His eyes widen, and his face turns ashen. Yeah, he may have seen the evidence of what happened to Cidney, but I watched that shit play out. Every fucking second of it. And I can’t get it to stop playing on repeat inside my head. Over and fucking over, no matter how hard I try to forget.
“There was a thing, a fling, really,” he murmurs.
“I know,” I grind out, trying not to get pissed, but he’s bringing it up.
He clears his throat again. “I care about her, but it wasn’t more than that. I just… I wanted you to know.”
I release all of my anger because, really, I can’t be mad at him. I need to be angry at myself for not claiming her. For nottelling Ivy to go to hell and just suffering whatever consequence Bullet divvied out to me.
“I got her, George. Thank you for taking care of her here.”
He dips his chin in a single nod, then clears his throat before he flicks his gaze back to meet mine. “She still has the receptionist job with me if she wants it. But I respect you, Trent, and there won’t be anything funny. I just wanted to put that out there.”
Fuck. Why the fuck is he so goddamn nice? If the tables were turned, or if he wanted to fight me for Cidney, I would be goddamn ruthless. I would fight dirty. Down and goddamn dirty. But not George Edwards.
“You know there’s always a place for you at the club. You’ll always be one of ours.”
He gives me a small smile, then shakes his head a couple of times. “The life isn’t for me,” he murmurs.
I almost laugh in his face, because I know it is. It’s simmering just beneath the surface, and one day, he’s going to come to terms with it. One day. Not sure when, but it’ll happen, and even though I could beat the shit out of him right now for having fucked Cidney, I know it’s not on him. It’s on me. And I would always welcome George Edwards with open fucking arms.
“Call me if you need anything with Cidney. You got my number?” he asks.
“I do.”
Leaving him standing at the door to the stairs, I tug it open and head down. It doesn’t take me long to descend the stairs. When I walk outside, I look to the circular drive, where patients are released to their rides home, and watch as Lainey’s car moves forward.
Jogging toward my bike, I climb on, straddling the seat before the engine roars to life, then I head straight for mywoman. Following at a distance behind Lainey, I stop when I’m at her apartment building.
I don’t pull into the parking garage, knowing that if I do, the sound of my bike will be too loud and unmistakable to hide. Instead, I ride down the street, turn around, and park across from the building.
By the time I pull up to the sidewalk and focus my attention across the street, they are out of the car, and I watch as the two of them slowly make their way toward the entrance to the building.
Lainey turns her head, her eyes finding mine. She holds my gaze for a moment, but she’s too far away for me to be able to read her. When they slip inside, I stay where I am for a little longer. I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but when my phone buzzes in my pocket, I take it out, glancing at the screen to see that it’s Bullet.
“Bullet,” I greet.
“Change of plans. Can you get down here now?”
“On my way.”
Without another word, I end the call and head straight for the clubhouse. I probably should have asked him why he wants me down there immediately, but I don’t care. The sooner all this shit is dealt with, the fucking better.
And that includes Ivy. I am ready to deal with him fully and completely. It’s his fault any of this happened, and I’m going to make damn sure he knows that. Feels it deep in his fucking marrow. And then I’m going to tell him that I’m claiming Cidney and he can’t stop me, no matter how he feels about it.
CIDNEY
“I feel like I’m taking advantage,” I say as I sink down on the sofa cushion.
Lainey’s couch is the most comfortable piece of furniture I have ever sat on in my life. Closing my eyes, I let out a moan. It’s almost like it envelopes me, like a warm hug without anyone having to touch me.
“That couch is heaven, right?” Lainey asks from across the room.
I can’t even open my eyes to look at her. I am just that ensconced in this damn couch. Pressing my lips together, I force my eyes open. Lainey is smiling, then she clears her throat and moves toward the chair that’s to the side of the couch.
“It’s one of those couches in a box. A cloud sofa thing. And it’s all memory foam. I seriously was influenced by some social media ads, and thank God for it, because I love it.”
My lips curve up into a smile. “It’s the best sofa I’ve sat on, and I say that in all seriousness, not just because I’ve spent days in a hospital bed.”
