One Rule

Chapter 19

When I got up later that morning, I showered and got ready before heading to the funeral home to start getting things together.

The director of funeral home walked me through everything that I needed to plan as far as having a wake or a service at the funeral home. I was also told that I'd have to pick a casket, because Kip had no plans.

I spent most of the afternoon there. I felt like I was the wrong person for the job because I didn't know Kip well enough to know what he would have wanted. I arranged for the wake to take place to a couple days time. I picked flowers, and told them I'd find a good picture of Kip for them, though I didn't know where to look for that right off the top of my head. They asked me what clothes we were going to bury him in. I had to tell them that I'd get back to them on that. I wasn't sure if I was going to go with his military uniform or not.

I called some of the croweaters and enlisted their help in cooking for this thing. I got a call from Piney, telling me that he'd made arrangements Kip's hole at the cemetery. I thanked him for taking that off my plate.

I wondered how Gemma did this as much she has. I wanted to ask, but it seemed like a sign of weakness.

On my way home that afternoon, Hale pulled me over. "I wasn't speeding," I told him when he approached my window.

"I know. I've been looking for you all day. Will you step out of the car?" he asked.

I got out of the car and we stepped back toward my trunk. "I was at the funeral home," I explained, crossing my arms over my chest. "What did you need from me?"

"Mostly a welfare check, and to see if you had anything to add about what happened yesterday," Hale said.

"I don't know anything that you haven't gotten from others. I was at work all day. I only know what I know because someone else told me," I replied.

"So I was told. How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm about as fine as one can be when their nephew has been kidnapped, and their mother is on the run from the law," I replied, relaxing against my SUV.

"Forget the badge for a minute, Diana," David told me. "I know I was just a fling for you when we in high school, but that doesn't mean I stopped caring about you," he said. "You know if you need anything, you know you can come to me, right?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. I could feel a migraine coming on. "I'm tired," I admitted. "I couldn't sleep for shit last night because I was still processing everything. I've spent all morning planning Kip's wake. I haven't eaten all day, and I can feel a migraine coming. So that's about where I'm at with all of this."

"You're taking over for Gemma?" David asked.

"Yeah. Someone has to do it," I replied. "It might as well be me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I knew what I was signing up for," I said. "Well, I have to go. I have more to do before I can be done for the day."

"Take care of yourself, Diana."

"You too, David."

We parted ways; he got in his car, and I got in mine. He waited for me to pull away before he left. I went home and ate something before I sat down to work on Kip's patch, powering through the migraine.

I was still sewing when Kozy came home that evening. "The cops just let your brother back into his house," he told me, dropping a kiss to my hair.

"Good."

"You okay?"

"I'm just feeling the effects of a lack of real sleep," I told him. "I got a lot done today. I need to find a picture of him for the wake, and decide what clothes to bury him in." It dawned on me to see if I could get his personal effects from whoever had them. I needed a key to his apartment. I should have asked Hale if he knew where I should go for that.

"How's the sewing coming?" he asked, sitting down in the chair next to mine.

"I got the Reaper done, and now I'm working on the Sons patch, I still need to do the ones on the front."

"Take a break. You've done enough today."

He ordered a pizza for dinner, and I fell asleep on the couch long before it ever got to the house. Kozy had to wake me up and bribe me to eat.

Once we were done with dinner, I wanted to lie back down on the couch, but Kozik convinced me to go up to bed. He bribed me with a back rub. We changed for bed. I changed into one of his shirts, only leaving my underwear on underneath. He changed into sweatpants and left his undershirt on. I stretched out across the bed, lying down on my stomach. Kozik straddled my hips and ran his hands up my spine.

I moaned quietly as he worked the knots in my back. He always seemed to know just what I needed. "Like that?" he asked.

"Yes," I groaned as he worked a knot in my shoulder.

"You do know how obscene you sound right?" he teased about ten minutes later.

"I'm fully aware of how I sound," I said. "I'm also fully aware of what it's doing to do you." I could feel him getting hard when he leaned against me.

"You're going to be the death of me," he groaned.

"I wouldn't do that to you," I replied.

"I'm not saying it'll be intentional," he said, leaning down to kiss my neck. When he sat back up, he got off of me. "I decided that I'm gonna put my transfer in, and jump to this charter."

"Why?" I asked, sitting up.

"Tacoma's getting a little thick, and plus, it's easier for me to transfer than for you to have to find a new job," he said, leaning down to kiss me.

"You know Tig is going to oppose that, right?"

"You can help me wear him down," Kozik teased.

"We'll see." I stood up and kissed him again, letting my hands run up under his shirt so that I could feel the warmth of his skin. I broke the kiss long enough to take his shirt off. I loved looking at him, and his tattoos. Some, I've traced a hundred times and I could do it in my sleep.

He caught me staring, "See something you like?"

"Always." I sighed, "I really want to, but I'm just too fucking tired tonight. I'm so sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for," he smiled and kissed me again. "Get some sleep and make it up to me in the morning."

"Deal."

We went to bed, and I basically passed out the second my head hit the pillow.