My eyes flicked to Elena. “Looks like you’ve got a solution to your sittersituation.”
“I guess I do,” she said, smiling faintly. She turned toward Eva, Kenna, and me. “Really, thank you.”
We helped Elena load up the kids. Jessa headed off with Kenna and Chaos with some big talk about going to a book sale. Once Tomás was safely strapped in his car seat, we hit the road with Elena and the kids in the backseat, and Hatchet riding shotgun. Eva followed in Reaper’s truck.
The drive didn’t take long. The income-based apartment complex was tucked behind a warehouse in a long line of identical beige buildings. It wasn’t much, but it was safe and clean.
Elena stood in the doorway for a long moment, taking it all in, while Hatchet and I hauled boxes and Eva’s “found” furniture inside.
By the time everything was unloaded, Sofia had fallen asleep on the couch, and Tomás was already nodding off in his car seat.
Elena turned to me, lips trembling. “Merci, really. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” I said. “Kenna did the hard part. She found this place and the job.”
“But you got me out,” Elena said. “You probably saved my life.”
I hugged her tightly. “You saved yourself.”
Hatchet and I said our goodbyes. The ride back was quiet. There was tension in the air, like we were still figuring out how to be alone together as friends. By the time we got back to Merrick’s place, the sun was slipping low in the sky, throwing long shadows over the dirt path that led down to the clubhouse.
I slammed the truck door shut. “Thanks for helping. I appreciate it.”
“That’s whatfriendsare for, right?”
I tensed at his taunting tone. “Right,” I said, a bit too cheerfully. “Look at us nailing this whole ‘friends’ thing.”
“I should start my own moving company,” Hatchet mused. “Maverick Movers. Has a ring to it.”
“OK, Mr. Shark Tank. You buy one business, and suddenly you think you’re an entrepreneur.”
He chuckled and pressed a hand to my lower back as we started down the path toward the clubhouse. My heart kicked a beat at his touch, reminding me of how those same callused fingers had mapped my curves in the dark. How his large hands had pinned me down. How they’d unraveled me.
The hum of conversation drifted through the woods as we approached the party already underway.
I stumbled over a root, and Hatchet easily caught my arm to steady me. His fingers grazed my skin and sent a jolt through me. His hand lingered, and he pulled me closer.
“Merci—” he started.
My heart kicked in my chest before my brain slammed the brakes.
“We can’t,” I whispered.
His eyes searched mine as his hand fell away.
“We’re just friends,” I reminded him, forcing my voice steady. “Remember? We promised. No more … whatever this is.”
He huffed out a half-laugh. “Yeah. I know.”
For a second, neither of us moved. My traitorous body screamed for what my mind knew I couldn’t have.
He forced a smile that didn’t meet his eyes and stepped away.
As soon as we walked through the clubhouse doors, Hatchet split off to join Fuse, Rev, and Reaper for a game of pool, tossing me a quick nod as if nothing had happened. But the skin where he’d brushed his fingers still tingled.
I headed for the bar, slid onto a stool, and ordered an espresso martini. Leah huffed at me.
“Sorry,” I mouthed. She rolled her eyes as she shook the drink.
