Page 107 of Forbidden

“We wouldn’t have to convince them.” I leaned in closer to him. “Cause you aren’t crossing any lines with me.”

I think I’d made my point as I opened my car door and got in. My eyes went to Hannah, and suddenly her nickname of ‘Nice’ didn’t suit her. Maybe ‘Meddler’ suited her better.

***

It took half an hour and some bourbon to get Cyrus to agree to dinner but even when we pulled up out the front he didn’t want to go in. I think it hadn’t helped that Tatz had spent all weekend filling Cyrus’s ears up on the belief that Reaper was disrespecting him on purpose.

Cyrus said he was remaining sober in what Tatz had called a‘possible trap’. I still hadn’t had a word with Tatz to explain whathad happened. Reaper didn’t do family violence. He was a ruthless man but when it came to his family he protected them and he didn’t hurt them. That was obvious to me but yet not to everyone.

I guess the reputation that came with Reaper’s name was—well, you don’t rule off him being incapable of anything.

Mum got out of the car and so did Alfie but I waited. I knew Cyrus wanted to have a word with me.

“Well, get it off your chest,” I said as soon as Mum’s door shut and it was just Cyrus and I.

“If this turns sour then you need to see Creed, do you understand?” Cyrus’s words rung in my head.

Things weren’t turning sour. Things were going to be fine. But even if things were to turn out for the worst, and Cyrus ended up dead, then I still wouldn’t reach out to Creed. Creed was the Deadly Dozen’s mother charter’s President’s son and if Cyrus had it his way, then Creed and I would already be engaged.

I was thankful when we left the same state as him. Not because I didn’t like him but because I didn’t like relationships or being tied down. Being bound to a man that was being trained to fulfill a mother charter President role—well, it meant a relationship with him would come with a lot of strings and not just tying me down but gluing me down.

Cyrus got out of the car after I gave him a nod, agreeing to his wishes, even though I wouldn’t follow through with them. It just occurred to me that those same reasons why I ran from Creed, all those strings that came with him, were the same ones that would come with Tyson.

Holy fuck, how had I not realized that till now? But I wasn’t heading into a relationship with Tyson, was I?