“Lean back.”
My hand slides down over her bare stomach, thighs, she never bothered to put her underwear back on after I tossed her out of my bed. “Open.”
“No,” she whispers, clenching her legs even tighter.
Turns out my big hand wedges in between her legs fine. I pry her open enough to slide my middle finger through her slit.
A soft moan escapes her and she shifts, letting me in.
It doesn’t take long until she comes, gasping and shuddering.
“Go to sleep now, baby. Long day tomorrow.”
She lets out a sweet sigh and goes soft in my arms. “Thank you.”
My lips find her cheek again and at least there are no more tears.
I roll over expecting to collide with a warm, wall of muscle and almost fall out of the bed.
I’m alone.
Did I dream it?
Blinking my eyes open, I take in the motel room.
If it wasn’t for my missing underwear and grungy crying hangover, I’d believe last night was just a dream.
Or a nightmare.
First Romeo being so mean. Angry fucking. Him leaving. Him returning, so sweet and tender.
And now I’m waking up alone.
There’s a fresh bottle of water on the night stand. I uncap it and take slow sips, going over last night’s events.
“Romeo?” I call out, my voice cracking. Did he make good on his threat and leave me?
Fuck it. I grab my bag and head to the bathroom to dress. I think we’ve got another three hours on the road, then I can get away from him and think.
I haven’t even considered what the hell I’ll say to my parents. I know they’re livid with me for leaving. They left me a lot of unhappy voicemails the first week I was in L.A. Like a coward, I kept them updated with daily emails about how I was doing instead of calling them back.
Coward. Well, at least I admit it.
The sound of the motel door slamming shut, hurries me out of the bathroom. Romeo barely glances my way, but points to the table, where he’s laid out coffee and maybe a bagel.
“Eat.”
I don’t know what to say, so for once in my life, I keep my damn mouth shut.
He hardly gives me enough time to choke down the bagel and take a few sips of coffee.
“Let’s go. I don’t want to make any stops unless we have to.”
“Not even the bathroom?” I tease.
Nothing.
I take another chance. “Can we talk first?”
“No.”
He turns and leaves. I rush to use the bathroom, one last time apparently, grab my stuff and meet him outside.
With the morning sun shining down on us, this time the ride isn’t as awful. I actually enjoy the wind whipping my pony tail behind me and the feel of Reed underneath my fingers.
All too soon, he’s turning onto my parents’ street. What the hell?
“Romeo, what are you doing?” I shout, when he doesn’t bother to shut the bike down in my parents’ driveway.
“Bringing you home like I promised.”
Why did I assume he’d take me home with him? “But—”
My car’s already sitting in the driveway. I can only imagine what my parents must think. What would the prospects who dropped it off have told them? Probably nothing.
“Get off, Athena.”
Slowly, I swing my leg up and over the bike, balancing myself on his shoulder.
“We’re not going to talk at all?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Not even after last night?”
His jaw clenches tight before he answers. “That was a mistake.”
He gives me about two seconds to unstrap my bag before taking off, leaving me stranded at my parents’ house.
All I can do is watch him drive away.
17
“You motherfuckin’ prick.”
That’s rude.
What the fuck?
My head’s pounding. Went straight to the clubhouse, ignored every bitch in sight, and proceeded to get stinking drunk.
Something slams into the bottom of whatever I’m sleeping on, jarring me painfully awake.
Dante’s angry face stares down at me.
“What the fuck, bro?” My words come out thick and slurred.
“You just dumped Athena at her house without making sure she was okay?”
“She ain’t my problem.” I roll over without vomiting and consider it a win.
“Like fuck she’s not.” He kicks the couch again.
“Knock it off, fucker.”
“Her parents kicked her out and took her car.”
I refuse to let him know how much that bothers me. “So?” I mumble into the couch cushions. They smell like ass, which makes me reconsider shoving my face against them.
“So, now I got her living at my fuckin’ house.”
With two hands on my head, to keep it from exploding, I sit up and face him. “Why is this my problem?”
“Are you fuckin’ serious? You rode out of here like a fuckin’ lunatic. Risked getting’ in the middle of Red Storm bullshit to rescue her, and now you’re gonna act like you don’t give a shit?”
“That about sums it up.”
He jams a finger in my chest, knocking me against the back of the couch and I slap it away. “I fuckin’ warned you to be careful with her.”
“She left. Got her ass in trouble. Obviously, she ain’t ol’ lady material. So mind your own business.”
Dante ignores everything I said. “That’s no excuse to be so fuckin’ harsh on her. She’s eighteen, ya fuck. She knows dick about this life. You knew that going in. Eighteen-year-old girls do stupid shit. Your own fuckin’ fault.”
“Karina doesn’t.”
Wrong thing to say. His face goes positively ice-cold. I’d laugh if my head didn’t hurt so fucking bad.
“She’s different. Leave her out of this.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to treat her with some fuckin’ respect and at least talk to her.”
I groan and put my head down, although if I vomit on Dante, maybe he’ll go away and leave me alone. “Why?”
