“Mace bought us dinner, so I figured I’d use your money for smokes and papers,” I say as I put it all in his doggy bag.

“Good call. Thanks, you two,” he says as we walk away.

Mace and I say our goodbyes and part ways when we get to the home building. The lights are off, and if it weren’t a weekday, I’d wonder why everything is so quiet tonight. Everyone that’s awake must be over in the clubhouse. The warm food in my stomach has made me sleepy and with no energy left, I slowly trudge up the stairs to my floor. When I reach the landing, I am relieved. I unlock my door, go in, and flop onto my bed while I kick off my shoes. It has been the longest day of my life today. I’ve caught up on homework, got to know my brother more, and dealt with Shadow on two separate occasions. I’m wiped.

***

Chapter Five

Shadow

As I smoke my cigarette in the dark at the picnic table, I can’t help but grin as Tatiana comes in with her brother. She looks happy right now, and I haven’t seen that smile of hers in forever. Most of the time, it’s forced. This one, however, is natural and real, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I watch her after she gives Rap his food, and she walks into the main building. When she looks like that, I find it extremely difficult to keep my eyes off of her. I put out my smoke as my Prez comes out of the clubhouse.

“She looked happy,” he says as he sits next to me.

“Were you watching her or somethin’?” I ask.

He nods. “She sent me a text from Don’s. I wanted to make sure she got back in okay.”

The protection around Tea is extreme, and she wonders why I won’t let my demons loose on her.

“She’s only my goddaughter, and yet it makes me ill to the fuckin’ stomach, brother, to think of something happenin’ to her,” he grumbles as he lights up a joint. “I can’t smoke this shit up in my room around Winter, so I’m getting it outta the way before heading up there.”

I’m in agreement with that. It pisses me off when people do drugs around pregnant women or children. “Think you’ll have your own to worry about soon enough.”

He puffs and then passes the joint to me. “Yeah, if her hormones don’t kill me first, man. I shit you not, sometimes I think she’s possessed.” He whispers the last word.

“Afraid Winter might hear ya, Prez?” I chuckle.

“Fuck yeah, I’m afraid. You haven’t seen what this pregnancy is doing to her,” he mock whispers.

I don’t say anything to that. She seems like the same Winter I’ve known since I arrived.

“You can finish that off, brother. I got a wife to fuck.”

I put the joint in my mouth and stand as he does so we can bro-pat, and then I walk to the clubhouse. I’m exhausted, but I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts. When the door slams shut behind me, I hear laughing.

“Sniper, that isn’t how you play pool,” Piper chastises before she sees me coming down the hall. “Hey, Shadow, can I get a hit off that?”

I puff one more time, long and hard, because I won’t get it back once Sniper gets a hold of it, and then I pass it to her.

“I can play pool how the fuck ever I wanna play pool. What are you, the pool referee?”

She smacks him with her free hand as the other brings the weed up to her mouth. “No, but shit, you’re never serious,” she says as she puffs.

I roll my eyes.

“You’re never serious, is she, Shadow?” Sniper brings me in on it, and I think what the hell. I need to have some entertainment.

“He’s got you, Pipe. A few hours ago, Tea was digging all your stash trash out of her car. You’re free as a bird, darlin’,” I respond.

“I may be free, but I know that the white ball doesn’t go into the damn holes,” she grumbles.

Sniper and I laugh as we both say, “Cue ball.”

She throws her pool stick up onto the table, huffing as she flops down on the sofa. “Whatever.”

“Ah, babe, don’t be like that.” Sniper laughs as he flops down next to her.

I’ll never understand those two. We all wonder if Sniper and Piper are fucking and not telling anyone about it.

I walk behind the bar as he continues trying to get her to stop sulking.

“I have something that’ll make you feel better, Piper.” I chuckle as I get the ingredients for bomb pops out. All the women here love them.

“Bomb pops,” she squeals.

“Mhmm, get your sulking ass over here, and I’ll make you a few.”

My eyebrows pull together when I can’t find the grenadine. I’m searching high and low for that shit when the door slams and in comes Pyro. He takes one look at the ingredients on the counter and knows what I’m looking for. He holds up one finger as he says, “make me one,” and opens the top cabinet, revealing a bottle of the red liquid. As I pour enough to get us all hammered, the door slams again, and in walks Tatiana looking fucking hot as hell in her small shorts, tank top, and slippers. Oh hell, this is going to be a long night.

“Make me one,” she grumbles. “I couldn’t sleep. Messed up part is that I’m exhausted, too.”

Sit the fuck down, Tea! Get those fine ass legs out of my goddamn view!

“Tatiana!” Piper squeals and engulfs her.

Tea looks from me to Sniper, to Pyro, trying to figure out if Piper’s drunk yet. When we all shrug, Tea pats her on the back.