Page 158 of Toxic Revenge: Part Two

I rolled my eyes. “How is yours better?”

“How is it not? He couldn’t leave the estate, so I have an advantage here.” Mercer smirked at me.

“I love all of the dates equally,” I insisted.

“Liar. Mine’s the best, but don’t worry. I’m not going to slack off just because I got the best first date. I’ll have to keep my position as the best, and Conrad gets competitive over this shit.” He paused, then laughed. “Fuck, West does too. We’re going to be fighting over date days once you go back to work.”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll only be working two days a week, and I bet you’ll be busy too. Isn’t Jurah putting you to work?”

I’d been off for so long it terrified me to go back, but I wanted to. I loved nursing, and a piece of me would be missing if I never worked at a hospital again.

Taking it slow was going to be important. The night of my unwanted bonding had started with a hospital shift. This time, I’d never have to see my mates being brought in with gunshot wounds—they’d be picking me up completely unharmed.

Here’s hoping, anyway. Jurah should know better than to give my pack jobs that put them directly in harm’s way.

He shrugged. “Never too busy to take you on the best dates.”

We turned the corner back onto the main street, and the former club member was gone. I wasn’t sure what the rumours were about my pack’s activities now that the Alpha Chariots had disbanded, but I doubted anyone wanted to mess with them.

In the end, Grave was missing, and Mercy was living with his new omega. It was obvious at a glance who’d come out on top.

They’d all supported Grave. The losing side.

We approached the cabaret entrance, and I pushed those thoughts to the side. Mafia and motorcycle club business was something I had to keep up with more now than I had before everything happened, but it still had no place whatsoever on my date.

“My feet hurt,” I complained as we stepped out of the theatre arm-in-arm. “Is James picking us up nearby?”

Mercer swept me up in his arms with a grunt, princess style. He carried me down the street, and I laughed as I held on to his neck.

“I told him to pick us up down there.” He nodded his head down one of the residential streets. “Had something I wanted to show you.”

The dark evening got darker as we left behind the neon signs and bright headlights. Above us, dim street lights illuminated the sidewalks. It got quiet quickly as we retreated from the entertainment district of Fayworth and entered the outskirts of Seamouth.

My family’s territory—our territory.

Where I was most at home, and now they were at home here too.

“I’m not seeing anything interesting yet,” I teased. “Unless you were talking about the landscaping.”

He scoffed. “This landscaping is nothing compared to your parents’ estate.”

He put me down as we walked up to a row of townhouses. They had small yards out front and a few steps leading up to brightly-coloured doors.

One of them had a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of it.

Mercer pointed at the sign, and my heart skipped in my chest. “I’m not sure how you feel about townhouses, but I like the community buildings this complex has.”

I chewed my bottom lip, tucking myself against his side. Was he suggesting what I thought he was?

“What about your house?” I asked.

“Already on the market. You can’t live there, so we can’t either.”

“So, you’re wanting me to…”

“Move in with us.” He kissed the side of my head, grabbing my hand and brushing his thumb across the ring he’d given me. My fathers’ guys had found my gifted jewellery and returned it to me after the incident.

I’d even let my pack keep the tracking devices in them.