Page 43 of Word to the Wise

“Come by the club this weekend, and let’s chat. I need to understand how your dad runs shit. I’ll take it fromthere. Steel and his crew in Vegas are willing to help because I guess they’ve been having their own issues with Zane Enterprises.”

Steel is the president of the founding Twisted Kings charter, and he’s been helping out Sage and his club after everything that went down last year. But I’m not familiar with Steel’s crew like I am Sage’s. And the couple of run-ins I had with members on the Strip left a bad taste in my mouth.

“You trust them?”

“A year ago? No fucking way. But just like shit went down here, Steel cleaned house as well. Things are changing.”

Change is good, but they’re bikers. I’m not stupid enough to think everything they do is legal.

Either way, I don’t really have a choice. Sage is right. If Carter is anything like my dad, we can’t just walk up to him on the street and pump him full of bullets. Taking guys like him down is a little more complicated.

“All right, we’ll come by this weekend.”

“Good.” Sage slaps a hand on the back of the chair. “Maybe then Lyla can work on convincing Reed to stay.”

That has my stomach sinking, even if that might be a good thing for her.

With Reed out of the apartment, things could go back to normal. Sage would protect her from her douchebag ex, and I could move on. If she wasn’t in my space twenty-four seven, filling the air with her soapy scent and burying herself in my senses, maybe I could ignore this warmth she’s been welling up inside me.

Maybe then I could get laid and release the tension that’s slowly been building.

So why does the thought of that make my skin itch?

I can barely look at another woman, much less imagine touching one.

But Reed—the way she fits next to me. How she’s tiny and fierce and fills up an entire room with her smile. How she melts against me when she doesn’t mean to. How her body relaxes when I’m protecting her.

I can’t erase the comfort of her presence. The feel of her at my side. When she’s close, I think maybe Lyla has been right all along about destiny. You just need the right sign from the universe to understand it.

Because Reed feels like she could be it for me.

Laughing comes from down the hallway, and Sage looks over his shoulder.

“I swear my wife and sister are going to be the death of me.” He shakes his head, smiling because he doesn’t consider that a bad thing.

“Sage.” Reed pops up in the doorway, the brightest smile on her face. It widens when she looks at me. Or maybe I’m imagining it. “Lyla was hoping you had more of those ginger chews. Dinner just made her nauseous.”

“In the top drawer in the office. I’ll get them.” He moves to the door.

“I’m capable, you know?” She glares at her brother.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But if anyone’s taking care of my girl, it’s me.”

Reed shakes her head, but she’s laughing.

Sage looks back at me before disappearing. “Saturday.”

I nod as he heads down the hall.

“What’s happening Saturday?” Reed asks after her brother disappears.

“Sage wants us to come by the compound. We need to chat.”

She hums, and even if I’m sure she knows what it’s about, she doesn’t ask.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.” She pats her purse.