Smoke and Steel (Wild West MC #2)(119)

Classic rock was playing, which meant Web had taken control of the jukebox.

There was a long table covered in homemade sides and bowls of chips, and plates stacked with desserts that had mostly been decimated, even if the eat-a-thon was going to continue throughout the day. This was because the party had no end time, you came, you went, you came back if you wanted to.

Every chair, couch and stool had someone’s ass on it.

Conversations were a low hum.

Laughter rang out often.

Haley and Andy were there.

Marcy and Kyra were there.

Core’s eyes narrowed when he saw Liane huddled in a corner with Saddle, a Chaos brother.

But he didn’t have time to go big brother on her, and more importantly, give Saddle the heads up she had a big brother. He had a pool cue in his hand because Hellen had shoved it there.

Dutch was racking them up.

It was about fifteen minutes later when he felt it.

He had his arm slung around Hellen’s shoulders, holding her to him, and he’d just lifted his head from watching her laugh out loud after he’d given her shit for a miffed shot that was so bad, he was wondering if she was purposefully bad because he got such a kick out of giving her shit, and she got off on making him happy.

He felt it, and seeing as he was so happy, he didn’t think when he looked in the direction it was coming.

And he locked eyes with Rosalie.

He couldn’t say he’d been in her presence often since that night. He could say he hadn’t looked at her once when he was, and he, like all his brothers, had been careful to give her a wide berth of safe space.

The fact she and her man Snapper showed had caused a ripple that no one said dick about so neither of them would feel uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, them being there made a statement.

Looking straight at the pretty woman he’d once thought of as a kind of sister, who he liked a lot, who Kiki had loved, who he’d left lying broken on a floor, he felt his insides freeze solid.

She tipped her head and her face got soft.

She didn’t smile at him.

She didn’t lift her beer his way or come over and say hi.

Core gave her the respect of his gaze until she was ready to let it go.

She did.

He twisted his neck because it had gotten tight, and Hellen was right there.

She caught the underside of his jaw in a firm grip and the lock she had on his gaze was unbreakable.

She’d noted the look he exchanged and who it was with.

You have to forgive yourself.

He couldn’t.

No, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t be the man he needed to be if he did.

“Love you,” Hellen said, steel and emotion heavy in those two words.

Yes, he wouldn’t.

Because he wouldn’t be the man Hellen needed him to be if he did.

“Love you too, baby,” he whispered in return.

She kept hold of his face, his gaze, and when his woman knew her man was all right, she let him go and leaned into his side.

“Sentimental Lady” came on the jukebox and Core looked that way to see Web leaning against it, staring at him.

Motherfucker.

The song played.

Core’s throat closed.

He caught Web’s smile before the man looked to his feet and wandered toward the bar.

Someone laughed.

Beck’s baby girl screeched.

Hellen’s weight warmed his side.

The memory of his mom twirling in her new dress after she tried it on hit his brain.

Christ.

He had not remembered that twirl, or the smile she’d had on her face, not once. Not in twenty years.

But there she was in his head, twirling.

Core tucked Hellen closer.

And he sighed.

The End





The next story of the Wild West MC series will return to Chaos.





DISCUSSION & REFLECTION QUESTIONS





Smoke and Steel





1. Hellen and Bryan have been in a relationship for a year. Bryan was definitely raised with a “boys will be boys” attitude, and he expects Hellen to fall in line with that. However, if she did, this would give him the opportunity to shirk accountability for bad behavior, finding another mother to take care of him, instead of a partner with whom to share his life.

Were you surprised by Hellen’s tone when she ended things with Bryan? Did you feel she was being too hard on him? Or did Hellen’s issues feel familiar to you?

2. In this book, Kristen is focusing on the fact that, in recent years, women—especially younger women—have become more vocal about their agency.

Why do you think that is? What do you think will become of this? How do you think men will respond to this demand for change? Do you think men will change? How will that happen or how would you like to see that happen?

3. The dating world has changed considerably with smartphones, apps, and social media. This can be fun and a cool way to meet people you’d never run into, but like anything, it holds dangers.

The kernel that was planted that bloomed into this book was Kristen having a conversation with a friend about The Tinder Swindler documentary, and how a little support (and perhaps some meddling) from friends or family might have gone a long way to save those women from the heartbreak and financial hardships they faced.