“Because now I’m outnumbered in my own fuckin’ house and I gotta listen to a broken-hearted girl cryin’ her eyes out all god damned night long.”
What a load of bullshit. I stand, swaying on my feet just a tad, and poke Dante in the chest until he takes a step back. “She ain’t broken-hearted. She was doing just fine in California and she’ll do just fine here.”
“You’re a dick.”
“So I hear.”
“You ain’t gonna talk to her?”
“Nope.”
He glares at me and when I don’t say anything he nods. “Fine. Then you stay the fuck away from her permanently.”
“No problem.”
“I ain’t fuckin’ joking. You don’t get to decide in a few weeks, when you’re done sulking like a pussy, that you wanna start something up again. You won’t man up and talk to her now, then you ain’t doin’ it later.”
I open my mouth to say fine again, but nothing comes out.
Dante smirks and folds his arms over his chest.
Motherfucker.
“I’m so sorry, Karina.”
My best friend smiles and sets a plate of cookies in front of me.
“It’s okay.”
“How mad is Dante that I’m here?”
This time she grins. “He’s not mad at all. Flustered maybe.”
“I’ll find a job and apartment, I promise.”
“Are you going back to L.A.?”
I’ve thought about this endlessly. Romeo doesn’t want me. That bridge has been incinerated. I talked to Elliot for over an hour last night. He cheered me up by mentioning, one of the casting directors I’d auditioned for told him she might have a part coming up that was perfect for me. When I pointed out I had no way to get back to Los Angles and nowhere to stay even if
I did, he offered money for a bus ticket and invited me to come stay with him. Unsure of what I’d done to deserve his kindness, I’d blubbered out a thank you and promised him I’d think about it.
“Maybe. Elliot’s roommate is leaving when their lease is up, so he asked if I want to get an apartment together.”
“At least you know he’s safe and won’t have psychos visiting.”
My exact same thoughts when he’d brought it up. “True.”
“A gay bestie in Hollywood. You’re such a cliché.”
“You’re a cliché for saying that.”
Her laughter lifts some of the gloom off my shoulders.
My whole body tenses when I hear Dante’s bike in the front yard. I’m still mortified Karina had to pick me up from my parents. She brought me here, and forced me to explain the whole story to Dante. Recounting how Romeo dumped me in my parents’ driveway like a sack of garbage and how my parents refused to allow me in the house, left me wishing I’d hitchhiked back to Los Angeles instead of calling Karina. What was the point of coming home to a place where no one wanted me?
Well, Karina seems happy I’m here. Staying with the two of them is fucking weird, though. Inside these walls, Dante’s completely different. Still bossy and demanding, for sure. But he also dotes on my friend in a way that’s sweet and unexpected.
Let’s not forget he didn’t hesitate to offer me the spare bedroom when Karina dragged me home like a homeless kitten either.
Karina lights up and rushes to the door to greet him. Even though he’s only been gone for about an hour, they make out as if he’d been off to war and back. This is the weirdness. The two of them can’t keep their hands off each other. And I don’t even want to contemplate the noises that came from their bedroom last night.
Who wants to nurse a shattered heart around two kinky nymphos?
Not me.
My heavy, dramatic sigh finally pulls them apart. Dante pins me with a stern stare. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just getting so hot in here we might need to put the A/C on.”
Karina blushes and pulls away from him, while Dante glances up at the ceiling, probably praying for aliens to come abduct me.
Karina pulls him over to the kitchen counter and hands him a cookie, which he devours in two bites. He compliments little Miss Nestle Tollhouse and presses a kiss to her forehead.
Barf.
“How you feelin’ today, Athena?” he asks.
“Better. Thank you for—”
He waves off my gratitude. “You can stay here as long as you need to.”
“Okay.”
“On one condition.”
Oh dear God, please tell me this isn’t the part where they ask me to join them upstairs.
“You need to stay away from Romeo,” he finishes.
I almost would have preferred a three-way invite to hearing Romeo’s name. “Uh...no problem there.”
“I ain’t kidding.”
“Okay. Jeez. I think I might go back to L.A. anyway.”
Dante's scowl spurs me to explain. “I talked to my friend there and he said I can stay with him. I’ll be safe there.”
“We’ll see.” I don’t think I care for the ominous tone he uses, but I keep my mouth shut.
Karina bounces on her toes, dying to share her news with Dante. “I heard from Kadence.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “And?”
“She wants to meet up tomorrow. Athena said she’ll go with me.”
Dante’s face turns hard and unreadable. “Where?”
“Mall maybe?”
“No. Do it at the clubhouse where I can keep an eye on you. Just in case.”
“Are you sure? We could meet here? I can make dinner—”
“Definitely not here.” His face softens when he sees the pout on her face. Why couldn’t Romeo be patient and understanding the way Dante is? “I know she’s your sister, baby girl. But you don’t know a thing about her. I don’t trust her enough to have her in my home.”
The man has a point, and I’m about to say that when Karina agrees.
