“There’s nothing I’ve got to say to you,” I cut out.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and I took the opportunity to study him for the first time in weeks.
There were dark shadows under his eyes, and he looked exhausted. Immediately, my heart went out to him. When I saw him last, he’d assured me he was getting help, but he looked so sick. What the fuck had happened?
“You can’t ghost me forever,” he said huskily.
“I’m not ghosting you,” I replied coldly. “I’ve told you it’s over and that I don’t want anything to do with you. What part of leave me alone don’t you understand?”
“You owe me a conversation at least,” Pagan insisted.
My temper flared. “I don’t owe you shit. Especially after I walked into your clubhouse and caught Saskia the slut’s mouth wrapped around your overused, whore dick.”
The music lowered, and necks craned in our direction.
Pagan leaned forward, “We weren’t exclusive. We’d been on a few dates. What’s the big deal?”
Jesus, I was so sick of hearing that shit. He knew what we had. It was proven by the fact that he’d been begging me back formonths, promising to change. How fucking dare he make out I was overreacting?
“If it meant so little to you, why can’t you leave me alone?” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Donovan and Callum approaching with their friends, Atlas and Breaker behind them. Cash, the Speed Demons prez, joined them, and they all lined up a few feet behind Pagan.
“I never said that,” Pagan argued in a measured tone, but I caught his underlying frustration.
I tried to soften my tone. Arguing wouldn’t get us anywhere. “We’d been out, and we had a great time. You said you needed to get back to the clubhouse because you had an early run. You didn’t even wait for me to drive out of the goddamned parking lot before she got on her knees for you.”
Pagan’s jaw clenched angrily. “I just want you to hear me out, baby?—”
“My sister’s asked you to leave her alone,” Callum called over. “Back off.”
Pagan craned his neck, his fists balling when he saw the small army of men standing behind him. “Bet you’re enjoyin’ this.”
“I don’t enjoy seeing my sister upset,” Callum shot back. “But it seems to me you don’t give a fuck about hurting her because if you did, you’d show her some respect. Now, she’s asked you to back off. Do as she asks, or we’ll slap a restraining order on your ass.”
“You think that’ll stop me?” Pagan jeered. “Iownthe law.”
“That’s not quite true, brother,” Atlas corrected. “Maybe you’ve got connections in Rock Springs, but here in Hambleton, the law’s owned by our mayor, who also happens to be a former Speed Demon. You’ve got no reach, at least not around these parts.”
Donovan pushed past Pagan and stood at my back, resting a hand on my shoulder in an obvious show of support.
Pagan looked down at me and reached out a hand. “Last chance, baby. Come with me and talk it out, or I'll take this shit into my own hands.”
My laugh was brittle. “I don’t think so.”
Pagan dropped his hand and turned his back on us, then he jerked his head as he stalked toward the doors leading to the parking lot with his boys following.
A bad feeling slid through my gut.
Pagan never gave up that easily. He wouldn’t like being publicly called out that way, and he certainly didn’t like taking no for an answer. He may have walked out, but something told me I shouldn’t trust it.
Donovan leaned down and asked me, “You okay, Sis?”
I nodded, but I felt unnerved. My gaze went to the door Pagan had just stormed out of, and I bit my lip thoughtfully.
“Yo! Ash,” Callum called over. “You good?”
I flashed him a fake grin, but all I wanted to do was cry. It wasn’t that I hated confrontation, but I didn’t want to do it with an audience.
Rosie must have noticed I was rattled because she asked, “Wanna go to the restroom to freshen up?”
