“I never thanked you.”
Ghost furrowed his brows. “For what?”
She waved her hand gesturing to the kitchen and living room. “For this. If you hadn’t told me to ask Inez, I don’t think the club would’ve allowed it. I’m still kind of shocked Wraith is okay with it. He was really against it.”
“Fear.”
She blinked. “What?”
Ghost wiped his mouth, tossing his napkin on the plate and grabbed his beer. “Wraith doesn’t take chances with you. Never has. Keeping you safe comes before everything else. That blinds people. His need to protect you overshadowed whatyoureally needed. A little freedom.” Ghost cocked his brow. “He did the wrong thing for the right reasons.”
She hadn’t thought of it that way.
“Gonna show me the house?”
The tour was quick with only four rooms. But it had something special she knew only Ghost would fully appreciate.
“You wanna see something cool?”
Ghost shrugged. “Why not?”
She waved him to follow her to the back of the house. The living space was on the main floor, but it had an unfinished attic with stair access near the back door. Cleo started walking up, and the floorboards creaked.
“We’re gonna fucking die on these steps, aren’t we?”
She glanced back and snickered. “No, and I promise this is worth it.”
Ghost sighed. “It better be.”
When she reached the landing, she stepped aside, making room for Ghost. He wasn’t as bulky as some of the other brothers. His physique was more comparable to a swimmer. Slim but solid and defined. But at six foot, he remained hunched over to not hit his head on the beams.
Ghost scanned the small space. “Risked my life for an attic?”
Cleo smiled, shaking her head. She walked toward the window in the front. It took three tries before it finally gave way and opened. She climbed out onto the roof and turned back.
“I have my own roof now.”
Even in the dark attic she saw Ghost smile before walking to the window and climbing out, taking a seat beside her.
“It’s cool, right?”
Ghost let out a soft chuckle, staring off into the woods. “Yeah, it is.”
It wasn’t the same rooftop view. Ghost’s was better. But it was something. She tucked her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. They sat in silence for a while. It was calm and peaceful. Not how she’d expected the night to go. When she’d invited the members over to check out her house, she didn’t expect them to stay long. Cleo saw it as more of an open house where they could stop by, grab some food, see her place, and be on their way. Or at least, that was how she’d envisioned and hoped it would turn out.
Cleo got the opposite. As if he read her thoughts, Ghost glanced over.
“Who else stopped by?”
“Oh well, um Wraith and Ace are on a run.” She cleared her throat, circling her shoelace with her finger. “And Cypher said he had something at the motel, but he’s gonna swing by next week.”
Ghost’s jaw squared and gave her a curt nod. “Still leaves a lot of brothers. Anyone else come by?”
“I know how busy they all are.”
“No one?”
“No.” She muttered then smiled. “But I’m glad you did.”
