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“Really?” I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
A match with Quinn.It was perfect. The club was a safe middle ground. And it would save me from having to chase after her.
Sloan reached out to ruffle my hair with another low chuckle.
“Of course I would,” she said. “We’re friends, right? Plus you helped me once, and I would like to return the favor.”
I gave her a meek smile.Friends.That sounded really nice.
And it was true. I did help her once before when she was on the rocks with Lillian. I didn’t ask much about what was going on, but I just lent an ear. It was all that I could do, but it seemed to help Sloan when nothing else would.
“And friends help friends get laid?” I teased.
“Damn right, we do,” she said with a laugh, but it slowly faded and a concerned look passed her face.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
She gave me a forced smile. I had seen this look only once before on her, and it caused my hackles to rise.
“Just… be careful with her, okay?”
I tilted my head to the side.
“What do you mean, be careful?” I asked, worry coating my being. “Do you know something I don’t?”
“Reilly is…” She pushed her lips into a thin line. Kinda like she didn’t want to have this conversation at all. Like she was fighting herself over what she should tell me.
Not Reilly…Quinn.The name fit her too well. But the way she reacted to Avery spilling her name was something I hadn’t expected. She was angry, looking like she would start a fight right in the middle of the club.
Avery, on the other hand, looked like a cat playing with their food. She wanted a reaction… and she sure as hell got it.
She said they went to high school together… so who the fuck is Quinn really?
After all the years of being on guard, I found myself hesitating to reach out to Quinn… no matter how much those eyes drew me in.
“From the beginning, we were worried about her,” she said after a while. “Her application was sparse, and knowing how many important people come here—including you—we were worried she would put everyone at risk.”
When she saw the look on my face, her hand reached out to squeeze my shoulder.
“But she hasn’t shown us anything to be concerned about.”Yetwas unspoken, but the weight of the word hung between us.
“I can’t risk myself, Sloan, you know—”
“Your job, I know. Trust me. I just want to warn you. Again, she hasn’t shown me anything to be worried about yet, but…”
“Avery knows her, shouldn’t that mean something?” I asked. She worked here previously, after all, so whoever she scooted with shouldn’t be too bad,right?
The wince that Sloan gave me made me think that maybe Avery knowing her was a bad sign.
“She didn’t tell me she knew her,” she said in a whisper. “That’swhat’s giving me pause on this. Look, if you want me to set you up still, I will. I won’t stop you. But I recommend doing everything under the safety of the club’s roof. At least then we could somewhat protect you.”
Protect me.The words were bitter as they ran through my head.As much as I trusted Sloan and Ax, it was me who was protecting myself. Always.
But even as she told me her concerns, I couldn’t get those piercing eyes out of my mind. She would haunt me until I got her out of my system, this much I knew.
If I valued self-preservation though, I may just call off this whole thing right now. A few months ago, I would have before this. As soon as there was any bit of doubt, I would drop the person right away.
All she did was watch me. Brush her hand against my cheek. I had been fucked and defiled in so many numbers of ways in front of the crowds.How on earth was this what drew me in?
