Page 27 of Knot So Sweet (Leather and Lace #1)

Chapter 26

Candi

I nside the Doc's office, the walls were a deep, rich mahogany—nothing like any doctor's office I’d ever seen. It was more like stepping into some kind of old-world study, the kind you’d find in a mansion, not a place meant for medical treatment.

Viper and Ghost had left me here, apparently to ‘talk to Doc alone’ while he checked on Ghost’s shoulder. But I wasn’t stupid. I could feel it in Viper’s clipped tone, the way his eyes shifted whenever I pushed about Sean Cromwell—he was hiding something.

And whatever it was, it was big.

I hadn’t backed down earlier. I couldn’t afford to. I knew what I was asking—bringing a Hound into this equation was like asking a fox to guard the henhouse.

Viper didn’t trust outsiders, especially not from a rival gang. I didn’t blame him for that. Trust was dangerous in this world. But if we were going to win this war, if we were going to take down Titus and find the mole leaking information, we needed to think outside of the club.

Linc wasn’t just another Hound to me. He was different, and I trusted him—something I wasn’t ready to explain fully to Viper yet. Though, Ghost might figure it out as soon as he meets him. But Linc saved me once three years ago. The night I perfumed for the first time.

Him and Roman both.

And in a world as cruel as ours, that counted for something.

I wasn’t asking for a blind alliance. I was asking Viper to consider the bigger picture, to contemplate that maybe we didn’t have all the pieces to win this fight on our own. Maybe we were all playing on the same side.

But Viper’s pride ran deep, maybe deeper than mine, and getting him to see reason felt like trying to move a mountain with my bare hands. The bickering between us had ignited a flame earlier, and I wasn’t going to pretend it didn’t sting when he implied I was an outsider. I knew part of that was what Travis had done to me, knew the trauma still clung to my bones like a second skin.

But I wasn’t broken, damn it.

I was still here, still standing, and I wasn’t going to let anyone—especially Viper—write me off like I was some fragile thing that needed protecting.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck, as my eyes drifted to the bookshelves again. My feet carried me toward them, almost on instinct, drawn to the endless rows of spines like they held some secret that might calm the storm brewing in my head.

There were so many books, old leather-bound ones mixed in with glossy, newer covers. My fingers brushed lightly against the shelves as I walked, my mind wandering in time with the titles that blurred together.

" Sit, Candice. Stay, Candice ," I muttered under my breath, mocking Viper’s deep, authoritative voice. He’d left me here like a dog, and it grated on my nerves.

I wasn’t made for waiting around like this, stuck in the sidelines. And yet here I was, hungry, frustrated, and on the verge of my heat. And no closer to a solution than I had been before, of where I was going to Netflix and chill.

It had been almost twenty minutes. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me I hadn’t eaten all day, but pride kept me from asking for food. They weren’t going to see me weak or needy.

Not now, not ever.

I could feel the heat rising in my body, a warning that my next cycle was looming closer than I wanted to admit.

The thought made me shiver with unease. It wasn’t just the physical toll of heat—it was the vulnerability. The complete loss of control. If I could barely admit I was hungry, how the hell was I supposed to admit my heat?

I exhaled slowly, focusing instead on the row of romance novels that had caught my eye. Their bright covers seemed to contrast with the dark, brooding atmosphere of the office.

I plucked one off the shelf, the soft, worn edges of the purple cover silky under my fingertips. It had been read countless times.

For a brief moment, I just stood there, holding the book in my hands, letting its presence calm me. I cracked it open and skimmed the words, trying to let the world outside of Doc’s office slip away. Viper, Ghost, the club—the constant push and pull of our scent match.

But that fleeting peace shattered the second a shrill voice cut through the silence. "Why are you in Drew's office?"

I jerked my head toward the doorway, my pulse quickening as I spotted a leggy blonde. Her lips, painted a sharp crimson, pressed into a thin, disapproving line. She was dressed in a skin-tight crop top and daisy duke shorts that clung to her like a second skin, showing off legs that seemed to go on forever.

