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I flop onto my bed, my thoughts spinning faster than wheels on a racetrack. The usual nighttime hum of the clubhouse feels like a distant echo against the turmoil in my head.
My phone lights up with messages from Dex and Liam. Their words are a mix of concern and camaraderie, and it's strangely comforting. I shoot back a reply, a hint of sass in my text. "Thanks, guys. Rest up."
Just as sleep begins to claim me, my phone buzzes again. It's a message from Jake this time, and my heart skips a beat.‘Can we meet first thing in the morning? It's important.’
My mind races with possibilities. Is it about the club's murky dealings, or is there something more? The knot in my stomach tightens.
I reply with a simple‘Okay’but my mind is anything but settled. Tonight, sleep feels like a battlefield, and I'm gearing up for war.
The morning can't come soon enough.
* * *
The sun’sjust peeking through the curtains, painting my room in a lazy gold. I'm sprawled out, my sheets a mess – a perfect match for the tangle of thoughts doing cartwheels in my head.
Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I sit up, letting the morning chill snap me into focus. My heart’s doing this weird jitterbug - part excitement, part dread. I've got this wild mix of feelings for Jake, Dex, and Liam, like some emotional cocktail that’s two parts thrilling, one part terrifying.
I slide out of bed and into my go-to outfit – ripped jeans and my trusty 'Queen of Spades' tee.
I need to sift through the rubble with Jake, understand why he's got my heart playing pinball.
Strolling down the hallway, I rehearse my opening line. Something cool, casual. "Hey Jake, so about us and your money laundering side-hustle..." Nah, too blunt.
I round the corner and bump into Dex, who looks like he’s been wrestling with his own set of demons.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he says, with a smirk that could thaw the Arctic.
“Cut the fairy tale stuff, Dex. I've got a dragon to slay – metaphorically speaking.”
He raises an eyebrow, all mock innocence. "Oh? Do tell."
I shake my head, a half-smile playing on my lips. "Club business. You know, the usual Pandora’s box."
Dex's face sobers up. "Be careful, Emma. This isn’t just biker drama; it’s serious stuff."
I nod, appreciating the concern behind his teasing. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on playing superhero.”
Leaving Dex, I feel a mixture of determination and a nagging uncertainty. As I walk towards Jake's room, my thoughts race. What will he say?
I can handle Jake's tough exterior, but it's the unknowns lurking beneath that unsettle me. The hallway feels longer than usual, each step echoing the pounding of my heart.
I pause outside his door, my hand hovers over the knob.
I knock on Jake's door, the sound echoes down the corridor. The door swings open slowly, revealing Jake. His presence is like a storm cloud in the room – brooding and charged with an electric intensity.
"Emma," he says, his voice a blend of surprise and something unreadable.
I square my shoulders, meeting his gaze. "You wanted to talk to me?"
He steps aside, a silent invitation. I walk in, ready to dive headfirst into the deep end.
Classic Emma – diving headfirst into the storm without an umbrella.
Fear? Not in my vocabulary.
Stepping into Jake's room feels like entering a lion's den, except in this case, the lion's more of a wounded warrior. He gestures to a chair, and I plop down, ready to unravel the knots we've tied ourselves into.
"Okay, Jake," I start, trying to sound more confident than I feel. "Talk to me. No more secrets.”
