Page 71 of Wild Night
PRINCESS: I’m always good.
My lips twitch into a smirk at her response. She is, too. The fucking best.
I KNOW.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
POSEY
“The guys are caughtup in…club business,” Dakota says, emphasizing the club business part of her sentence. I don’t really know what that means, but I’m guessing it has to do with the motorcycle club business and all the things Void schooled me on while we were together.
“So you lived in a safe house with one of the other guys? Ivy knows this, and it’s cool?” Briana asks.
I’ve only met this girl once, at Dakota’s wedding, but I do know from texts with my niece that she’s Dakota’s best friend. She saved her from the cult, and she also moved here at the same time Dakota did and started her life over again. She’s part of the fold without being related to or married to a member of the club.
“I assume he knows where I was,” I say with a shrug.
“Are you going to tell?” Briana asks.
I don’t know if she’s trying to stir the pot or what she’s doing, but I decide that I don’t really care. She can say whatever she wants. I decide to shut it all down with a couple of sentences, and then that’s it.
I’m not talking about it any longer. I’m shutting this shit down right now.
Void helped me, protected me, and saved me. He gave me a place to breathe and feel safe. I will never be able to thank him enough for that, even if he was simply just doing his job.
“If Justin doesn’t know, that’s not on me. I’m not keeping a secret. If he wants details, he’s more than welcome to ask. He’ll find out that Void slept on the couch, I slept in the bed, and we shared conversations and meals, nothing more.”
Briana gives me a smile. I don’t know why I expect her to have something snarky to say, but she seems content with that answer. Maybe she thinks of herself as a sister to these guys and is trying to play some sort of protective role. Whatever the case, if she’s going to be a problem, it could get ugly.
“Let’s go to the clubhouse, hang out, and wait for the guys there. I can put Nathan down for a nap in his playpen,” Dakota announces as she stands to her feet.
We’ve been hanging with Lainey all afternoon. Dakota even did some decorating. Showing off some of her newly acquired skills so that Lainey would have some pretty things for her bakery case for this week. Next week, it will be back to the regular schedule.
“Are you coming with us?” I ask Lainey as Briana and Dakota gather Nathan’s things and get him ready for the short trip to the clubhouse.
“I try not to make it a habit of going down there,” Lainey says, wrinkling her nose.
She’s so freaking cute. I open my mouth to ask her why, but then snap it shut. Because not only is it none of my business, but I can imagine seeing your brother in precarious positions would be icky.
“Well, I hope I’ll be back tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll be able to survive a single day without a pastry,” I announce as I rise to my feet.
Lainey shakes her head a couple of times, her eyes finding mine. “Well, I’ll be here waiting. You can teach me about wine. I seriously know nothing.”
“And maybe a caffeine-free drink?” I ask.
“Without a doubt, babe.”
I wave to her before I reach down and grab hold of Dakota’s diaper bag, following her and Briana out of the bakery and to the car. They’re chatting about something, but I’m not really paying attention to any of it. As nosy as I am, I know it has nothing to do with me.
Something causes me to pause, though. I’m not sure what it is. It’s just a feeling, a prickling at the back of my neck. Turning my head slowly, I look behind me to check if anyone is watching me, but nobody is there.
Taking a moment to glance around as I slowly move toward the car, I try my hardest not to seem conspicuous, but I’m sure I fail. Completely and totally miserably fail. I am not covert by any stretch of the word.
I don’t see anything or anyone out of place, though, not that I would know, really. This is only my second time coming down here, but I also feel as if I would see someone staring at me and notice it, which I don’t.
I climb into the passenger seat of the car, close the door, and strap my seat belt in place, my eyes still looking anywhere and everywhere for anything that stands out as odd—I still find absolutely nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Dakota asks.
