Page 18 of Ghost

“I know.”

“Good. Because if we really do pull through this and you don’t make a fucking move and tell her how you feel, you’re a fucking idiot. And you’re too good a man to be that, whether you believe it or not.”

Steel shakes his head and walks away, leaving me with the pit that’s been living in my stomach since I first sawLuna and knew she was it for me. I’d like him to be right. I’d like to think confessing what that girl does to me would fix this mess. But it won’t.

There are worse things for her than the Twisted Kings. Worse than our enemies or anything that came before this.

There’s me.

5

Luna

A few hours ago,the stars on the ceiling felt less fake.

Hope was more tangible.

My future made more sense.

Now, I don’t know what to think as I stare at the fading plastic specks above me. They’re losing light at the same rate I’m losing optimism, and I no longer know what to make of my being here.

Ghost lied to me.

Worse, he lied to the club on my behalf.

I’ve been replaying the first time I met him over and over in my head, trying to see it for what it really was—him doing his job.

While I thought we were flirting, he was watching from the start. He wasn’t there getting coffee; he was scoping me out and determining if I was a threat to his club.

His being at the coffee shop wasn’t fate. It wasn’t coincidence. It was business.

For over a year, I’ve held onto the idea that there was something between us. I thought this all started with a magnetic pull we couldn’t resist. He mentioned Vegas, and when I joked about following him there, he seemed genuinely interested. He vouched for me with his president. He gave me this job.

Now, it turns out, Ghost was keeping me close to confirm I wasn’t after his club.

Once again, I’m chasing a man who is incapable of giving me what I need from him.

Still, a nagging thought won’t let go. If he didn’t care at all, why would he risk it? Why protect me if it meant going against his club?

He could have let me take the fall a year ago when he caught me hacking his system. Knowing what I do now, I’m well aware that he should have turned me over to Steel so the club could decide what to do with me.

He didn’t.

Ghost thought I was working for the club’s enemies, and he still brought me to Las Vegas. He moved me in with him and has watched out for me ever since.

Ghost ignores me, but he broke his oath to his brothersfor me. That has to mean something.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, but it does nothing to dull the ache between my temples. Rolling out of bed, I slip into my neon-pink, fluffy slippers and tie my hair up in a ponytail.

The clubhouse is quiet tonight since there was no official party, so I don’t hesitate to walk around in a T-shirt and slippers.

As I slip past Reina’s bed, she grabs my hand.

“You okay?”

Reina just went to bed a few minutes ago, so she’s still awake. She’s been spending time with Havoc lately, but never stays the night in his room. While she’s having fun with him, it’s not the same as it was when she was with Steel, so I’ve seen a lot more of her lately.

“I’m good.” I force a smile and squeeze her hand. “Just need to splash some water on my face. It’s hot in here.”