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Groaning, I slide into the car, my fingers gripping the steering wheel with more force than necessary. “Selene did some extra time for something I should have taken the heat for… I never thanked her for that. I was so focused on getting out that I was an asshole and took my freedom over hers… so I deserved a few snide remarks and aggression from her.”
Hoodoo nods. “All right, a little is acceptable. Full-on assault and threats of violence are not. If she wants to come after you, we will have a problem.”
I turn to face him, letting out a soft exhale. “You sure you want to stand up for me, even though I’m the one in the wrong?”
He shrugs. “She had her chance to speak out at the time. She took the fall. That washerchoice to make. She can’t turn around now and be pissed at you because of her choice.”
Sighing, I turn and start the engine. “Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad, though.”
“And that’s how I know you’re a good person, Maxxy. You have remorse. If you were like her, you’d only be thinking of yourself.”
I gnaw on my bottom lip as I put the car into reverse and start backing out of the parking space. “You think Cain is gonna be an asset to Defiance?”
“Cain? Yeah! The Bachelors, I’m still not sold on… we’ll have to wait and see.”
With a nod, we start the journey back toward New Orleans with the knowledge I have five new employees headed my way to help at The Plantation. It’s a weight off my shoulders as long as they can take orders from a woman.
Without glancing to my right, I side-eye Hoodoo as he sends a text on his cell, and I can’t help but wonder what the hell that moment between us was at the bar. I can’t deny there’s something about the man sitting next to me that intrigues and rattles me when he steps close. I mean, the guy is fucking sex on a stick. But he’s Hoodoo. There’s just no way I could go there. Plus, I am busy as hell, and he’s a club member.
And there’s that one other little factor…
‘N’
My pen pal.
Yeah, sure… I don’t know his real name.
I don’t know what he looks like.
I don’t know what he sounds like.
And I have never met him, but there’s something about ‘N’ that keeps me grounded.
He is my safe place.
He is like coming home.
As much as I am attracted to Hoodoo, it’s ‘N’ who I go home to and think about.
It’s ‘N’ who I’ve spent years building a solid foundation of friendship with.
‘N’ may not be with me physically, but mentally, he’s a part of me—someone I can talk to openly about how I am feeling and how people treat me. Sure, he doesn’t know I’m an associate of the club or that I basically grow and produce drugs for a living. I guess there are things I keep from him. But being a part of the club means keeping secrets from those I truly care about.
And ‘N,’ even though I’m sure there are things he keeps from me too, I feel like we truly connect after all these years. Even though Hoodoo is sexy as sin, he’s not deep like my ‘N’ is.
As I glance to the side and look at Hoodoo, anxiousness floods my chest.
Yeah, Hoodoo is not like ‘N’ at all.
Hoodoo is cocky and self-assured.
Completely arrogant and teases the hell out of me.
‘N’ is the opposite, always lifting me—telling me Icando anything,beanything, and make a life for myself that I never thought I could.
It was ‘N’ who gave me the courage to make a go of it with Defiance.
Sure, he doesn’t know in what capacity. I told him I wanted a job working as a florist and needed to pass a written and practical exam to become a qualified florist in the State of Louisiana. You don’t need the exam nowadays, but back then, it was mandatory to be a qualified florist. Of course, the florist gig was just a cover story. I actually went to college and majored in Horticulture to earn a Bachelor of Science degree, and I knew exactly what I needed to propagate the poppy farm. ‘N’ made me want to be the best, and when Hurricane offered me a place in the club while I was still studying, how could I say no?
