“You could die.”
“If I do so bringing this operation down, it’s worth the risk.”
Cohen shakes his head. “I can’t let you do this.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
With an angry growl, he turns and walks out of the room, slamming the door so hard it shakes the frame.
“He’ll get over it,” Alarick says, then looks to Kendric. “Zariah meetin’ us tomorrow still?”
“Yeah, she had some shit to sort out but she’s going to be here.”
“Good, get her onto looking into Benedict more before she comes, anything we can find out the better.”
Kendric nods and stands, leaving the room.
Mykel looks to me. “You sure you’re good with this?”
I nod.
“You’re braver than me, girl.”
I laugh. “I hope so.”
He grins at me and then leaves the room too, Samson following him out, but not before he gives my shoulder a squeeze. I’m doing this for him, too. For his daughter. She doesn’t deserve to live out there with people like that. She deserves to be home, to be safe.
“We’ll have eyes on you at all times, anything goes wrong, we’ll be there,” Alarick tells me.
“I know,” I say, nodding. “I should go and talk to Cohen.”
I reach the door when Alarick calls my name.
I turn back and look at him.
“Appreciate your honesty, but know this, if you try to do anythin’ to hurt my family, I will take you out. Is that clear?”
I nod. “It’s clear.”
“Good.”
I walk out, exhaling as I do.
One step at a time.
That’s all I can do right now.
Just take one damned step at a time.
And hope like hell it works out.
“WE NEED TO GO OUT AND drink.”
Waverly’s voice fills the motel room we’re sitting in, silently. We’re one more town away from Benedict now, and the closer we get, the more I realize what I’ve signed up to do. It is dangerous, that’s for damned certain, it’s also the only option. If something happens to me, then it’s all over. For them. For me. For all of us.
I have to be smart.
“I agree,” Briella stands, clapping her hands together. “We’ve been moping around these motel rooms for days. I’m bored out of my mind. Let’s go to the bar and drink away this misery.”
“Sounds good to me,” I say, standing too.
“Fuck it, let’s go,” Alarick murmurs, taking Briella’s hand and pulling her closer to him.
She smiles up at him, and the love I can see in her eyes make my heart yearn for the same thing. Not only that, but it makes me wish I had the same friendship with her that I had years ago. I haven’t exactly made things easy since I came home, and I can feel the distance between us. Maybe tonight is a good time to change that.
We all clean up and then head to the local bar.
We could be being followed, there is a high chance of that, so Alarick is careful on his journey there, making sure to keep an eye out and see if anyone is behind us. We arrive and the bar is just starting to become busy. People are walking in and out, music is playing, and the smell of pizza wafts out.
I need this more than I realized until this very moment.
We all get out and with another check around, we head inside.
After finding a booth, we order a round of shots and after a few of those burning our throats, we relax a little. I’m squashed into the seat next to Cohen and I can feel his body pressed against mine, his hard biceps moving when he lifts his arm to take a drink. There is a funny fluttering feeling in my tummy, a feeling I’m not overly familiar with. I like it, though. I like how it makes me feel.
My mind continues to wander back to the night he was making love to me, and how good it felt. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, and the more I do, the more I want him. More of him, everything he has got to offer.
“We should dance!” Waverly cries, throwing her hands up.
“Bikers don’t fuckin’ dance,” Mykel mutters.
“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun. It’ll do you good.”
“Didn’t do me good in New York, won’t do me good now.”
Waverly rolls her eyes. I can’t help but smile at the two of them; they’re perfect together. She is the best woman you could pick for Mykel. They match in a way that I long for.
“I’m up for a dance.” Briella grins. “Let’s do this. C’mon, Merleigh, Avi, let’s go.”
Fuck it.
I used to love a good dance.
I stand and climb out of the booth, sliding past Cohen. I don’t miss the deep growl he gives me when my ass rubs against his chest on the way past. I like the power that gives me, the deep feeling in my chest that gives me the kind of confidence I haven’t felt in a very long time.
I haven’t danced in a long time, and gosh, I have missed it.
We reach the dance floor and start moving right away. I sway my hips, throwing my hands up, and a huge smile breaks out over my face. I haven’t felt so free in such a long time. Briella dances beside me, and her laughter fills the room as she takes my hand and spins me around. “I’ve missed this,” she yells over the music. “We used to dance all the time.”
“Yeah,” I yell back. “I’ve missed it too.”
The smile she gives me is so genuine it makes my heart ache. I didn’t realize just how much I’ve needed her until this very moment. My walls have been up so high that I’ve not let any emotions in. That wasn’t healthy, and I’m beginning to realize just how close I came to losing everything because of it.
“I’m so glad you’re back, Avi,” Briella throws her arms around me.
The first time she did this, I wanted her hands off me.
This time, though.
Well, it doesn’t feel so bad.
I hug her back, and
