Page 41 of Bolt's Flame
Brenda sighed heavily, her eyes glazing with tears. “Well, that may be true, but kindness isn’t somethin’ many men give a rat’s ass about.”
I had no idea that Brenda felt that way about herself, and I hated that for her. Part of me always thought she and my dad had something special, but apparently, I was wrong.
Tillie, obviously wanting to change the subject that had gotten too heavy, raised her glass in the air. “To finding the man of our dreams!”
We all clinked our glasses together, laughing as the conversation shifted to other things—like Mystic’s ridiculous bike maintenance habits and Thunder’s obsession with his boots. The lighthearted banter kept the mood up, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was part of something bigger than just surviving.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE NIGHT WAStoo fucking quiet, and we’d been sittingout here for hours, parked on a back road that ran parallel to Dragon Fire’s territory, but there hadn’t been so much as a hint of activity. Mystic, Thunder, and Chain were in their spots, their bikes parked just out of sight as we kept watch, waiting for any sign of movement.
It wasn’t unusual for these stakeouts to drag on, but tonight my patience was thinner than usual. My thoughts kept drifting back to Fiona, to the way she’d looked at me the night before when we’d been dancing and thenafter. It wasn’t just the usual attraction—I’d felt something deeper, something that wasstarting to feel like a damn problem because it wouldn’t leave my head.
Did Iloveher?
Thunder leaned back against his bike, tipping his face up to the dark sky, and took a long drag from his cigarette. “So... you and that girl of yours,” he started, his voice casual but laced with curiosity. “You serious about her? Or just playin’ with death?”
I shot him a look, my hands gripping the handlebars of my bike. “What’s it to you?”
He shrugged, smirking as he exhaled a puff of smoke into the night air. “Just makin’ conversation, man. You’ve been different lately, that’s all.”
Chain raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, Bolt, you’ve been all... domesticated. You sure you ain’t thinkin’ about babies and picket fences with this one?”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “You assholes are fucking nosey as shit.”
Mystic, who was sitting a little farther off, said, “No shame in wantin’ something more.”
Thunder grinned, tossing his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot. “Yeah, I mean shit, Fiona seems real nice and with her daddy bein’ Horse, and Brenda practically her momma, she’ll fit right in.”
I glanced out at the empty road, keeping my voice steady. “She’s been through hell, and I worry about dragging her into the danger of the club.”
Chain tilted his head, giving me a thoughtful look. “She’s tougher than you think, Bolt. Just ‘cause she hasn’t been part of this life doesn’t mean she can’t handle it.”
“Yeah, man,” Thunder added, kicking back against the bike. “It’s the ones who’ve been through the worst that come out tough as nails.”
I grunted, not wanting to dive too deep into the conversation. They weren’t wrong, but that didn’t make it any easier. Fiona wasn’t weak like I first thought, no doubt about it, but every part of me wanted to protect her from this life. The club wasn’t just about brotherhood—there were dangers, and I didn’t know if I wanted her anywhere near that, but I couldn’t see life without her either.
Mystic smirked. “So, what is it? Are you yellow?”
I shot him a glare. “I’m not fucking scared.”
“Coulda fooled me,” Chain chimed in from his spot. “Hell, Bolt, you’ve been more wound up since she showed up than I’ve ever seen you. She means a hell of a lotta somethin’ to you.”
I didn’t answer right away, just stared out at the dark stretch of road ahead. Maybe they had a point, but I wasn’t about to lay it all out for them. I had enough shit on my plate without having to explain my personal life. What I was clear on was that I needed Fiona and that’s all that mattered right now.
“You ever think about that, though?” Thunder asked, his tone more serious now. “What it would be like to just... walk away from the club life? Settle down with a woman like Fiona?”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “And do what? Get a nine-to-five, live in the suburbs?”
Chain chuckled. “Hell no. We’re not built for that kind of life. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have somethin’ real with a woman. Just gotta find the right balance. Shit, my old man did it. He and momma are still goin’ strong. He’s never stepped out on her in all the years he was with the club.”
“What the fuck happened to you then?” Thunder asked, looking surprised. “You act like your dick will starve itself off if it don’t get, as you say,feddifferent flavors.”
“Yeah, I don’t think you’re one for giving advice,” I muttered. There wasn’t much balance in this life. It was all or nothing. “Now, can we shut this fucking Hallmark moment down?”
Chain looked like he was about to say something else, but his gaze snapped to the side of the road. “Heads up.”
We all tensed, the conversation cut short as the sound of distant engines reached our ears. Lights flickered in the distance, and my body went on full alert. The Dragon Fire MC had finally shown up.