She cracked a grin. “Checks? Who still has checks?”
“I do. I don’t trust all that online shit.”
“Don’t you mostly use cash? Or was that just because you were twenty last time we hung out?”
Shrugging, I said, “Mostly cash. But I have some money in a few banks. Just in case.”
“Just enough to look legit?”
“I can’t pretend I’m someone I’m not, Sparrow. You know the club has its own interests.”
She turned, leaning on the desk. “I never wanted you to be someone else. I just wantedyou.”
The air was thick with that statement hanging between us. “Sparrow, I–”
She put her hands up. “Let’s not hash that out right now. Someone broke in. Nothing besides some cash is gone from here, but this isn’t how I left it,” she said, pointing to the desk. “I gotta figure this out. Probably start with a police report.”
She started to pull her phone out, but I walked over and snatched it from her hand. “You can’t do that.”
Her head jerked as her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? I was burgled! I have to report it.”
Holding her phone high as she swung her hand in the air trying to get it, I shook my head. “No. We’ll handle it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, really?” She crossed her arms. “How are you going to handle it?”
“Don’t worry about that. But grab a bag. You can’t stay here.”
“I’m not waiting it out at a hotel while you ‘handle’ this. I’ll have a locksmith fix the door and–”
Stepping closer, so close her heat kissed my skin, I looked down at her. “You’re coming with me.”
Chapter 11
Kristie
Tears squeezed from the corners of my eyes. My hand flew to my stomach as I doubled over.
“What’s so funny?” Rooster asked.
I waved him off, still unable to catch my breath between my boisterous laughter.
“I’m serious. I’m not leaving you here.”
Finally able to stand up straight, I sucked in a deep breath and wiped the tears. “You’re insane. But good try.”
With a final refreshing sigh, I started to walk past him to head back to the kitchen. But he was right behind me. I grabbed the landline that was mounted on the cutout between the kitchen and living room.
It had been there when I moved in and I decided to get it connected in my name. It was a weird quirk, but I worried about losing power and not having a way to charge my phone. I didn’t have a car that I could use to charge things since I took the bus to work and used ride shares or walked to a lot of stuff. Sure, I could ask a neighbor, but I wasn’t very sociable, so it was less awkward to just have the backup. Plus, it was nearly free with my internet service.
But as I reached out for the receiver, a hand beat me to it, jerking the phone and the jack right out of the wall.
“Rooster! What’s wrong with you?” I yelled.
His lips were thin and his gaze heated, but not the way it was in the barn. He was mad. Or maybe frustrated. He was intense during our short time together but that had been in a more passionate way, never in anger. “You’re not listening. You can’t call the cops and you can’t stay here.”
“Oh, well since you put it that way,aftervandalizing my property, let me go pack my bag and we can just ride off into the sunset together,” I said, waving my arms.
“This isn’t a joke, Sparrow. Those men aren’t safe and I won’t leave you here–”
