I should tell her. Every time Karina looks at me with those trusting eyes, the words burn in my throat. But if I tell her now, she'll confront him. She'll march into his office and demandanswers, and Chet Morgan will vanish with whatever money he's already stolen.
I need proof first. Solid evidence that takes him down and keeps her name clean.
I stop at the grocery store on my way home. I don't cook for company, I cook for myself. In my spare time, I watch YouTube videos and teach myself new meals. But I find myself buying fresh pasta, good parmesan, and the fancy olive oil that costs three times as much as the regular stuff.
Once I’m home, I try to see it through Karina’s eyes. White walls, no art. Functional furniture; a leather couch, big TV and a functional kitchen. There’s nothing soft or pink here. She's going to walk in and see exactly who I am: a man who keeps everyone at arm's length because it's safer that way.
I could make an excuse and cancel. Keep this thing between us in neutral territory where I don't have to show her the empty spaces in my life.
I pull out my phone and text her my address, then start chopping garlic.
Chapter Seven
KARINA
I stop by the office on my way to Clay’s.
The Hearts United office is quiet when I walk in. Ty's at his desk, laptop open, frowning at the screen. He startles when I knock on the doorframe.
“Karina.” He closes his laptop quickly. “What are you doing here?”
I wave the folder. “Need your signature before the printers start tomorrow.”
“Right. Of course.” He takes the folder but doesn't open it. His knee is bouncing under the desk, like he’s excited. “How's the setup going?”
“Great. Really great. The Ridge Renegades have been amazing.” I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. “Clay especially.”
Ty's expression flickers. “You’ve got to know him?”
“He's been really helpful.”
“Mm.” He flips open the folder, scans the first page without really reading it. “Just be careful, Karina. Bikers can be... unpredictable.”
“He's not unpredictable. He's actually very?—”
“I'm sure he's wonderful.” Ty's voice is tight. He signs the contracts with quick, sharp strokes. “I just don't want you getting distracted from the event. We've worked too hard for this.”
He hands back the folder. Behind him, the laptop screen has gone dark, but not before I caught a glimpse of what he was looking at. Flights. One-way, from the look of it.
“Going somewhere?” I ask.
“What?”
“Your laptop. Looked like flight information.”
“Oh.” Ty waves a hand. “Conference next month… a nonprofit leadership thing. Very boring.” He glances at his watch. “Was there anything else? I have a call to make.”
“Nope. That's it.”
I leave with the contracts and a weird feeling in my stomach. Ty's always been a little scattered, a little secretive about the backend stuff. I've never questioned it because he's the expert and I'm just the event girl.
But a one-way flight? And the way he flinched when I mentioned Clay?
I push the doubt down. Ty's stressed because this is a big event and he’s on edge. Besides, I have a date with a hot biker who promised to cook me dinner, and I refuse to let anything ruin my mood.
Clay lives in a ranch house outside Ember Heart Ridge, set back from the road with a gravel driveway. No pink flamingos or garden gnomes; it’s all clean lines and practicality.
He opens the door before I knock, like he was watching for me. He's changed out of his usual jeans and cut into... different jeans and a black henley that stretches across his chest. His feet are bare.
