“I was heading to get the soil I bought for the greenhouse.” I gesture vaguely in the direction I came from. “The real question is, what are you doing out here? I thought you had club business in town.”
For just a second, something flickers across his face. It’s so quick I almost miss it, but I’ve been studying this man’s expressions for years now. I know when something’s bothering him.
“I did have club business,” he says, walking over to me and sliding his arms around my waist.
“Just finished up, actually. Looks like I would’ve had time to have dinner with your parents after all.” He tilts his head as he looks down at me, a sexy little smile spreading across his face.
The warmth of his hands on my back should be comforting, but instead, it makes me more suspicious. He’s deflecting, and Devil never deflects with me. At least, he never used to.
“In Calvert County?” I raise an eyebrow. “What kind of club business takes you twenty miles out of our territory?”
His jaw ticks, just barely, but I catch it. “Need I remind you, this is really all our territory?” His mouth is hard as he gazes down at me. “But I was doing some reconnaissance. We’ve been keeping an eye on some of the Rebels who’ve been sniffing around our operations. Can’t be too careful, right?”
It makes sense. It really does. The Rebels have been pissed ever since earlier in the year when this little tit for tat started with them. After the Fourth of July, they’ve been furious, and it would be smart for Devil to keep tabs on them. But something in his voice doesn’t ring completely true.
“You hungry?” he asks, changing the subject before I can dig deeper. “There’s that hot dog stand about a mile up the road. We could grab some dinner if you didn’t eat at your parents.”
I want to press him more, but the hopeful look in his eyes makes me soften. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Maybe the stress of everything lately is making me see problems where there aren’t any.
“I didn’t have dinner with them since you weren’t there. I’d love to,” I say, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “But I’m driving. Follow me on your bike?”
He chuckles, and some of the tension in his shoulders eases. “Yes, ma’am.”
The hot dog stand is one of those roadside places that’s new. One of the waitresses from The Café started a YouTube channel to document her journey from being a waitress to owning her own business. The community has been amazing in supporting her. Routinely, she has a line, but we’re in luck today.
We order our food and find a picnic table under a shade tree. Devil tears into his chili dog like he hasn’t eaten in days, and I can’t help but smile at the sight. This is the man I fell in love with—the one who can find joy in simple things like a good hot dog and being with me. It makes me feel stupid that I’ve doubted anything he’s said or done.
“So,” I say, picking at my fries, “tell me about this reconnaissance mission. Did you find out anything useful?”
He swallows his bite and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Just that they’re still licking their wounds from losing the explosion. Don’t think they’re planning anything immediate, but we’re keeping an eye on them anyway.”
“That’s good. I’d hate for things to escalate.”
“Me too, babe. The last thing I want is for you to get caught up in club drama.”
The way he says it, so protective and sincere, makes my chest warm. He’s always trying to shield me from the uglier parts of this life, even though I grew up in it.
A police SUV drives by on the main road, and I glance up automatically. It’s a habit when you’re part of the MC world—always keep an eye out for law enforcement. But this particular SUV makes me frown.
“Is that Chief Harrison?” I ask, squinting against the sun.
Devil follows my gaze, and I swear his whole body goes rigid for a second. “Looks like it.”
“What’s he doing way out here? This isn’t even his jurisdiction.”
“I don’t know,” Devil says, but his voice sounds strained. “Maybe he’s meeting with Calvert County about something. Joint task force shit. There’s been talk around town about the Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team expanding.”
I study his profile as he watches the SUV disappear around a bend. There’s something in his expression I can’t quite read, and it’s driving me crazy. It’s like there’s a whole conversation happening behind his eyes that I’m not privy to.
“Devil,” I say slowly, “are you lying to me?”
He turns to look at me then, and for a moment I see something raw and vulnerable in his brown eyes. Something that looks almost like pain.
“Why would you ask me that?” he says softly, if not with a bit of edge to it.
“Because you’re acting weird. You have been for a while now, and I can’t shake the feeling that you’re keeping something from me.”
He reaches across the table and takes my hand in both of his. His fingers are warm and calloused, familiar in a way that usually makes me feel safe. But right now, they feel like they’re trying to anchor me to a lie. Glancing down, I see the matte circle of his wedding ring, and it causes me to swallow harder.
