Page 47 of Ghost

“I’m good.”

I nod, crossing my arms over my chest. The last thing I want to do is send her home with Venom, but I need to finish up what I was working on before she got here, and if I don’t get her out of my periphery, I’m not going to be able to keep resisting her.

Luna stops at my side, looking up at me. I swear she’s smaller now. More fragile. She might be strong as hell, but I can’t see past her mortality.

Skin. Blood. Bone.

People are so fucking breakable, and that’s never bothered me untilher.

“Venom’s taking you back to the clubhouse.”

Luna frowns. “You’re not coming?”

“Can’t yet. I still have shit to get done tonight.”

Plus, if I put her on the back of my bike later, I might never let her go.

Luna wets her lips, looking around the strip club. It’s rowdier now than when she arrived because it’s getting later, and I wonder what she’s thinking.

Sapphire Rise is supposed to be topless only, but after a certain point in the night, Chaos doesn’t stop the girls from doing what they want for extra tips. And tonight, it’s madness.

Luna is watching a girl do the splits on a pole, and then her gaze darts to me, but I don’t sense she’s jealous that I’m spending time at the club working. She’s seen worse back at the clubhouse, and sometimes, she’ll sit around and watch.

Luna knows what she has to offer, and I have no interest in anything going on around me. Nothing here appeals to me except for the purple-haired splash of brightness staring into my eyes.

“Venom, give us a second.”

He nods, walking to wait by the exit.

Luna steps closer with him gone, but there’s still a gap. I want to close it, but I can’t, and it has my skin crawling.

“Why are you sending me back? I can just wait while you finish up what you need to do.” Her eyebrows pinch. “I can just go home with you.”

Those words have never sounded so good.

Her on my bike.

Her in my bed.

I want it all, and that’s the problem.

“It might be five minutes, or it might be five hours.” I tuck my hands in my pockets to stop them from reaching for her. “You should get some sleep.”

“I don’t mind—”

“Go with Venom,” I cut her off, averting my gaze because if I keep staring her in the eyes, she’s going to see the truth in them. “I’ve got shit to do, Luna, and I can’t be worrying about you while I do it. What we did didn’t change anything. It’s not like you’re my old lady.”

She flinches like my words are a physical punch to the gut, and I hate it. When she steps back a step, I don’t blame her.

“I’m not asking you for your fucking property patch, Ghost.” She narrows her eyes. “But the least you could do is be a decent human being.”

“Luna—”

“Don’t worry about it.” She holds up her hands. “I get it. You’re just like the rest of them.”

Her hard expression cracks as she turns away, revealing the hurt behind her anger. I almost reach out and stop her.

I almost risk it.