On edge, I mumble, “Feels as good as it looks.”
She smirks, accepts a drink of amber liquid, then tosses it back. “Name’s Macy. You’re Logan, right?” I nod, not trusting this woman. “Trista has had a lot to say about you since your appearance.” Not surprising. “She’s all bark, not a lot of bite.”
“Tell that to her.” I’m going for invisible, and this girl isn’t helping. “I never intended to cause trouble by showing up here.” Trista was a lifeline I’d been holding onto to escape my hellish home.
“I get that. She’s had a rough life. Her mom kind of sucked.” Yeah, I remember how horrid the woman was. “She needs some time to wrap her head around the fact that she was lied to about you for so long. You understand?”
Shrugging, what am I supposed to say…no? “I’m not here to cause problems. I’ll be leaving soon anyway, and she’ll forget I ever existed.”
Neo snorts. “You really believe that?” He hands me another grape soda.
“Yes.” I frown.
Macy and Neo share a look, clearly understanding something I don’t. “They’ve all but dragged you back to their cave and laid claim to you. You don’t believe they’re letting you go, do you?”
“I’m not a piece of property.” They both laugh at my sassy tone.
Frustrated, I take my drink outside, glad that I grabbed my phone before leaving the guys’ room.
The front of their property isn’t much to look at. A neatly cut lawn, tall iron fence that needs to be buzzed through, and a couple of picnic tables. Pulling out my phone, I notice that it’s not too late and call Carly.
“Hey girl!” Her eyes widen as she gets a look at my face in the dim light. “What the hell happened?”
“Connor found me.” A sob cracks my voice, and I feel so damn defeated.
“Son of a bitch! How?”
“I have no idea.” It’s not like I could ask him while he was trying to kill me.
“Where are you now?” She looks ready to race to come get me.
Wiping my eyes and taking a drink to clear my throat, I answer, “The clubhouse. Trista doesn’t want me here, so I’m not staying long. I just needed time to think about what I’m going to do.”
“She needs to take her head out of her ass and get over the lies her mother told her. You were four for crying out loud. How is anything your fault?”
I love how fiercely protective Carly is of me.
“This is her domain. I’m not about to invade it unless she asks me to.” It’s not how I want our relationship to be.
“And that’s not about to happen.” At Trista’s cold tone, I quiet as I turn to face her, while Carly curses up a storm, getting inventive in her word choices. “You need to leave,” she demands, tossing a bag towards me. “And you need to never come back.”
I look over my shoulder when I hear the gate opening. “Are you kidding?” I ask. It’s dark. Even I know not to wander around in the middle of nowhere this late.
“I don’t fucking care. About any of it. You and your poor-me act can take a fucking hike and never come back. Forget you ever came here and forget my bikers.”
Swaying slightly when I notice the small pistol in her hand, my eyes shoot to the front door for help, but no one is there.
“Lo, don’t leave.” Carly’s voice penetrates my brain fog.
Trista raises her arm, cocks the gun, and waves it towards the gate. “Like you were never here,” she hisses.
This was not how I saw the evening ending, but I also can’t fight a gun. “Fine, I’m leaving.” Picking up the small backpack I take with me everywhere, extremely glad one of the guys grabbed it from the motel, I inch my way towards the gate.
“Logan, you don’t know what’s out there!” Carly yells at me from my phone.
As I exit and the gate closes, I don’t look back. “Better than what’s in there,” I mutter, starting the walk back towards Gulfport. It’s not that it’s a long one, but at night it’s scary as hell. “Will you stay on the phone with me?” I finally ask Carly, who fumes on the other end.
“Of course. Don’t you have the guys’ numbers? Can’t you call them?”
