)

“You gonna make it official, brother?” Lucky asked him with a grin.

Bull glanced at him from the bar, downing the last of his whisky, savoring the burn. His silence spoke for him.

“If you like it then you should put a ring on it.” Lucky did some f*ckin’ ridiculous gesture with his hands. “Give us another reason to celebrate,” he clarified, lifting his own drink. “We just smoked the last mother f*cker connected to the shooting—that’s cause for a drink.” He finished it as if to make a point. “But a wedding—” His brother gave him a look. “That’s a reason to f*cking par-tay,” he drawled on a grin, “and a great way to get me laid.”

Brock, who was on his way out, punched him on the arm, not lightly. “As if you need a f*ckin’ wedding to get yourself laid, you horny f*ck,” he chuckled. “I doubt Bull’s going to put your cock into consideration when debating popping the question.”

Lucky shrugged his shoulders. “Well, my cock will be happy nonetheless,” he said.

Brock grinned at Bull and for once, Bull felt like grinning back. He wouldn’t, but at least he felt included in the easy banter he had been distant from for so long.

“Your cock gets happy on anything to do with Mia, I’ll chop the f*cker off,” Bull declared, only half joking.

At this, half the clubhouse roared with laughter at Lucky’s panicked expression and instinctual cupping of his crown jewels. Bull didn’t make jokes, only promises, hence Lucky’s terror for his boys.

Cade appeared from church and slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t think any f*cker would be stupid enough to even look at your woman the wrong way,” he declared lightly. “Applaud Kill for having the balls to even go near Lexie, with you breathing down his neck.”

Bull bristled at the mention of the little f*ck. He was not showing any signs of getting sick of Lexie. He was besotted with her. It worried him. Lexie was destined for greatness; she was a superstar in the making. Killian was a Son. Wasn’t patched in yet, but as soon as the kid turned eighteen he knew he was going for the patch. His life was the club. They’d half brought him up after his father died and his mom checked out. He was a good kid, his interest in Lexie notwithstanding. But he wasn’t going places. Not like Lexie. That meant trouble. She was about as obsessed with him as he was with her. And not in a temporary, fleeting, teenage kind of way. In the lasting, once in a lifetime, type of way. He knew it because she looked at Killian the way her mother looked at him.

Bull shook the thoughts out of his head and stood. “Yeah well, that’s why I’m not sitting here with you ugly f*ckers a moment longer,” he declared in a tone so light he was surprised it came out of him. “I’m going home to my family.” A warmth settled in him at that statement. That’s what they were. His.

“Zane!” a voice screamed.

And that voice, the warmth that had taken up residence in his belly turned to ice. His body froze as Lexie ran in. Lexie covered in blood, her tearstained face locked on his.

He didn’t think. He covered the distance between them in seconds, ignoring everything else around him. His hands went to her shoulders, eyes searching her for wounds, his heart beating a thousand miles a minute. Her whole body trembled under his grip.

“Where are you hurt, baby?” he asked urgently, able to keep the tremor out of his voice. He struggled to keep the tremor out of his hands. His girl was covered in f*ckin’ blood and he couldn’t lay eyes on his woman.

She didn’t answer and he moved his gaze from her body, unable to find the source of the blood. His hand moved to grasp her chin in his fingertips. “Lex, you need to tell me where you’re hurt,” he repeated, trying to sound calm. Problem was he wasn’t calm. His girl was covered in f*cking blood. Her expression was etched in horror and her body was shaking in terror.

“It-it’s not mine,” she stuttered. “It’s Killian’s,” she half sobbed.

The kid limped through the doorway, holding his shoulder and shrugging off Steg, “Lexie,” he grunted.

Bull registered the obvious gunshot wound in his shoulder. “What the f*ck happened?” he clipped.

Lexie’s gaze darted between Killian and Bull. “They shot Killian, then they took Mom,” she uttered, a tear rolling down her cheek.





“Pulled up to Lexie’s, something felt wrong. Couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was off,” Killian explained.

His face was pale but determined. He had barely let the doc stitch and bandage him up. The only reason he’d stayed still for so long was because Steg had declared that he couldn’t fill them in on what was going on if he died of blood loss. Even that hadn’t swayed him. He finally relented, only with Lexie by his side. She had clung to Bull’s hand as she watched Killian get stitched. Without anesthetic. Kid was tough. Bull didn’t give a f*ck. Personally, he would have been happy to get the story as soon as f*ckin’ possible, whether or not the kid was bleeding or not.

His fists clenched on the table as they sat in church listening to what had happened.

Gwen had turned up minutes ago and was cleaning Lexie up. She had not wanted to leave Bull. Bull wasn’t too hot on having her far from his side but he needed to find Mia. Had to. There was no alternative.

“That’s when I heard Mia scream,” Killian continued.