“You gonna give me a therapy session now?”
“Just saying.” He shrugs. “I get it’s messy, but the girl is clearly still under your skin. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that happen before. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to figure out what’s still there or what isn’t. You’re allowed to like her.”
“She’s my brother’s ex.”
“And that would stop you?” Soul hitches an eyebrow, and I grin.
“Not for the reasons it probably should.”
I don’t give a shit if she was my brother’s girl. He was the easier option at the time, and I get it. The less difficult path. The one her father approved of. They still never had the same kind of connection Willa and I shared. Part of me always knew that.
“Speak of the devil’s ex…” Soul lets out a low whistle as Willa walks into the club with Aimee at her side.
Havoc follows close behind them, guarding them from anyone who dares to get close. But it doesn’t block the stares. So many eyes follow Willa into the room, including mine.
Willa looks too damn good for my sanity. Her black T-shirt hugs her full tits, and her skirt is so short it shows off every inch of her perfect legs. Her boots are a hint of home.
She’s still the only girl who makes me feel like I can slow down and just exist.
Mom told me that true love is finding someone you can sit with in silence without feeling awkward. Given that Mom chose Tate as a husband, I took her advice with a grain of salt. But when I’m with Willa, I get it. She draws out this peaceful quiet inside me. So long as she’s in my vicinity, I can breathe.
Willa and Aimee stop at the other end of the bar so Aimee can talk to Brandy, while Havoc continues walking toward us.
“Thought I made it clear she wasn’t leaving the compound?” I narrow my eyes on Havoc when he stops in front of us.
“You expect me to tell Aimee no to a girls’ day?”
I glance over at Aimee, who is already glaring at me like she can sense I’m giving her man shit. “Guess not.”
Havoc shrugs. “Willa was fine. I had my eyes on her the whole time. We didn’t run into any trouble.”
That’s not what worries me. I know Havoc can handle himself if anything went down. He wouldn’t let anything happen to the girls. But now he brought her here, to my club. She’s walking freely through my world like she belongs. Not seeming the least bit intimidated, and it’s dangerous.
At the compound, I can compartmentalize how I’m feeling about her walking back into my life. Here, not so much.
“You’re fucked.” Havoc slaps me on the shoulder.
“You’re starting to sound like him.” I shove Soul’s arm. “I am not fucked.”
“Yeah, you are, man. That look on your face… you’re totally fucked. Trust me.” He chuckles, walking away to go meet up with Aimee.
I let my gaze drift to Willa sitting beside her, and I hate that my brothers are right. Willa tips her head back in a laugh that sets my soul on fire. If only those same flames weren’t the ones that already burned my life to ash.
11
Willa
When I asked Aimeeto tag along, I didn’t realize we’d end up at the strip club. It’s like coming full circle to the first time I saw Dean after twelve years apart. Watching him from across the bar, fully immersed in the life he’s made for himself. Proof we no longer fit in each other’s worlds.
How does any girl compete with this lifestyle?
The stunning blonde who was on stage when I arrived is now standing at the bar talking to Dean. Her white lingerie barely covers anything as she rakes her red nails down his arm and smiles at him. Her hand pauses on his forearm, and I clench my teeth so hard they might shatter.
I have absolutely no claim on him. But that small touch makes me want to rip her hand away.
“Maybe we should leave,” Aimee offers, glancing from me to Dean.
“I’m fine,” I lie, taking another sip of my beer.
