Page 19 of Hidden

“How often…?”

“Does she get this fucked up?” he finished for me with a twist of his lips. I nodded my response. “Often enough for the house to look like this. Not often enough to be considered a nuisance that needs to be dealt with.” He answered, his tone rough, folding his arms defensively.

“It’s funny,” I said, deliberately keeping my tone light. “Whenever a member of the Junior Riders acts out, they’re given chores as punishment. It’s meant to be a humiliation ritual—what’s more embarrassing to a biker than having to fold laundry like a woman?”

“I happen to think women keep the club running more than the men but go on. Why are you telling me this?”

“You would be correct. But it’s food for thought, isn’t it? If cleanliness is next to godliness, there are things you can do to help your situation. I hear Macbeth got himself into a bit of trouble with a local girl…?”

“What does that have to do with—”

“I’m sure mowing the entire clubhouse grounds or being forced to wash everyone’s dishes would be punishment enough to make him think twice next time,” I said, hoping he caught my meaning.

His breath puffed out. “I can handle it, Gabby. It may not be up to your standards, but I’m doing my best. I don’t need—”

“I think we would both benefit from not making assumptions about the other, don’t you think? I’ll see you around, Luke.”

He didn’t answer straight away.

When I glanced up, he was still standing beside the sofa, watching me with that same careful expression he wore whenever his mother stumbled. Like he was trying to figure out which version of me he was dealing with. The girl who had helped, or the girl who was here to spy.

But ultimately, I knew he would come to the right conclusion, and that he would remember this moment for a long time.

I knew I would.

Without another word, I spun around and walked out of the club and back to my father.

Chapter 8

Vienna

Now

The lights flickered once, then twice, then shut off, cloaking her bedroom in darkness.

And for all these years, that had been enough. I had been content to watch, to adhere to our old routine and the unspoken rules.

But tonight… tonight, something felt different.

She betrayed you once…

Tools’s words echoed through my mind on a loop, refusing to give me a second’s peace, picking at something I had kept buried for far too long.

What the fuck was I doing?

Why was I creeping through enemy territory night after night for a woman who had given me nothing but fragments of herself?

Who had walked away from me without a second glance?

I had been content to slink into the background, taking comfort from knowing she was happy, living her life in safety.

But something had awakened the beast within me, and no longer did the lights keep him at bay.

I knew where the line was. I knew where she wanted me. Where she expected me to stay.

Tonight, though… tonight, I was struggling to stay behind the invisible barrier. Tonight, I wasn’t content to be her secret.

I wanted more.