“How the hell am I supposed to look at him the same? Treat him as my VP?”
“Take a teaspoon of concrete and harden the fuck up, brother. I’m sorry, Zero, but I’m not the helpless little sister you paint me out to be. And Wraith? He’s no longer that broken, out of juvie guy, you met and rescued off the streets. We’re both stronger than you give us credit for. Maybe you need to loosen the reigns. Let us be our own people.”
“Ha! Last time I let you be your own person you damn-well drove to Chicago, lived in a sister chapter’s clubhouse for a year, and nearly got shot by Irish mobsters. How’d that work out for you?”
“Don’t be a smartass, Zero, it doesn’t suit you.”
He exhales, running his fingers through his long hair, the stress is taking its toll on him. The silence is deafening while his mind ticks over with what he’s about to say. “Wraith can stay, but there will be conditions. And don’t think for one single fucking second I approve of you two doing anything together. In fact, I’m putting Phantom on you as a guard for a while.”
“Jesus, a-fucking-gain?” I groan.
“Yeah. Wraith’s volatile. I don’t need him snapping and taking out his shit on you.”
Rolling my eyes, I wave my hand through the air. “Fine! Do whatever the fuck you want. Phantom and I get along great.”
“I know you do. Keep. Away. From. Wraith. I mean it, Prinie!” Zero warns while opening my door.
“Yes, Dad,” I sneer back as he walks out, closing it behind him with a little more force than necessary.
Flopping on my bed, I roll over, planting my face in my pillow, then scream into it as loudly as possible. My high-pitched shriek is muffled by the pillow as I pour all my frustrations out into the feather down. Drawing in a deep breath, I try to calm myself before pulling back.
I never thought that night between Wraith and me would become public knowledge. The sordid details still remain between us. At least I haven’t said anything to anyone nor do I ever plan to. I wouldn’t do that to Wraith. As much as he infuriates me, I’m well aware of how much shit that would land Wraith in if Zero ever found out he choked me during sex—and not in the fun kind of way.
Sitting at the edge of my bed, a gentle knocking raps on my door. I’m sure it’s female. Men tend to pound while women have a gentler touch.
“Come in,” I call out.
The door creaks open, and Rayne steps through. I guess I should call her Cherry now she’s been claimed by my brother, but she’ll always be Rayne to me. She walks in closing the door behind her with a warm smile. Then she moves over to my bed, shifts in beside me, and pulls me to her for an embrace. “I love you.”
I needed to hear that.
After going at it with Wraith, then Zero yelling at me for what felt like hours, I need to know someone’s on my side. I relax into her embrace, clinging onto her tightly. “Everything is so fucked up.”
Cherry pulls back from me, her eyes drooping a little. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
My fingers twiddle in my lap. “I… I don’t know.”
“I’m not mad, Prinie. I get it. I just thought we told each other everything back in Chicago.”
My eyes meet hers.
I want to tell her.
I want to tell her everything that happened that night with Wraith.
But she’s Zero’s Old Lady now, and she might feel obligated to relay the information back to him. I can’t risk it, no matter how close a friend she is.
“I’m sorry. I knew how big of a deal this was, especially for Zero. Wraith fucking his sister? That shit is a massive offense in this club. I didn’t think I could tell anyone.”
Her hand comes out resting on my knee. “The way you’re at each other’s throats, though, you gave yourselves away. The chemistry between you two is palpable.”
I jerk my head back. “Really? I thought it just seems like we hate each other?”
She snorts. “To the brothers maybe, but to us girls… heck no. Wraith looks at you like he wants to rip your clothes off… again.”
“I don’t think it’s in the cards now. Zero will make damn sure of that.”
“I’m sorry it’s turned out this way for you, Prinie. One thing I’ve learned, when Zero sets his mind on something, it can’t be shifted.”
Don’t I know it?
“Yeah, I’m glad I was able to talk Zero out of kicking Wraith out of the club.”
Cherry scrunches up her face. “Geez, it is tense between them, isn’t it? I mean, I get it. If there is one thing I know more than anything since my time began here, it’s that Zero adores the freaking ground you walk on. The thought of anyone doing anything wrong by you would be killing him. The fact it’s his VP, who also happens to be his best friend, yeah… I can see why he needed to be talked off the ledge.”
“Do you think I’m being stupid?”
Cherry grabs my hand in hers, a caring expression crossing her face. “For caring about Wraith? Oh, Prinie, no. You can’t help who your heart desires. You’ve known Wraith for years. He’s a part of your life here. Honestly… I’ve known something was happening with you two from the moment I first saw you together. Granted, I didn’t believe it would come out this way, nor do I understand
