Free Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V by A.J. Downey Page B

for any damage done to my car. I’d been amazed
that my mom and dad had bought it for me in the first place upon graduation but
had later found out that Mr. DelBene, a congregant who owned a dealership had
suggested it and that he had given them an incredible deal on the car. My
father never missed an opportunity to look good, like an upstanding pillar of
the community or like a doting and loving father. He believed in leading his
flock by example. If only his flock knew what an utter farce his examples were.
    I left quietly and drove home. My mood, as always after a
Sunday spent with my family, was sullen and borderline morose. I pulled up to
the curb in front of the house I shared with Everett and Dray in our quiet
little neighborhood and just felt mentally and emotionally drained. Like I had
no energy whatsoever. I dragged myself up the front steps and let myself into
the house and found Dray slouched down low on the couch.
    “Hey,” he said, dark eyes sweeping from my booted feet to my
face where his dark eyes stopped cold and his eyebrows came down in a crushing
frown.
    “C’mere,” he ordered struggling to sit up. I sighed and
complied dropping onto the couch a cushion away. I knew Dray was a sweetheart
deep down inside by the way he looked at my best friend, by the way he treated
her and yes even me, but he was still a deep and dark and brooding soul on a
good day and intimidating as could be.
    “Talk to me,” he leveled me with that dark and thoughtful
gaze of his.
    “Nothing to really talk about, had a nice visit with my
folks…” he snorted cutting me off.
    “That’s bullshit!” he called me out. I bit my lips together.
He looked me over thoughtfully.
    “Where’s Everett?” I asked.
    “Dance studio. Don’t change the subject. You go over there
every Sunday and come home looking like someone just kicked your favorite
puppy.”
    I flinched inwardly and hoped like heck it didn’t show on
the outside. I fixed Dray with my best wide eyed innocent look, which pretty
much doubled as my deer in the headlights look which is really how I was
feeling right now. He sighed out and raked his fingers through his hair,
pulling it back from his face when I’d been silent too long.
    “You gonna make me ask?” he demanded and gave me a hard
flinty look. I nodded mutely and his mouth cracked wide into a grin.
    “You can be a royal pain in the ass just like Em you know
that?” he demanded and my shoulders dropped.
    “You guys have an argument?” I asked. He gave a shrug that
could mean nothing and could mean everything, his face impassive. I sighed and
got to my feet.
    “We aren’t done. Something is going on with you and Em won’t
break your guys’ bro code so…” he raised his eyebrows and willed me to fill in
the blanks. I smiled wanly.
    “Just a lot to do, for the church and the upcoming holiday
fund-raiser,” which was true, just not all of it. “I’m off to read and relax, I
have a lot to do tomorrow for both it and the shop. You really shouldn’t worry
so much but it’s very sweet that you do.” I kissed Dray’s cheek and he gave me
a crooked grin.
    “Okay Mandy-girl,” he used the nickname my mother and
Everett had been using on me since the dawn of time. “I’ll let it go for now,
but don’t think Zander will go easy on you. He’s a right pain in the ass if you
present him with a mystery.” He winked at me and I stiffened.
    “You didn’t!” I gave him a considering look and his face
said it all, he most certainly had. My shoulders dropped, “You did.” I
chewed my bottom lip and Dray’s overall look softened. He sat up and pulled me
into a hug.
    “You’re my Em’s family, which makes you the entire MC’s family,
Red. It’s been a year you been living here and that’s an entire year of Sundays,
watching you come home half wrecked and watching it take the better part of the
week for you to put yourself back together,” he pursed his lips and when he
didn’t get anything