Page 19 of Romeo

Blade snorted.

Jack grinned. “Mysterious? Man, half the club’s seen your bare ass and your dick. You fuck in bathrooms, parking lots, truck beds. Hell, I’m pretty sure you christened the back of a Harley once. You don’t even know what a bedroom’s for except sleeping. That ain’t mysterious, brother. That’s just shameless.”

I laughed and stood from the couch, stretching.

“That’s it?” Blade asked. “You’re not gonna say anything?”

“Nope,” I said, heading toward the door.

“Come on, man,” Jack called after me. “Just give us a name.”

“Not happening,” I replied without looking back.

“A first initial?” Blade tried.

I kept walking.

Let them guess. Let them ask every brother in the club if they knew who had finally managed to hold my attention for longer than a night.

They weren’t getting Fiona’s name from me.

Not until she was ready for people to know there was something to know.

I pulled out my phone again.

Still nothing.

Patience.

I shoved it back into my pocket and walked toward the edge of the lot. Snow covered the fields beyond the clubhouse, smoothing everything into white until Diamond Creek looked almost peaceful.

My mind was fifteen hundred miles away.

I pictured Fiona behind the counter at the Creamery. Then driving home in that beat-up car of hers. Then walking through Granny’s door, safe.

The picture should’ve been enough.

It wasn’t.

I wanted to be the person she reached for when something went wrong. Hell, I wanted to be the person she reached for when nothing was wrong at all.

Bad day. Good day. Stupid joke. Burned breakfast.

Anything.

My phone buzzed.

I had it out so fast I nearly dropped the damn thing.

Ma Belle: Home safe

Something in me unclenched.

Me: Good girl.

Ma Belle: You really do worry too much.

Me: Can’t help it, Cher.