Jill plated a gooey caramel roll and put it in front of me. “He’s right, you know. “ She licked the glaze off her finger. “What kind of life is that, Asp?”
I sighed. “Not one I’d enjoy.”
“Exactly,” they said at once.
It’d been a week and a half since I arrived. Each day when I saw Storm he’d tell me gruffly, “Campbell’s not in Minnesota yet.” I took his response to mean that I’d be whisked away to some undisclosed place the moment Casso was in the area.
In the meantime, I kept to myself. I didn’t hang out in the bar in the evening or eat meals in the kitchen. Thus far, I hadn’t run into Libby since the night she sang karaoke, belting out a Meghan Trainor song. That was the same night I got drunk off my ass, then fell on my ass, making a fool of myself when I saw her kissing my ex.
The incident in the kitchen, when Zach spilled almond milk on the counter, changed things for me. It had made me happy, but that night I felt awful for what I’d done. I shouldn’t have tempted him. What kind of girl does that to a man who’s in love with another woman? I wasn’t that kind of person. Even if there were some lingering sparks between us, it meant nothing.
We hated each other.
So I stayed in the dorm room, with a stack of smutty novels Sugar picked up for me in town. I’d been reading nonstop, only breaking to pee, sleep, shower, and eat.
Not even Jill understood why I stayed down here. Of course, she wouldn’t. She never had her heart ripped out of her chest.
A firm knock on the door had me sitting up. I knew exactly who it was. “Come in.”
Lynx poked his head in. “Hey, hot stuff, I brought you a pizza and a couple of beers. Hawaiian plus jalapenos.” He screwed up his face, bringing over the box.
Lynx was a gem. Every day he brought me a treat, spent a little time with me, then left. Not once did he try anything. He was the only biker in the whole club, aside from Wolf, who was pleasant to me.
I made grabby hands. “Yum-o! What’s with the face?”
“Minnesotans don’t eat that kind of shit. Most of us can’t tolerate anything with heat. Well, unless they’re a dude after a hot pussy.” He clicked his tongue, winking.
I rolled my eyes, lifting the lid. “Well, I’m from the West Coast and spicy foods are life. Gimme all the spicy food.” I took a huge bite and groaned, “Oh God, this is ah-mazing.”
“Fuck babe, do you sound like that during sex?” He joked.
“Why? Are you going to file that away in your little memory box so you can beat your meat later?”
He guffawed, holding his stomach. “Finally! A woman who can dish it back to me.” He roared with laughter, bent over, and kissed the top of my head. “I’d love to stay, but we have church. Shits getting real, babe. Be ready to bolt.”
I leaped off the bed and grabbed his arm before he left my room. “Lynx, wait. Don’t leave me in the dark. Nobody tells me anything.”
He dragged his thumb along my jaw. “Sorry, hot stuff. It’s club business. You and the other women aren’t privy to it.”
“But it’s about me.”
“I know. Storm let you attend church once. But that’s it. You’re just gonna have to trust us.” He kissed my forehead.
“Can’t you go with me if we have to bolt?” I so much preferred him over Zach.
“I don’t think so.” He stepped out of the room.
“Can’t you try to convince Storm?” I should’ve had some say in this. It was my goddamn life on the line.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He smiled, closing the door.
I put my hands on my head, turning back toward my bed. “Casso’s coming for me.”
17
Boxer
I may live to regret taking Lynx’s place.