“Me too,” Tempi added.“Maybe I know the inspector and can help.”
“Fine,” Twister said.“I want you next to me all the time anyway.”
Wheels let out a chuckle.“I hope you were talking to Tempi and not me.”
Rev laughed.“You wish he was talking to you.”
Wheels flipped him off.
Twister didn’t even crack a smile.
“You guys head back to the clubhouse and just stand by in case we need anything,” he told Magnum and Rev.“Hopefully, we can get this bullshit figured out.”
“I can’t believe these assholes are playing this card again,” Swift said.
“The Ledger?”I asked.
Twister’s head snapped toward Swift, and I could see immediately the annoyance—sharp and hot.He looked like he wanted to throttle Swift for telling me about The Ledger.
Swift didn’t budge.“She’s in this shit as much as we are, Twist.You really think I wasn’t going to tell her?”He nodded toward Tempi.“Tempi knows.”
“Because Tempi’s bar was vandalized and set on fire,” Twister snapped.
I raised my hand.“And I was shot in Tempi’s bar.”
Tempi pointed at me.“Touché, girlfriend.You have as much of a right to know what’s going on as these guys do.”
Twister shot her a flat look.“You wanna be the Prez now, baby?Because right about now, with all of this shit, I am more than willing to hand the reins over to you.”
Tempi flattened her lips and shook her head.“Uh, no.I would not like that position at all.I am rather fond of being your ol’ lady and just blabbing away when I feel like it.”
That got the smallest twitch from the corner of Twister’s mouth, but it was enough to see the shift in him.
He moved toward the door and held out his hand to Tempi.She took it naturally, like it was the easiest thing in the world.Then she leaned toward me as they passed and whispered, “I love him even when he’s grumpy.”
I smiled despite everything.
I didn’t blame her.
The way Twister looked at Tempi, the way his whole posture changed when she was near, the way she never hesitated to step right into the middle of his storms, it was all right there in front of anyone with functioning eyes.
You’d have to be blind not to see the love between them.
The apartment emptied fast after that.
Magnum and Rev headed out first, still muttering about permits and city inspectors.
Wheels followed, already pulling out his phone like he was going to call Gramps before he even got downstairs.
Tempi gave me one last squeeze of my hand before Twister tugged her gently toward the door.
Then it was just me and Swift.
The apartment felt quieter instantly.
Bigger somehow.
Or maybe that was just because everyone else’s energy had left and his was the only one still pressing into the room.
