Smoke and Steel (Wild West MC #2)(39)

Core looked away.

“You’re triggered too.”

When Eight said that, Core looked back.

“And it’s no fuckin’ surprise, brother,” Eight carried on.

“We’re not going here. I’m wiped. You gotta get home. And Hellen is not a thing.”

Eight ignored him.

“When we did what we did to Rosie, it tore Beck apart. The reason was easy to fathom. But you, Christ, I watched you that night. You got your licks in. I got mine. I stepped back, took a look at you, and my gut went sour. Almost puked. You were watching the brothers fucking her up, and you looked haunted. It was then I woke the fuck up. It was then I got out of the fog that was my own damage and realized I’d just bought my ticket to hell, and I was never clawing my way back. But there was something else happening for you. It wouldn’t be until later, when you gave it to me, I knew what that was.”

“Did you hear when I said we’re not going here?”

“Yep.”

“Then why you pushing this shit?”

“’Cause someone’s got to get your head out of your ass, and I’ve decided that’s gonna be me.”

“My head has been in my ass a lot of my life, Eight, but with this, I got it straight.”

“You are so full of shit.”

Fuck it.

Enough.

He pounded his chest. “You think I’d be good for her?”

“You bought your ticket to hell right alongside me, brother. So you got work to do on this earth, and giving a woman good is part of that work.”

“And you think I got that in me.”

“I was around when Kiki was around,” he reminded Core.

“Don’t need the reminder.”

“Kiki was awesome, and you gave her good, but no one had ever taken away her dog.”

Core felt a muscle jump in his cheek.

“Shit happens for a reason,” Eight kept at it. “I would never, not ever, repeat my part of what we did to Rosalie. I would never, not ever, stand aside and let anyone else do it either. But it cannot be denied that a bunch of fucked-up motherfuckers saw the light after we pulled that shit on her. Kiki was not meant for you, because your path had to be clear for who was.”

“And you’ve decided that’s Hellen.”

Eight shook his head. “Man, I shoulda filmed you with her last night. You get serious about business, you go stone-cold. When it’s time to take care of shit, you’re the coldest motherfucker I’ve ever met. It’s perfect for what we do. So imagine my fuckin’ surprise seeing you that hot. You’re up in her shit, she does not walk away. She stands her ground, eye to eye, and we drove off. But we idled, bro. I knew you were good, but her bitches needed to see it too. We all saw her walk hand in hand with you to your truck. Now tell me, what else am I gonna fuckin’ decide after watchin’ that show?”

“You know this is bullshit and you know why it is.”

He did know.

This was why Eight leaned forward and did it deep, his face hard, his eyes locked on Core.

“Say it to me,” he ordered low.

“Fuck you,” Core growled.

“Say it to me,” Eight repeated.

“Fuck you,” Core clipped.

“Get it out.”

“Fuck you, Eight.”

“Okay, I’ll say it. Your dad was a drunk. He was a wife-beater. He was a user. He was fucked up. And one night, he got so fucked up, he came to his ex-wife’s house, beat your mother to death, surfaced from the haze of booze and insanity enough to see what he’d done, and ate a bullet.”

Core didn’t move a muscle.

“You were sixteen, out with your friends, and you came home to that shit.”

“You know, I can’t forget this, so I’m not sure why you’re reminding me.”

“Because you are your own man, Core. You’re thirty-six. You’re not going to repeat his mistakes.”

“Ask Rosie if she feels the same way.”

Eight sat back.

“Yeah,” Core said, knowing without a doubt he’d scored that point.

“You know, Rosalie was Beck’s woman, and he was right there with us. I gotta tell you, I marveled at the fact he did that to his own woman, and he was able to move on. It didn’t hit me until later that he never did. He just knew Janna needed someone to love her, to look out for her, to make her feel safe, to be at her side. She was in love with him, he fell in love with her, so he gave her that. I know for a fact, because he’s told me, and you were sitting right there, bro, you heard him say it. So we both know that he knows he’s not good enough for her. But she thinks he is. And what she thinks, what she wants, that is what matters. What does Hellen want?”

“Goddamn fuck you,” Core bit.

“What’s she want, Hardcore?”

“Fuck you, Eightball.”

Eight gave him a good, long look.

Then he stood and said, “Think I made my points. I’ll let myself out.”

Nanook followed him to the door to the house but stayed outside with Core when Eight closed it.

Core didn’t move.

He tried not to think.

He failed spectacularly at this.

Not the dog. Please. Can he stay at home by himself?