Oh fuck. That means— “Karina, you don’t still need me then, do you?”
“Yeah,” Dante answers. “You should still be there for her.”
Karina nods vigorously. How can I say no?
“But you just said you wanted me to stay away from Romeo,” I point out.
Dante’s not used to having people—girls specifically, I think—question him. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you,” he answers slowly, giving me a hard look. “I’d like you there for Karina’s sake.”
Shit. Guilt me much? “Yeah, no problem.”
As long as I avoid Romeo, everything will be fine.
18
It’s a shame I have to kill Dante.
We’ve been brothers for almost twenty years. Sure, we annoy the fuck out of each other, but our friendship goes back before patching into the club. Bonded over all the dirty deeds we were forced to do as prospects. Patched in at the same time. Even got elected to our current positions at the same time.
What he’s doing today can’t go unpunished though.
“Why are they in my clubhouse?” I growl at him.
He’s probably smirking at me. But I can’t tell because my eyes haven’t left Athena since she walked in here with Dante’s girl a couple minutes ago.
“Karina’s meetin’ up with her sister.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question.”
“I want Athena here for moral support, in case things don’t go well.”
“That doesn’t explain why they’re in my clubhouse.”
“Well, Prez,” he answers slowly. “I don’t want Kadence up at my house yet.”
I’d love to punch the sarcasm out of him. “But having her in our clubhouse seems safe? You know she’s got ties to Bolt’s crew.”
“Ain’t like they don’t know where our clubhouse is, Prez.”
He’s got a point.
Still, I want Athena out of my clubhouse.
Or upstairs in my bed.
I tell myself it’s her outfit that’s messing with my head. Some sort of skintight pants with little cupcakes printed all over them and a loose pink tank top.
I want to eat every inch of her.
Kadence finally shows up, and Dante leaves to supervise his girl. The sisters have a tearful first meeting. At least they finally know about each other. Tucker made a big deal about how wild Kadence is, and by the look of her, he wasn’t just saying it to be an asshole. She screams trouble. From her barely-there top to the shorts that barely cover her ass cheeks. That’s how she goes dressed to an MC clubhouse during the day to meet her sister? A rival of her man’s MC too, from what I hear. I don’t envy Dante for having to deal with that bullshit.
He must deem Kadence worthy to associate with Karina and finally stops hovering over them. Unfortunately, he returns to annoy me.
“Remember what I said, Prez?”
“Why are you still bothering me?”
The fucker laughs and slaps me on the back.
“Get your drooling in now. I hear she’s going back to L.A.”
That finally snaps me out of leering at Athena’s ass. “What?”
“Yeah. Got some dude lined up to be her roommate and everything.”
“Like fuck.”
“Not your problem. Remember?”
“Fuck off.” I glance at him. “Why’re you lettin’ her go back there?”
“She wants to go. How am I supposed to stop her?” He lifts his chin in Karina’s direction. “I got my hands full with my own girl. Anyway, Athena’s not your problem, so don’t worry about it.”
I wait until Dante’s distracted and Athena steps away to make my move. Creepy fuck that I am, I stalk her across the clubhouse. My last threads of patience fray as I wait outside the bathroom. What the fuck do I say? Why am I doing this? We’re totally wrong for each other.
She’s eight-fucking-teen. Legal, to fuck, sure.
But for fuck’s sake, she was a toddler when I patched into the club.
That alone should be enough to keep me away from her.
Except, my moral compass has been off-kilter for as long as I remember.
I should leave her alone and let her find a man who makes more sense for her.
The thought of her with anyone else pushes me into jealous asshole territory.
When the door finally opens, I’m wound so tight, I grab her and throw her up against the wall. She lets out a startled gasp of surprise.
“Why’re you in my clubhouse?” I ask, my lips so close to hers, I can almost taste her.
“I—I’m with Karina,” she stammers, those gorgeous steel blues wide as saucers. “Dante said it was okay and you wouldn’t bother me.”
“Am I bothering you, sweetheart?”
Her eyes gloss over. “No. But you’re hurting me.”
I relax my hold on her but still keep her trapped against the wall with my body. “Sorry.”
“What do you want from me?” she asks with a hitch in her voice.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, if you don’t know, how should I?” She tries to push her way out from under me, but I keep her pinned. Missed that smart mouth.
“I want to stop thinking about you all the fucking time,” I admit.
Her eyebrows scrunch into an adorable little crinkle. “Yeah? Well, me too.”
“You think about you all the time, too?”
“Don’t be a jerk.”
“I’m still pissed you left the way you did.”
She looks down at where our bodies are almost touching. “I know. I’m still mad at myself.”
I’m surprised to hear her admit that.
“Why’d you do it?”
“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. It’d been my dream for so long, I was afraid if I gave it up for a guy and then it didn’t work out, I’d be a failure.”
Her honesty breaks some of my anger. “I wish you’d talked to me about it.”
“I didn’t think you were serious about me staying.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
“I tried calling—”
“I know.”
“I—”
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