Ryder
Striding through the doors of the club, I hid the puppy underneath my cut. The morning air was crisp and the poor guy had been through enough; the least I could do was try and keep him warm.
No one was out in the common room, and the door to Chambers was wide open.There was a strong possibility some of the guys were sleeping in one of the rooms in the back. There were plenty of designated spaces for us to crash if we needed to. A night of overindulgence or a fight with an ol’ lady—whatever the reason, all the men had a place to stay if the occasion called for it.
Disappearing into the kitchen, I rooted around for something edible I could feed the pup. What the hell did I even give him? We certainly didn’t have any puppy chow on hand. Opening the refrigerator, I saw some leftover fried chicken, so still holding tightly to the dog, I wrangled the plate from the shelf, kicked the door closed and set up on the counter.
A whimper escaped the little creature when I removed the saran wrap from the dish, my own stomach rumbling from the smell. It was then I realized I hadn’t eaten since early the day before, choosing to drown myself in alcohol instead of food.
“I know, little buddy. Just give me a minute.” Deeming I needed the use of both hands, I found a dishtowel near the sink, folded it to create a little cushion and placed the puppy on top, far enough back on the counter that he wouldn’t fall if he decided to become a bit lively.
“Talkin’ to your dick again, are ya?” a gravelly voice sounded behind me, shuffling feet approaching before I had a chance to recognize the voice.
Hawke.
He sidled up next to me and peered over my shoulder. “Well if I was, what’s your excuse for trying to sneak a peek?”
“You wish.” He took a step back and leaned his hip against the counter. Wearing an old KISS T-shirt and boxer shorts, Hawke looked a little worse for wear, his dark hair sticking out all over the place and a pillow line running down the entire length of his cheek.
“Rough night?” I teased, my hands busy tearing the chicken from the bone and putting aside small pieces for the pup.
“You could say that?” he gruffed, narrowing his eyes at me while he watched me destroy the food. “What are you doing? Isn’t it a little early for leftovers?” Running his hand through his hair and making it worse, he pushed off the counter and grabbed some orange juice from the fridge. Chugging back a few gulps straight from the carton, he wiped his mouth afterward before putting the drink back in the fridge.
Hawke still hadn’t seen the surprise visitor sitting patiently on the counter next to me. Not until he heard him whimper.
“What was that?” His confusion was comical. Looking all around the room first, he glanced up at the ceiling as if something was gonna drop down on top of us.
The puppy whimpered again. Before Hawke started shouting for me to tell him what was making the noise, scaring the dog in the process, I moved out of the way so he could see the little guy.
“Some asshole threw him out of his car while driving in front of me.” I didn’t have to say any more before Hawke approached the puppy with his hand out so the dog could smell him, a goofy smile appearing as he gently pet the puppy’s head.
“I can’t believe someone would do that. That’s seriously fucked up.”
“You’re tellin’ me.”
“What are you gonna do with it?” he asked, picking him up so he could get a better look. It was then he noticed the puppy was missing one of his back legs. “What the hell?” he shouted, startling the little guy. “Did they cut it off?” He turned the creature from side to side, lifting him up to the light to see him better.
“I think he was born that way,” I offered, finishing my hack job on the chicken. “Here, gimme him.”
Hawke passed him to me, continuing to pet him as I fed him small pieces of chicken. He was hungry enough, biting my fingers in his eagerness to eat, his little teeth like razors. That bastard probably starved him as well, although he didn’t look too gangly from what I could see.
“Are ya gonna keep him?”
“What am I gonna do with a puppy?” The thought had briefly crossed my mind on the way to the clubhouse, but then I decided against it. Puppies were a lot of work, let alone one with a disability. No, it was better if I did what I could, then passed him off to one of the no-kill shelters in the area so they could find him a permanent home with people who had the time to care for him.
“You need somethin’ to go home to, man.”
Ignoring his observant comment, I asked, “Speaking of, why didn’t you go home last night?” I knew things had been rough between him and Edana. Ever since she’d been attacked, she’d been having some nasty nightmares, pulling away from Hawke which in turn strained their already tumultuous relationship.
“I can’t help her. She doesn’t wanna talk about it, and every time I even try to touch her she freaks out and starts cryin’.” He ran his hands over his face. “I don’t know what to do. She wants to go stay with her sister in Florida.”
“Maybe it’s the best thing right now,” I suggested. Even as the words left my lips I knew I would’ve never followed my own advice if I were in his shoes. I’d be fighting to keep my woman close.
“Well, apparently I don’t get a say. She’s already packed a fuckin’ bag.” He plopped down in a nearby chair and hung his head. “I just don’t know what to do,” he mumbled.
I’d never seen Hawke so despondent. Normally, he was taunting the guys, crossing lines to where they’d retaliate and put him in his place. Or at least try to if Tripp wasn’t there to interject.
After a few minutes of him wallowing and me feeding the rest of the scraps to the puppy, we both acknowledged our conversation was over with a simple nod, then proceeded to walk out into the common room.
Sitting on the sofa with a beer in hand and the puppy next to me, I welcomed the sweet arms of numbness. I needed one last ride to oblivion before I had to man up and deal with my shit with Braylen. I had to decide if I wanted to let her all the way in or let her go. It wasn’t fair to string her along and I knew it. We’d both be worse in the end if I didn’t make a decision once and for all.