Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #5)(9)

“And thanks for that jumbo box of condoms you supplied Jag with,” she continued, making Hound turn around and look at her again. “Gave me one less thing to ream his ass about after I walked in on him drilling the head cheerleader on the couch in the living room.”

Christ.

How many times had he told those boys to play it smart when it came to location and timing?

“You want me to stop bein’ their supplier, you’re their mother and I’ll stop. Not my place but I’ll still say, that ain’t smart.”

“Please don’t stop. I don’t need my boys being baby daddy to half the kids in Denver.”

That was a good call.

Hound nodded.

He was about to walk away again when she stopped him.

“Dutch wants his name put forward to recruit.”

His eyes went again to her, his heart squeezed in a good way, but he said nothing.

“You, Hound, I’m tellin’ you, don’t allow the boys to let that happen.”

Now that was not a good call.

“You know that shit ain’t right,” he said low.

“Don’t let it happen, Hound.”

“He’s got Chaos in his blood.”

“His father’s blood drained out for Chaos.”

“Like I said, he’s got Chaos in his blood.”

She stared hard at him. “I’ll never forgive you if you let it happen.”

“Black would never forgive you if you did shit to stop it.”

He hated it, but after he said that she looked like he’d slapped her.

So he gentled his voice when he said, “That was harsh, but, woman, you still know it was true.”

She lifted up the envelope in her hand and said, “You can take off like you always do but thanks for this, Hound. Big, fat check every month bet makes it a lot easier for you boys to live with what I lost.”

And that was just bullshit.

“If you think for one fuckin’ second, Keely, that you were the only one who suffered that blow, it’s time to get your head out of your ass, look around you and see how that shit really is.”

Again, she looked like he’d slapped her but he didn’t go gentle because, for fuck’s sake, it had been fourteen years.

They knew she’d never get over it.

But she had to find her way past it.

“You’re right,” Hound carried on. “We’ve been so damned focused on cushioning the blow for you that in our own ways we all sustained that we haven’t seen the kinda care you really need, and that’s for someone to tell you that you need to stop wallowing in your bullshit and get it straight, woman. You need to stop shovin’ the guilt in our faces that we feel and taste and live every day. And you need to get a fuckin’ life.”

She didn’t look struck by that.

She looked remorseful.

“I shouldn’t … I shouldn’t have … not you. Especially not you. You stepped up. They all did. You all stepped up but mostly … you. I shouldn’t have thrown that at you, Hound.”

To leave it at that, he nodded and again turned to walk away.

“Thanks for lookin’ after my boys, Hound,” she called to his back. “With the condoms and with … well, everything.”

This time, he didn’t stop and turn around.

Because he had to. He had to bring her check to her. He had to get his shot at looking at her face. He had to have the mere moments he could get in her space. So he took them. Now especially, with the boys older, with all of them needing him less.

And also because he had to once he got those moments, he got the fuck out of there.

So he just lifted a hand, flicked it out and carried on walking away.



Present day …

“It gives me no joy to say that at least when this asshole takes you out, Hound, you’re not leavin’ anyone who loves you more than the breath they take behind,” Keely shot at him.

He tried to fight it and feared he’d failed at beating back the flinch.

Tack drew her attention to him. “Keely—”

“Do not call me again, Tack,” she demanded.

His mouth got tight.

She looked to Hound and everything about her changed. She went from pissed and belligerent to sad and defeated.

Seeing that, it killed.

“Be careful,” she whispered to Hound. “Be super fuckin’ careful, Hound. Because you might not have a woman who loves you more than her own breath, but you still got folks who love you. So please, God, be careful.”

With that, she turned, her hair flying, yanked open the door, stalked out, and slammed it behind her.

He felt Tack’s eyes.

He was in control. His face neutral.

But he couldn’t stop looking at the door.

“We done here?” Tack asked, and Hound cut his gaze to his brother.

“Yup,” he answered, pushing away from the wall.

Tack watched him walk around the other end of the table from where Tack was sitting in the meeting room at the Chaos Compound. He waited until Hound’s hand was on the door before he called his name.

Hound looked back at him.

“You know,” he said carefully.

“Know what?” Hound asked.

“You know you don’t go there.”