Unbeautifully (Undeniable, #2)(74)

But he was too f*cking tired.

Deuce’s back hit the wall and he slid slowly down the plaster until his ass met floor.

“Mickey,” he whispered. Moving his way, Mick bent down in front of him.

“I got this covered, Prez,” Mick said. “Just sit tight.”

Right. Like he was going somewhere. Pulling his phone out of his cut, he called his wife.

“Hey, baby,” Eva sniffled. “You okay?”

“No,” he said softly. “I f*ckin’ need you.”

“Five minutes,” she said without hesitation. “And you got me.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“There she is,” I said, pointing.

Cage followed my finger to the stream of people flooding the bus station.

“That ain’t Tegen,” he said, frowning.

I squinted. Yep, that was Tegen…sort of. Still of slim build with catlike green eyes and striking cheekbones. But that’s where the resemblance ended.

Her long red hair had been dyed a few shades darker and was separated into tens of thick dreadlocks, interwoven with large wooden beads that she’d pulled back in a dark blue kerchief. She was wearing ratty Birkenstocks, low-slung light brown bell-bottom corduroys with a tight black tank top that showed off her pierced belly button and heavily tattooed arms and stomach.

Her neck and wrists were laden with handmade jewelry, her ears, nose, and lip were all pierced, her ear holes stretched wide enough to fit my pinkie finger through.

“Holy f*ck,” Cage breathed as she came to a stop in front of us.

“Danny,” she greeted me icily, refusing to look at Cage.

I reached for her but she took a deliberate step back, dodging my hug. Startled, I dropped my arms and glanced over at Cage, unsure of what to do.

Cage stepped forward. “Te—”

Tegen reared backward. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed, then tossed me one of her paisley-patterned bags as she shoved past me. “Let’s go!” she snapped over her shoulder. “The less I see of this f*cking shithole town full of * bikers and their pathetic women, the better!”

Cage’s mouth fell open.

“Cage,” I said slowly. “What exactly happened between you and Tegen?”

He cut his eyes at me. “Nothin’,” he mumbled.

“Cage…”

He sighed. “I may have…you know…popped her cherry…and she may or may not have told me she loved me.”

I closed my eyes.

“And then I may have told her it was just sex…and that she wasn’t my type…although she didn’t look like she does no—”

“Hey! Don’t punch me!” he whined, rubbing his arm.

“You idiot!” I seethed.

“Me!” he yelled. “You should f*ckin’ talk! Where’s ZZ, little sister? Why ain’t no one heard from him in two days while you been sittin’ pretty on Ripper’s f*ckin’ lap?”

“Shut up,” I hissed. “I haven’t been sitting on anyone’s lap!”

And I hadn’t. In fact, during the two days that had passed since ZZ and my father had found me in Ripper’s room, Ripper and I hadn’t spoken. Actually, no one was doing much speaking these days. Everyone was either at the hospital with Dorothy, or at Jase’s house on suicide watch duty. Jase and Chrissy’s three kids, all in their teens, had gone to Billings to stay with their grandparents, and no one trusted him to be alone for any length of time.

I also didn’t need to be reminded of what I’d done to ZZ. I was doing a good enough job of beating myself up about it all on my own.

Twice now, since Ripper had initially left, we’d come together in a fit of tumultuous emotional overload. The first time it had ended horribly. And this time…

This time we’d awoken to chaos.

It seemed to be a running theme for us.

Now, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I knew what I wanted to happen but at the same time I felt guilty for wanting it.

But I wasn’t going to dwell on it. Something had shifted inside of me since our night together. Yes, I loved him, knew I would always love him, but I was no longer willing to throw my life away for him if he left me again.

If he left, he left. If he stayed…well, who knew? I certainly wasn’t going to keep throwing myself at him only to lose him.

And never again was I going to deceive another man into thinking I loved him.

Perspective is a bitch when it slaps you in the face, after the fact.

“You got between brothers, Danny,” Cage growled. “Dad ain’t gonna let that stand.”

I glared at him. “What’s he gonna do? Shoot me?”

“Not you,” Cage shot back. “Ripper.”

“He won’t,” I said.

His brow raised, Cage snorted. “How can you be so sure?”

I just was. Both Cage and my father had already beaten Ripper half to death, and had both stopped themselves before it had gotten that far. Well…Ripper had thrown Cage across the room after allowing him a couple of good punches but that was neither here nor there.

I hadn’t been present for his fight with my father nor did I know the cause of it, but when my father appeared in my room and slammed the door behind him, saying nothing, his long hair flying loose from his ponytail, his nostrils flaring, his clenched fists covered in blood…