Sabrina hugged Elle and offered, “I could tell Zodiac no, if saying the word is too difficult for you.”
Elle locked her gaze on mine and smiled. “I love the son of a bitch. I can’t help feeding this need between us.”
While I smiled at her declaration, Sabrina continued to take shots at my plan. “You’ll have no one to hang out with in Baton Rouge.”
“I can make new friends.”
Sabrina rolled off the bed and threw up her hands dramatically. “I can’t talk to you when you’re this delusional. I’ll round up an intervention for you before Zodiac can fuck out your brains more than he already has.”
Elle waited until her cousin left the room before asking, “I love the name Trent, but I worry you’re asking us to move to Baton Rouge because you got scared about the shooting.”
“I can’t live my life in Baton Rouge without you there,” I admitted, no longer able to deny my weakness for this woman. “My club is suffering. Maybe if I hadn’t given Exile the chance to spend so much time here, I could be selfish and ditch my people. But I feel my enemies are beginning to notice my absence in Baton Rouge.”
“I could visit you more.”
“It’s not safe for you to drive back and forth. Also, the more time you spend visiting me is more time you are away from Sutter.”
Elle smiled softly. “I worry you’re panicking and will change your mind when the fear fades.”
“If you don’t want to move, just say it,” I muttered, ready for her to shut everything down.
Elle glanced at the open door before whispering, “I checked out houses in Baton Rouge. I’ve already been wondering about moving closer to you, but I’m scared you’ll change your mind and feel trapped.”
Her words erased my bad mood. Knowing I was close to getting what I needed, I explained, “I hate admitting weakness, but I no longer feel right in my skin whenever you’re far away.”
Elle adjusted on the mattress, so she was resting on her knees. “I’ll ask Sutter. If he agrees to give it a shot, I’m willing to leave my home and routine to start over in a humid town with a man I’ve known for less than six months.”
“I liked how you worded it as romantically as possible.”
Smirking, Elle shrugged. “I watch too many of those foofy Hallmark movies. Oh, and I really do like the name Trent.”
Elle cupped my face and planted a kiss on my lips. That was when I realized how I was holding back. This sexy, mouthy woman owned a strange new part of me that I didn’t fully understand.
Wrapping Elle in my arms, I finally relaxed after hours of feeling like the world was closing in on me from all sides. I couldn’t lose her. No longer did my club mean more to me than anything else.
Elle Reed was mine, and living without her wasn’t an option.
ELLE
Zodiac radiated a strange energy after asking me to move to Baton Rouge. I felt like maybe he was already rethinking his request. I asked him to grab a washcloth and cool himself down after his long, sweaty ride. He stripped naked instead and walked into my bathroom.
“I’ll go talk to Sutter and my parents while you wash off for sex,” I said before shutting the bathroom door.
I hurried out of my bedroom and found Sutter sitting with Shay on the basement couch. Sabrina stomped back downstairs with Ford right behind her.
“Put your foot down,” Sabrina insisted to my dad. “She’s being irrational.”
“Calm yourself, or I’ll call Pax to put you down for a nap.”
Sabrina glared at my dad, who smiled at me. “What’s going on, Annie Oakley?”
I sat on the other side of Sutter and glanced between my four family members. Even knowing what I wanted to do, I felt intense pressure to make my favorite people happy.
“Zodiac suggested the name Trent,” I said and rubbed my belly. “It’s from ‘In the Mouth of Madness,’ too. I really like it.”
“She’s stalling,” Sabrina muttered. “Get to it.”
“Fine, Zodiac asked me to move to Baton Rouge.”
