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My jaw tensed, not sure if she was just completely clueless or if she was playing me off. “Just answer the question, Hal.”
She frowned. “Well, I mean, I work at the bank, and he came in a few days or so ago. He wanted to get a loan—and he made a huge stink about it, even going as far to talk about draining one of his dad’s accounts there at the bank. He wanted me to call the owner.”
“And you did?” I instantly thought of Charlie Hughes—a man I didnotwant to get Hallie on the radar of. He was on our side… Well, that’s what I assumed. It was hard to know whose side he was ever actually on.
“I did call Charlie because I didn’t want to put that strain on his dad’s account. It couldn’t take the withdrawal without dropping it below the interest threshold.”
“How much money was he wanting?”
“I’m not really supposed to talk about this kind of stuff…”
“Come on, Hal, just tell me.” I was trying not to grow frustrated with her, because honestly, I didn’t blame her for not wanting to disclose everything to me. After all, I never told her shit about what I was doing.
She squinched up her nose, like she might tell me no, but instead sighed. “Okay, but you can’t tell anyone. It’s seriously confidential.”
“Hallie,” I warned her with my gaze, my tone finally showing a little irritation.
“Ugh, fine. He wanted to borrow a hundred grand. I don’t know what it was for. He said that he was in a mess and needed it as a way out. I have no idea. The loan hadn’t gone through as of yesterday, and I wasn’t at work today to find out anything more. Why?” She paused to take a breath. “Is something wrong?”
I shook my head, clenching the fist of my free hand. “Nothing is wrong at all. I was just curious about it. It has something to do with the club.”
“Right,” Hallie snapped, letting go of my hand and climbing the stairs. “I should’ve known that I wouldn’t get any real details.”
“I don’t want to get you involved. It’s safer for you not to know.”
“Yeah, but the other women know, don’t they? Because Linley Preston knew enough about us to tell me that you don’t like Robbie—and I had no idea she knew about me.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my chest. “Fuckingeveryoneknows about you. They’ve known about you long before you ever even got back to town. You’ve always been it for me, Hal.”
Chapter 21
Hallie
Then why are you never reliable?
But as much as I wanted to shoot it back at him, I didn’t ask the question that I already knew the answer to. It was the growing theme of our relationship, Gunner never being available when I reached out to him.
“Why are you looking at me like you want to strangle me?” he chuckled, still holding me. “I know the club life can be frustrating, but it just takes some time getting used to.”
“Used to you never being there when I call?” I winced at the hurt on his face.
“Hallie, I’m doing the best I can right now. There’s a lot of shit going on, and I just want to protect you from it.”
“Do all the other women getprotectedfrom the club’s business?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Some do, and some don’t. I just… I just think that you and I should be more solid before I let you into that world. It’s not pretty, Hal.”
“Nothing about life is pretty,” I shot back at him, twisting out of his grip and trudging up the stairs. I had tried to be unbothered by it all, but irritation was showing through, and I just needed a little space.
“But everything about you is pretty,” Gunner called from behind me, catching up to me just as I made it to the second floor. He grabbed my hand again, but this time he was more forceful, pinning my body against the wall. His frame towered over me, and I swallowed hard as the musky scent of his cologne filled my nostrils. My pussy clenched, moisture pooling up as his strong hand swept across my cheek and threaded through my hair.
“Iris is just on the other side of the wall,” I choked out, my voice coming out sultrier than I expected it to.
He chuckled, brushing his lips across mine, playing with me. “I think I can keep you quiet.”
Oof.My body was on fire at his hot breath against my skin.
He leaned down, grabbing just below my ass, and hoisted me into the arm, my legs wrapping around his waist. His hard cock teased my pussy, and instinctually, I ground it against him, his lips parting in response. I put my lips on his neck, sucking in his skin. His grip tightened as he nudged open the bathroom door.
