Bad Apple (The Uncertain Saints MC #4) by Lani Lynn Vale

way.
    Needless to say, I didn’t follow her back to the room.

***
    Two hours later, I was about ten sheets to the wind and barely making it up to my room.
    I fiddled with the door for about two minutes before a bleary-eyed woman opened it.
    “You forget how to work your card?” Kitt asked with amusement.
    I didn’t answer her, only walked into the room and collapsed onto the bed.
    “You want me to help you off with your boots and pants?” She asked laughingly.
    I rolled over.
    “Do your worst,” I ordered.
    My voice sounded rough. Way rougher than normal.
    And I couldn’t feel my face.
    “You can’t feel your face because you’re drunk off your ass,” Kitt said with a smile on her beautiful lips.
    “Thank you,” she whispered.
    “For what?” I asked.
    “For calling me beautiful,” she whispered. “It’s nice to hear it.”
    “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life,” I growled. “And don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.”
    She blushed and that’s when I realized all the lights were on.
    “Why are all the lights blazing this late?” I asked, closing my eyes and letting her take my boots off.
    “Because I was waiting for you. I wanted to tell you I understand.”
    She pulled my boots off, and they fell to the floor with a soft thump.
    The hotel had excellent carpeting. Carpet that was so thick that it could possibly pass for a fucking extra bed—comfortably—if worse came to worst.
    “You have a gun on your ankle,” she whispered.
    I wiggled my foot.
    “I do,” I looked at it, sounding surprised.
    She giggled.
    The Velcro on my ankle holster loosened and I smiled.
    “You don’t like guns?” I asked.
    “No,” she bit her lip. “It’s not that. I just didn’t realize you had them, that’s all.”
    “Hmmmm,” I drawled. “Interesting.”
    When she moved up the bed and started working on my pants, my cock instantly hardened.
    “I want you to fuck me,” I told her. “Hop on my cock and fuck the hell out of me. Make me forget this shitty day.”
    I didn’t see her face fall at the mention of my shitty day because I was already passed the hell out. If I had, I would’ve reassured her that it wasn’t because of her.
    Then I would’ve made love to her for hours afterwards.
    Because that was exactly how the next couple of months went.
    Misunderstanding after misunderstanding.

Chapter 8
    Look me in the beard when I’m talking to you.
    -T-shirt
    Kitt
    He was gone the next morning when my eyes finally opened.
    I ate breakfast by myself, too, seeing as all my medication had to be taken with food.
    Even my brother slept in.
    The next two days I barely saw Apple.
    Each time I tried to stop him and talk, he ignored me, made up an excuse, or plain old left without listening to anything I had to say.
    The drive back was terrible.
    Where before I’d enjoyed the entire time, albeit being uncomfortable, now I couldn’t help but know with absolute certainty that Apple didn’t want me riding with him.
    But he’d brought me here, and he wouldn’t leave me to find my own way home.
    Ridley also didn’t have the seat on the back of his bike that would allow me to ride with him; so, here I was, stuck in between a rock and a hard place.
    The moment we pulled up in front of my house, he stopped only long enough to make sure Ridley and I didn’t need anything, and then left without another word or glance back.
    “Give him some time,” Ridley said, drawing my attention away from Apple’s tail lights.
    I looked over at my brother, and then I gave him the time he needed.

***
    The first day I saw him, once we’d gotten back, was at a birthday party.
    He was working the keg, as well as the grill, and he was laughing and joking around with Mig and Annie like he’d not just ripped my heart out.
    Not intentionally, I was sure.
    But he’d done it, nonetheless.
    No, he hadn’t said anything mean to me.
    What he had done, though, was look through me as if I didn’t