Page 26 of Just Heartbeats (Royalla Motorcycle Club #1)

Roma sat down at a table in the clubhouse because she was getting tired of hanging out in her room while Kodiak was away. She curled her hair behind her ears. The room was stuffy, even with the men gone.

She needed conversation or a distraction. God, she missed the normalcy in her life. Two long weeks of having her freedom taken away, and she felt like she was losing her mind. She'd even take one of the Royalla parties she usually avoided over having nothing to do. She missed the chaos.

The bikers who stayed behind were quiet, content to watch television or bullshit with each other in the parking lot.

Andrea, Cannon's current girlfriend, sat on the beat-up leather couch, flipping through an old People magazine.

The girl hadn't even looked in her direction.

Even her body language was shut off from everyone.

She found the majority of the bikers' girlfriends ridiculous and artificial.

But she'd had some good conversations with Andrea over the last few months.

She got up from the table and approached Andrea.

Today, the other woman was a lifeline to brainless chatter.

"Hey." Roma eased into the armchair across from her. "How are you? You've been MIA lately."

Andrea turned a page without looking up. "I've been around."

"O—kay." Roma kept her voice calm, wondering why she was being ignored. "Is something going on? Because last week we were trading bad TV recommendations, and now you haven't even said hello to me. We're both waiting for the men, so I thought we could talk."

Andrea let out a breath, then finally looked at her. There was no happiness in her eyes, not even forced friendliness. Just a wall of indifference.

"You belong to Kodiak," she said. "You're off-limits."

Roma blinked. "Excuse me?"

Andrea glanced around like she didn't want to be overheard, then leaned into the chair back. "Look, it's not personal. But Cannon told me I couldn't hang out with you when I'm at the clubhouse."

"Why?"

"Word came down. No one gets close. No chit-chat. No girl talk. Nothing. You belong to the president."

Roma's blood ran cold for a second, then hot. "Who the hell made that rule?"

"I did," said a familiar voice behind her.

Roma turned her head and met Kodiak, standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes locked on her.

She stood slowly. "Are you serious?"

"It's not about you, Roma," he said. "It's about keeping things tight. You belong to me. There's no reason for the hoppers to talk to you."

"She's Cannon's girlfriend, not a hopper."

"Still, the fewer people around you, the better."

"So what, now I'm a liability?" She motioned between herself and Andrea. "You think Andrea's going to grill me about club business over nail polish? I haven't left the compound in fourteen days. I understand the reasons for the lockdown. But why am I being shut off from everyone?"

"Protection."

"For someone who rides for freedom and hates laws, you sure make a lot of rules." She planted her hands on her hips. "I don't want to be treated any differently."

Kodiak's gaze softened. "You're not some girl.

You're my girl. That means you're a target.

That means I can't afford to be distracted.

And if that means the rest of the clubhouse keeps its distance until things cool down, then that's what happens.

I make the rules, and when it comes to you, I'll do anything to keep you safe because you're worth so much more to me. "

Roma stepped closer to him. "You treat me like I might slip up and bring the whole place down."

"No, I treat you like you're mine," he said. "That's the problem."

She pressed her lips together. Even Andrea stilled, the magazine forgotten in her lap.

"You're afraid something might happen to me, so you're building walls around me—around the people who used to talk to me, around you.

And fine. You want to call it protection?

Call it that." She crossed her arms. "I don't want to be outside the fence.

I understand why you'd want me on the property if Deception's circling.

You're doing what you think you have to.

I get all of it." She paused, eyes locked on his.

"But I'm sick of pretending I'm okay with everyone taking risks on my behalf. I didn't ask for any of this."

Kodiak straightened and looked up at the ceiling. She inhaled deeply. It hadn't been her plan to start an argument.

"I didn't do anything, and yet they tried to kidnap me and killed my dad," she whispered. "Do you know how awful I feel, knowing everyone is out there risking their lives for me?"

He looked at her, and his hard, unreadable expression flickered. "You know it's not your fault."

"It sure feels like it."

Kodiak reached for her, but she stepped away. Frustrated, she walked away before she said anything else to upset him.

He was doing all he could to fix the situation. It wasn't his fault that he was put in the position of protecting her.