Was she ever?
What a mess, and I’m torn between running after her and still being a little angry over the whole incident.
“Have you spoken to her?” Rhett asks, keeping his tone neutral. He takes a sip of his beer and places it back down on the bar. “I heard she’s staying with her parents tonight.”
“That’s what she said. Please tell me I’m not in the wrong here?”
“I love Natty like my own sister, but I don’t think you’re in the wrong. At the end of the day, the MC is our lives—we chose to be here—but I guess for her, work is hers. I grew up watching Faye be an old lady to the president of the Wind Dragons, while also being a lawyer. There is a way to do both. But I think the difference is Faye represented the Wind Dragons, and not our enemies. I do believe Natty would have done the right thing in the end. But she’s an ambitious woman. She needs to figure out a way to do it without throwing away her career unless it’s life or death,” he says, slapping me on the back with a smirk. “I’ve always said Natty is a pain in the ass. I’m glad it’s you dealing with this instead of me.”
“I’ve never felt so confused in my life,” I grumble, scrubbing my hand down my face. “She makes me crazy.”
“The good ones usually do,” he mutters. “Don’t get me started on Con. I’m still waiting for her to move in with me. Do you know how hard it is having a pregnant woman so far away?”
“I spoke to her the other day, actually. She said she was considering moving in earlier after I pleaded your case,” I tell him, winking. “You’re welcome. Now do the same with Natalie.”
Rhett laughs. “I was going to anyway, don’t worry. Con really said that?”
I nod.
He grins, flashing his teeth. “’Bout fucking time. Natty just moved here, Con is moving there—”
“Like it was meant to be,” I finish.
We clink our beer glasses together. “To not fucking it up,” he says.
Grinning, I repeat his words. “To not fucking it up.”
After everyone arrives, we all sit around a table, Rhett and Temper at the head, and they decide on what to do. I notice quickly that Temper and Rhett have different ideas on how to handle Marko and the FC, and with two presidents in tow, both fighting for dominance, we should have known it wasn’t going to be a good idea.
Temper wants to hold off, wait and watch, and see what Marko’s next move is.
Rhett wants to go in guns blazing.
But if we are all to work together, they’re going to have to come up with a compromise.
I shoot CJ a text warning him Marko is getting out, but I don’t hear back from him. I hope he’s lying low.
Aries and I share a look, but stay quiet.
Sometimes you just need to sit back silently, and observe.
Chapter Fifteen
Natalie
Sitting on my mom’s couch, blanket over me, I sigh for the second time. She knows something is wrong, but I haven’t told her yet. I’ve just been sitting here since I arrived, feeling sorry for myself. I’ve turned my phone on silent and am just avoiding the world.
When my aunty Faye comes over, though, and asks me what I’m doing here, I open up to them both.
“I just needed to get away,” I say with a shrug. “Something happened, and I don’t think I reacted in the right way, and now everyone is unhappy with me.”
“What happened?” Mom asks, brow furrowing with worry. She shares a look with Faye. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Do we need wine for this?” Faye asks, glancing toward the kitchen.
I nod. “I definitely would like some wine.”