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He opened the ice-cold beer and gulped it down, hoping to cool the raging lust he hadn’t fully spent on Arden.
Running the glass of the bottle over his forehead instead of bashing his numbskull against the closest wall, he replayed the sexual encounter, realizing belatedly more than one mistake had been made.
He should never have touched her. Thinking Arden would cave into admitting she hadn’t had sex with Puck and Buck this afternoon, he had lost sight of the goal once he had touched her. Their attraction was a powder keg waiting for a stray spark.
Deciding to head back to the club, he finished his beer and took a shower. As he dried off, however, he couldn’t work up enough enthusiasm to get dressed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gone to bed before three or four in the morning. Closing his eyes, he planned to rest for a few minutes before he got dressed.
When a bright light began irritating his eyelids, he regretted not turning his light off. He opened his eyes and was startled to see the bright sun shining into the room.
Rolling over, he saw it was nine in the morning. What the fuck? He had slept through the night.
He dressed and left his apartment, then walked down the steps, where he saw Andy smoking a cigarette. As he passed the man, Doom realized he wasn’t as old as he had thought him to be.
Releasing a puff of smokey air, Andy took a step back to give him enough room to pass. “What’s up, dude?”
“Not much.” Doom gave him a curt nod as he walked past him. He wasn’t buying the laidback attitude Andy was putting off.
“How is it going living here?”
“Okay,” Doom answered shortly without bothering to turn his head, not seeking to prolong the conversation.
“Arden is a sweet kid.”
He stopped in his tracks at Andy’s derisive tone.
“It’d be a shame if someone hurt her. Lizzie and I watch out for her. Had the old fart running the place move us to this side of the building so we can make sure no one fucks with her when she comes and goes. The other night, we heard you go in her apartment, and again last night.” Andy threw the cigarette out to crunch it under his worn boot.
“That’s why you were standing off to the side when Arden opened the door?”
“Like I said. she’s a sweet kid. Not too many people give us the fucking time of day. Arden always makes it a point to makes sure Lizzie has enough food to eat. She even paid our rent when the old fart wanted to throw us out after we refused to pay because the fucking rats were taking up more space than we were. She even paid an exterminator, so we didn’t have to put up with it any more. People usually look down on my Lizzie, but Arden makes her feel like a friend.”
Andy nodded his head at the jacket Doom was wearing. “You’re a Last Rider?”
“You don’t get the jacket unless you are.”
“I don’t want any trouble with them.”
Doom raised an eyebrow at him, seeing the man underneath, who had been beaten down by whatever happened to him in life. “But…?”
“I will fuck you over until the only thing you’re capable of riding is a wheelchair if you hurt her.”
“I don’t want her hurt either.”
“Glad we’re on the same page then.”
Guessing Andy was done saying what he wanted to get off his chest, considering he went back into his apartment, Doom got on his bike. Something gnawed at him about Andy. He didn’t know what it was. Unable to put a name to what was bothering him, he was still racking his brain when he pulled up to the club.
“Bro, you look like shit,” Doom told Burn insultingly.
The brother looked like death warmed over.
Doom didn’t immediately go inside, even though Burn was holding the door open for him.
“Feels like it,” Burn said, letting the door spring closed.
“You stay up all night partying?”
“I wish. No, I spent the whole fucking night trying to reason with Taylor. She’s moving to Kentucky in two weeks. My lawyer is for shit, and now she’s said if I don’t quit arguing with her, she’s going to stop talking to me and let our lawyers be our go-between.”
Doom grimaced. “Sorry, brother. You know, if you need some cash to get a better lawyer, I can—”
“No. Wizard’s already offered. He’s helping me find one.”
“Good luck, then. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know,” Doom offered.
“Nothing you can do. I stepped in this shit all by myself.”
He left Burn cursing ever hooking up with Taylor. There wasn’t anything he could say to make him feel better. Taylor had grinded her heels in Burn’s balls since she decided to get a divorce.
