Walk Through Fire (Chaos, #4)(184)

This meant we broke our kiss with both of us laughing.

Yes.

Perfection.

Logan’s laughter died first as he slid his hand to cup my cheek.

“Love you, Millie,” he whispered.

I drew in a deep breath through my nose.

I let it go, replying, “Love you, too, Snook’ums.”

He grinned.

I settled back in.

He looked to the artist and jerked up his chin.

I finished watching him get inked with me alternately staring at my kickass engagement ring.

After he was done, we celebrated that tat and our engagement in the back of his SUV in the parking lot of the tattoo parlor.

Because that was the way of a biker.

And the way of his old lady.


Tyra

“Crap, High!” Boz yelled from the pool table in the Common Room, looking disgruntled. “Now I got all your girls kickin’ my butt in pool.”

Sitting at the bar with Lanie and Elvira, I heard Zadie giggle, so I looked that way.

She had a pool cue and was leaning into Millie, who was giggling with her as Cleo lined up her shot.

Cleo let fly and pocketed the six.

“Shee-it,” Boz grumbled.

That was when I heard a rough chuckle.

I looked across the bar to my husband, who was standing at the back of it with Pete and Hop. He had eyes to Boz and a smile on his handsome face.

I liked that look, had always liked that look, but I didn’t spend time taking it in. I knew I’d get it back. Frequently.

So I looked from my man across the space to one of the couches at the back of the room.

There, I saw High sitting alone, a bottle of beer held to his thigh, his other arm spread across the back of the couch, his feet up, ankles crossed, resting on the battered coffee table in front of him.

He was watching the action at the pool table, a smile playing at his lips.

He was sitting alone but he was not doing it as a loner.

He was doing it as a man watching a live action dream play out in front of his eyes.

He was doing it carefree.

He was doing it happy.

The way I’d noted he was a lot these days.

In fact, always.

I felt something and looked back to my man to see he was no longer chuckling and his eyes were on me.

I read what was in his eyes so I knew I’d never make him say the words. That wasn’t how we worked.

But he was telling me I’d been right.

I knew that already, but it still felt good to get it from him.

I gave him a small smile, slid off my stool, and wandered across the room as I heard Millie say to Zadie, “Your turn, darling. Show Boz all we Judd girls can bring it.”

“You got it,” Zadie replied.

I didn’t look their way.

I made it to High, watching him tear his eyes from the action and bring them to me.

I took a breath and sat down on the couch, close.

I barely had my ass to the seat before he curled his arm that was on the back of the couch around my shoulders.

Then, casually, like we’d done this countless times before, he lifted his beer and took a tug.

I let out my breath, slouched in beside him, lifted my feet, and rested them on the coffee table.

We watched Zadie miss.

Her face fell with disappointment.

“Boz is so totally gonna blow it,” Millie declared. “You’ll get him next shot, sweetie.”

Zadie’s face brightened as she looked up at Millie and smiled.

“Thank you,” High whispered.

I pressed my lips together.

Then I relaxed into his side, his arm curling tighter, and I whispered back, “You’re welcome.”

Boz missed.

Millie sunk her ball.

So did Cleo.

And after that, Zadie won the game for the Judd girls.


High

“Holy crap!” Kellie shouted, pushing through the door in front of them. “This place hasn’t changed a bit.”

“Shots!” Justine cried, following her.

Veronica turned eyes over her shoulder to him and she muttered, “Taxi night.”

But she already knew it was a taxi night.

This was because the ride most of them came in was not the ride they’d go home in.

High just grinned at her as he guided Millie through the door after Veronica and Justine, hearing Elvira say from behind him, “This used to be Chaos?”

“Oh my God, this place is totally seedy,” Lanie replied. “I love it! We finally have a local that’s not the Common Room even if it’s miles away.”

They all moved in, expanding into the nearly-devoid-of-bodies space.

High did it holding Millie close and the instant they were inside, his gaze went to the bar.

Reb was staring at them, eyes big but face tight.

He bent to his girl’s ear.

“Grab a table, babe,” he muttered there. “I’ll get the booze.”

She looked from Reb to him and nodded.

She disengaged, glancing at Reb again, then following her girls to the table, her Chaos sisters, Tyra, Lanie, and Elvira following her.

Tack, Hop, and Boz followed High to the bar.

Reb met them there.

“Rumor’s true,” she said bitchily to High.

“Yep,” High replied.