“Told her about the club. Showed up on my Harley wearing my cut. Then I kissed her. And… she ran.”
“Ran, ran?” Millie asks, crumbs from her cookie falling from her mouth.
“Emotionally ran. I haven’t heard from her since yesterday.”
Ro saunters over, slumping down in the seat next to Victoria. “From what you’ve told Sin, and what he told Vicks, and what she told me, you and Marley seemed to have ‘the vibe.’”
I furrow my brow at her. “What the fuck is ‘the vibe?’”
“You know, you’re different around her, more yourself, you two have a…vibe. You click… tell me I’m wrong?”
I snort out a huff. “That was before the club.”
Victoria leans forward. “Nitro, I went undercover, thinking you were all criminals. I hadeveryreason to run. But you showed her who you really are. That takes guts. Needing time doesn’t mean she’s gone for good. Just give her a beat.”
“She’s probably confused,” Millie adds. “You kissed her after dropping that bomb. Her ex just dumped her. She’s living with her friend. Absolutely everything in her life is a living chaos. You’re just one more thing to figure out when her world has been turned upside down, and you feel like her gravity. It’s confusing.”
“Except I’m not supposed to be something she has to ‘figure out,’” I say. “We had a fake-dating arrangement. I made it complicated.”
“Because you have gooey, mopey, sad-boy feelings for her,” Victoria chimes.
I don’t answer, glowering at her.
Ro hops up onto the table. “Look, if she doesn’t text back, she wasn’t the one. But my money’s on her reaching out.”
“Plus, you’re disgustingly hot,” Millie says matter-of-factly.
“Jesus Christ, kid,” I mutter, because not only is she nineteen and the daughter of Jonas McClane, the man supplying the club with the gold that funds this club, but she and our prospect, Will, have this will-they-won’t-they thing going on. But in any case, her words still make me smile.
The door swings open, and Bear, Koa, and Ghost file in with Sin. They take one look at me surrounded by women and veer over like sharks smelling blood.
“Woman problems,” Ro announces cheerfully.
Bear’s massive frame shakes with laughter. “Our VP, finally brought down by a woman.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I reply.
Sin leans against the bar, presidential assessment mode activated. “Marley issues, brother?”
“Yeah… might’ve scared her off.”
“How?” Ghost asks.
“Told her about the club. Kissed her. Not in a good order.”
Koa grins. “Easy fix. You just gotta—”
“Don’t listen to Koa,” Bear interrupts. “Last time he gave relationship advice, Flint got slapped, and it wasn’t with a hand. I’ll tell you that much.”
Sin holds up his arm, palm facing out. “Give her space, but not too much. Women say they want space, but they want to know you’re still there. Don’t be pushy.”
“Most contradictory advice ever,” I say flatly.
“Welcome to women,” Ro chimes in, smiling brightly.
Victoria nods. “He’s not wrong. The key is patience. She’ll reach out when she’s ready.”
“And if she doesn’t?” I hate how fucking vulnerable and pussy-like that makes me sound.
