AllFreeNovel
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I nod, understanding her concern. “I can tell.”
“She grew up in a bubble, and I’m the first real friend she’s ever really had. She might tell you otherwise, but those private school bitches aren’t her friends. She hasn’t seen none of ’em since she left the place. How’s that for friendship?”
Frannie snorts and gets back to cleaning the room, her brown ponytail swishing as fast as her duster. “She doesn’t trust easily, so don’t make her regret trusting you, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
“Got it,” I tell her with a half-hearted salute. “Where is she?”
Frannie pauses her work and swings her gaze toward me dramatically. “She’s in Mr. Morgan’s office, snooping around again.”
I can’t help but grin at how easily she talks about snooping, and I wonder if the help has any idea what’s been going on right under their noses.
“Yeah, thanks.” I sit up and look around the room, searching for my clothes, but if all else fails, I guess I can walk across the hall in nothing at all or in the bed sheet. Since Frannie is still here, I figure the best course of action is to show a little modesty in front of Aria’s friend.
“Where in the hell are my clothes?”
“In the laundry room,” Frannie answers easily.
“Oh.” I reach for the coffee and gulp it down, ignoring the hot, burning sensation deep in my throat. I smack my lips and kick my legs over the side of the bed and stand. Fuck modesty. If Frannie doesn’t want to see me in the buff, she shouldn’t have stolen my clothes.
“Sweet fucking Jesus,” she grumbles when I push to my feet and walk across the room and out the door until I’m inside the guest suite. “Put some damn clothes on. This isn’t a peep show.”
I laugh at her shock and close the door behind me as last night comes back to me in vibrant living color. Aria arching her back to me, digging her nails deep into my flesh as she shouts her pleasure into the air.
“Fuck,” I growl and grab a fresh set of clothes. Aria is hiding from me, and for now, I’ll allow it since I have more important shit to deal with at the moment.
Calling Ace, for one.
“What’s up, Lucky?” Ace growls into the phone, typical for him, but I don’t let it bother me.
“Ace,” I sigh. “I got more dirt on Geoffrey Morgan.”
“The same crap you shared with Wild Man?”
I nod even though he can’t see me. “Yeah. And there’s more. You get a chance to sift through it yet?”
“Nah, but Wild Man says the guy’s got his grubby fingers in a hell of a lot more than we first thought.”
“Well, there’s more. Not a convo we should have over the phone.” I rake a hand through my hair and release a sigh. “But it’s crucial, man.”
“Does it put the club in danger?”
Shit. “Possibly, and if not now, then it could happen in the future, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.”
“I’ll send Gia and Wild Man over today to gather more intel. Has anything you’ve dug up indicate that Aria might be a problem?”
“No.” It’s not the entire truth, but I couldn’t deny that it was a distinct possibility down the line. “She’s coping, but she’s fine.” For now. I hope.
“Good. Keep it that way. Until we figure this shit out, we need to keep her safe.”
“Consider it done.” Aria’s safety is my top priority, and it has very little to do with the MC. She’s in a fragile fucking place right now, feeling low and at risk of doing something stupid as fuck. “I’m by her side for as long as it takes.”
Silence stretches across the call before Ace speaks. “Something going on with you two?”
“No,” I lie. “But soon enough you’ll know what’s up, and it’ll all make sense, or at least as much sense as it can.”
“All right, brother. I’ll send Wild Man over ASAP. Keep your head on a swivel.”
“Always,” I grin. It’s the same damn thing my commanding officer used to say to us to remind us to stay alert and keep an eye out for the enemy.
