Page 76 of Texting the Wrong Bikers

Chapter 24

Sadie

Two hours later, I am feeling significantly better about life. The bar is busy without being overcrowded, filled with the steady hum of conversation, clinking glasses, and music loud enough to create atmosphere without forcing people to shout. Warm golden light spills from overhead fixtures, reflecting off polished wood and rows of liquor bottles behind the bar, while groups of friends occupy tables scattered throughout the room. The entire place feels relaxed and welcoming, exactly the sort of environment I had been craving without fully realizing it. More importantly, I’m having fun. The kind that doesn’t involve looking over my shoulder every five minutes or wondering whether somebody is watching me.

Okay, I know somebody is watching me. But it’s Chief, and he’s keeping to his word and is being inconspicuous. Though inside the club. That was his stipulation and I gave in.

Dani, unsurprisingly, has been delighted by every detail of the chaos that currently passes for my love life. “You have accidentally collected four hot, non-douchebag men,” she says, perhaps for the third time that evening, pointing her glass at me for emphasis. “Do you understand how ridiculously lucky that is?”

I laugh so hard I nearly spill my drink. “I did not collect them.”

“Like Pokémon,” she giggles.

I laugh, gently slapping her arm. “I didn’t.”

“You collected them the way some women collect cats, or maybe they’re more like rescue dogs, big and scary but big teddy bears with you.”

The comparison is ridiculous enough that I bury my face in my hands. “You are terrible.”

“I’m serious. They all look at you like you’re the last slice of pizza on and they all want a bite.” She waggles her eyebrows at me.

A groan escapes me. Unfortunately, part of me knows Dani’s right. Over the past couple of hours, she’s managed to untangle thoughts that had felt hopelessly knotted together inside my head. Instead of making me feel guilty or confused, she’s somehow convinced me that maybe feelings aren’t always neat and sensible. Maybe people aren’t either.

The realization doesn’t solve anything, but it makes me feel less broken. Less overwhelmed. Chief has come up repeatedly. Dani is convinced the man is obsessed with me. I am equally convinced there’s no way that’s true.

One minute, he watches me as if I were the most fascinating thing in the room. Next, he retreats so completely behind that calm, controlled exterior that I begin to wonder whether I imagined the entire interaction.

The frustrating thing is that I haven’t seen him once all evening even though I know he’s here. Not once. Shadow’s arrangement had been reasonable enough that I agreed to it, but part of me expected to catch glimpses of Chief throughout the night. A dark figure at the bar. A familiar face across the room. Some subtle sign that he was keeping watch. Instead, there has been nothing—no sign of him. No evidence whatsoever. That shouldn’t bother me, but for some reason, it does.

“You are thinking about him again.”

I look up. Dani is grinning.

“I hate you.”

She blows me a kiss. “Love you too.” She suddenly widens her eyes, looking over my shoulder. “Oh, my God.”

“What?” I ask, eyes wide as panic flares briefly.

She leans forward. “You’ll never guess who’s here.”

For one ridiculous second, hope flares. Chief. The thought appears so quickly that it embarrasses me.

Then Dani’s grin widens. “It’s Tyler.”

My stomach drops slightly. “Tyler?”

“And he’s with a hot friend.” Before I can formulate a response, she grabs my arm. “Oh, my God, they’re coming over.”

“Oh no. Let’s hide,” I hiss, eyes darting around for the nearest escape route.

Dani shakes her head. “No way, his friend is a total hottie, you gotta wingwoman me.”

“Dani,” I groan.

“You owe me,” she says, taking a big sip of her straw and pointing her finger at me.

“For what?”