I text Gina:
If I chicken out, you owe me tequila shots for life.
She replies instantly:
Bitch, please. You’re a goddess. Go get your hot biker.
I laugh, anxiety and excitement tangling in my chest. For once, I’m not letting fear win. I’m going to Maggie’s, I’m going to have fun, and I’m going to sing karaoke.
And just maybe, I’ll find out if this thing between Dean and me is real, or just another beautiful disaster waiting to happen.
No matter what, tonight’s the night I stop hiding.
Chapter 4
Dean
When the sun goes down,Crystal Falls is dead silent…making a cemetery seem lively. I’m stretched out on my bed at the inn, staring at the old wooden beams running across the ceiling, rolling a half-empty bottle of Jack between my palms, and trying to ignore the uneasy feeling under my skin. My phone buzzes once, then goes still. Probably some spam text, not anyone I want to hear from. Nothing good ever comes for me after dark, anyway.
Why the hell did I agree to meet Aubrey tonight? From day one, my top priority should have been to get out of this town. Drop off the map, keep moving. Hell, if I’m being honest with myself, I shouldn’t have even set foot back in Crystal Falls in the first place. There are men out there who would love to see me dead, and it’s only a matter of time before my past catches up.
That’s how it goes… You keep running, and if you’re lucky, you outrun the worst of it. But if you’re me, luck doesn’t come knocking very often. Which is why my number one rule, everywhere I go: never visit the same town twice.
So, tell me why, after three months, my ass is back here? Why has it been four days, and I haven’t moved?
Oh yeah. Aubrey.
The way she laughs, the way she tries to act like she’s not looking at me when we both know she is. I feel that magnetic pull toward her every time she’s near.
I take a long swallow of Jack, the burn numbing. I stare at my reflection in the streaked window. Same old bastard looking back…jaw hard, eyes hollow, tattoos crawling up my arms like reminders of every mistake I’ve ever made. Most days, I’m a ghost in my own skin. But tonight, I’m supposed to meet her at Maggie’s Taproom for karaoke night as if I belong in a place with lights, music, and laughter. I don’t even like large crowds, much less karaoke.
I groan, rubbing a hand down my face. Fuck my life.
She has no idea what kind of darkness she’s invited in.
I should have said no. For her sake, I should be walking away. But I can’t.
I haul myself up, drag fingers through my hair, pull on my leather jacket…the armor I never take off unless I’m naked or dead. I check the loaded piece in my duffel, an old habit. Not that I expect trouble tonight. But you never stop expecting it.
The walk to Maggie’s is short. The night air is crisp, sharp with the scent of pine and wood smoke. The taproom is lit up like a Christmas tree, and a few bikes. Letting myself do a quick sweep to make sure none of them look familiar. Relieved when I don’t recognize any of them. It’s mostly pickup trucks that crowd the parking lot.
I shove the door open and step inside, letting the noise wash over me…cheers, laughter, the off-key wailing of someone murdering Bon Jovi on the mic.
Aubrey is at the bar, back straight, fingers twisting in a napkin like she’s trying to wring out her nerves. She’s got on jeans, cowboy boots, and a top that shows just enough skin to make me want to take a bite. Her hair’s down, soft around her shoulders, and she looks nervous as hell.
I let my gaze slowly drag over her. She finally spots me, and for a second her expression falls. Like she didn’t really believe I would show up. Hell, neither did I.
I slip onto the stool beside her. “You really gonna sing, or was that just bait to get me here?”
She laughs out loud. “Give me a couple shots, and I might.”
I signal the bartender, a big guy with a handlebar mustache, sizing me up like he’s familiar with my type. I slide him a twenty. “Two whiskeys, neat.”
Aubrey snorts. “Trying to get me drunk already?”
“Just trying to give you an excuse for when you make a fool of yourself up there,” I say, lips twitching.
She elbows me. “Ha. Ha. You’re so hilarious. Maybe you should go first, tough guy.”
