Page 51 of Heart of Stone

“Convenient.”

I shoot him a look that would have prospects pissing themselves. Axel just grins wider.

Movement by the gate catches my attention. Ginger’s here, and with her...

“Damn,” Axel mutters.

Andi’s in dark jeans that hug curves I’ve been dreaming about all week, and a top that shows more skin than I’ve seen since that first kiss. Her hair is down, falling in waves past her shoulders, and Ginger’s clearly gotten to her with makeup.

She looks fucking beautiful. And completely untouchable.

“Well,” Axel pushes off the railing, “this should be interesting.”

I watch as Ginger leads Andi through the crowd, collecting women as they go. Tank’s old lady presses a beer into Andi’s hand, and even from here, I see her hesitate before taking it.

“Good,” Axel says. “Girl needs to relax.”

“Since when do you care?”

He shrugs. “Since she started making you less of an asshole.”

I don’t have a response to that.

The night wears on, the party getting louder as more people arrive. I keep my distance, watching as Andi slowly relaxes into the atmosphere. She keeps nursing her original beer, picking at the label.

The women claim a corner of the garage as their dance floor, and even from my spot on the deck, I see Andi starting to move with the music.

“You gonna stand there all night?” Stone appears beside me, his timing as impeccable as always.

“Maybe.”

He snorts. “Kids are fine, by the way.”

“How do you know that?”

“Called Duck to check in on club shit. All I heard was fucking screaming.”

That gets a laugh out of me. “He knew what he was signing up for.”

“Did you?”

I turn to find my President watching me with knowing eyes.

“She’d make a good old lady,” he says quietly. “She’s solid. Keeps her head. You want her. We’ll support you.”

The music changes, something slower and darker threading through the night. Through the crowd, I see Andi dancing with Ginger, her movements loose and free in a way I’ve never seen before.

“Yeah,” I admit. “She is.”

Stone claps me on the shoulder. “Then do something about it.”

“She’s avoiding me.”

"Can you blame her? Girl's whole life has blown up, and here you come riding in like a knight in tarnished armor."

I snort, tearing my gaze from Andi. “You’re a prick, you know that, right?”

Stone’s smile is knowing. “Stop being chickenshit.”