“Fine,” he answers.
That’s a lie. I felt him flinch earlier. I rest my hand against his leg, recapturing his attention. “I can…I can get in trouble. Seeing you outside of work. Like this.”
He laughs. Deep, rumbling laughter. Crinkles at the corners of his eyes soften his hard expression. “Sweetheart, what happens here, stays here.”
My lips pull into a shaky smile. I’ve certainly heard that before.
He shifts as if he’s having second thoughts and wants to take his arm off my shoulders. “Unless you don’t want—”
“No.” I wrap my hand around his, keeping him in place. Yes, I could get in trouble for dating a client. But we’re not dating. And I know the Lost Kings well enough. What Grayson said is true. No one talks to outsiders about what goes on inside their clubhouse.
He strokes his fingers over my cheek and rests his fingertips against my chin. “You’re so beautiful. I wanted to tell you that the other day.”
“Thanks.”
Being pretty has never gotten me anywhere.
Beauty brought me the attention of men when I was way too young to understand what they wanted.
My pretty face angered my mother.
Teachers always assumed I was stupid.
From Grayson, it sounds so sincere and kind, that I enjoy the compliment.
He’s still studying my expression. Stroking my cheek. “I remembered to do the stretches you gave me.” He rolls his shoulder. “They help.”
Now that makes me happy. I’d gone over his case with my supervisor and she’d made some suggestions that I’m eager to try out with him at our next appointment. “Good. We’ll have you riding by springtime.”
“Serena?”
I glance up.
Trinity smiles down at me. Wrath has his big hands clamped around her hips, pulling her into his lap, but her attention’s focused on me. “I thought that was you.”
“It’s me.” My tone’s cautious, as I try to figure out her intentions.
“How’ve you been?” She settles into her husband’s lap, resting her hands on Wrath’s massive arms wrapped around her waist.
“Good.” I clear my throat and sit straighter. “I finished school.” My voice falters, and I glance at Grayson. I’m torn between wanting to let Trinity know I’ve moved past my club girl days and not wanting Grayson to know how new I am to my job.
“That’s good. Congratulations.” Her gaze skips from Grayson to me, questions clearly brewing in her light brown eyes. Wrath nuzzles against her neck, running his beard over her bare shoulder until she laughs and redirects her attention to him.
“Is this weird for you?” He gestures toward a group of guys closer to my age. A smile teases at the corners of his mouth. “Would you rather be hanging out with them, instead of Grandpa over here?”
I chuckle at the question. He’s far from any grandfather I’ve ever seen. “You are a whole college graduate older than me,” I point out.
“It’s not fair you know so much about me and I know squat about you.” He cocks his head and stares at my face. “How old are you?”
Heat creeps over my cheeks. “Twenty-eight.”
“Fuck,” he mutters. He blows out a long, slow breath. “I feel like I never moved past the age I was when I went inside. So, really, I’m only about seven years older than you.” His lips pull into a quick smirk, but I sense pain behind his words. What a sad sentiment to share with someone he barely knows.
But he’s not after my pity.
“I’m sure you’ve changed and grown in a lot of ways,” I say.
He nods slowly. “Changed. Sure. Sometimes I still feel thirty-five.” He scowls at the party going on in front of us. “Other times, I feel like I aged a hundred years.”
“I can understand that.” It makes perfect sense to me. At twenty-one I knew nothing about the world, even though I’d already survived a round-trip through hell.
“Why physical therapy?” Grayson asks.
A lifetime of looking after people who didn’t give a damn about me? Might as well get paid for my habit of trying to fix wounded birds? That sounds too cynical or revealing. “I like helping people heal but didn’t think I could handle medical school.”
Something flashes in his eyes.
“You don’t like doctors, do you?”
“It’s not that.” He rubs his thumb over my hand. “Go on.”
“What else is there to say? It’s a job. I’m happy I have it.” I blush and meet his intense stare. “It took me a while to settle on the right path.”
“You chose well.” His gaze never strays from my face. “Don’t ever doubt yourself.”
His low-voiced encouragement sinks in slowly. If only it were that simple.
For the next hour or so, brothers stop by to pay their respects to Grinder. Wishing him well. Congratulating him. Welcoming him home. He smiles and shows his brothers respect and affection. But I’m close enough to feel the tension rippling through his body with every interaction.