"What's it to you?" I shot back, not even bothering to hide the edge in my voice. "I'm waiting for Viper."

Her eyes flared briefly at the mention of his name, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, pushing those ridiculous boobs higher.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"You must be Viper's shiny new toy."

The way she said it—so matter-of-fact, as if she was about to lift her leg and mark all over the room to stake her claim. I hated omegas like her. Women who thought they had a claim on every alpha, ready to piss all over their territory the moment they felt threatened.

"Look. I’m not in the mood for this territorial bullshit. I’m just waiting for Ghost and Viper. Now run along." Without waiting for her response, I turned my back on her, grabbing a random book from the shelf, more to ignore her than anything else.

My eyes skimmed the pages, but what I found made me freeze.

A map of Sterling?

I frowned, looking closer at the intricate drawings. Tunnels. Under the city. What the hell? That couldn’t be right. Why would the Serpents have this? And what could they be planning to use those tunnels for?

My mind spun with a million questions, none of them painting the MC in a positive light.

The blonde’s huff behind me reminded me she was still there, her heels clacking against the floor as she moved closer. Her perfume hit me—a bitter citrus scent that burned my nostrils, and I had to resist the urge to gag.

But then, underneath that sharpness, there was something more subtle. A note I recognized.

Whiskey.

My mouth went dry, and my heart gave an uncomfortable lurch in my chest. I knew that smell. And my instincts didn’t like the fact that this leggy blonde smelled like him . Like Viper.

Did he fuck this bitch?

I hated that I cared. Hated it even more as a pang of jealousy twisted in my gut.

My grip tightened on the book in my hand, the old pages crinkling slightly under the pressure. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, but I forced myself to remain calm, to not give this blonde the satisfaction of seeing the jealousy gnawing at me.

I had no claim on Viper .

He wasn’t mine, and I sure as hell wasn’t his, no matter how much our scents tangled together in a way that was hard to ignore.

But that didn’t mean it didn’t sting.

"You should be careful," she purred, circling me like a cat stalking its prey. "Viper’s got a thing for breaking his toys. Makes you feel special, then tosses you aside when he gets bored. Happened to the last girl. Won’t be long before it happens to you, too."

I bristled immediately.

Who the fuck is this bitch?

I felt a prickle of irritation rise, threatening to spill over, but I swallowed down my initial retort.

Please , Candi, don't lose your shit over this bitch.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to rise to her bait. I’d dealt with women like her before—possessive, manipulative, and desperate to hold onto whatever power they thought they had. But I wouldn’t let her get under my skin. Not when I had bigger problems to worry about.

Instead, I let out a slow breath, forcing my heartbeat to steady. "I’m not one of Viper’s toys," I said evenly, keeping my voice steady despite the way my chest tightened. "And I don’t need advice from someone who clearly hasn’t moved on." I smirked, giving her a once-over.

Why was she in the Doc's office? And she was on a first-name basis with him? Coming in here smelling like Viper—that didn’t sit right with me at all.

Her narrowed eyes flicked over me the same way I did her. "Watch your back," she hissed.

Her heel tapped insistently on the wooden floor, the sound grating on my already frayed nerves. My patience snapped. I slammed the book shut with more force than necessary, the sound echoing in the quiet room, and I turned to face her completely, eyes blazing.

"Watch my back?" I laughed mockingly. "Did Viper grow bored of you, and now you're looking to fill your cunt with Doctor dick?"

I couldn’t understand why she was in Drew's office. I like the beta and I didn't much like this bitch stalking him.

Her eyes narrowed further, and I could see her sizing me up, trying to figure out if I was a threat. I didn’t move, didn’t flinch under her scrutiny. If she wanted to play this game, fine . I’d been through worse than catty blondes with an attitude.

I was best friends with Julia, for fuck's sake.