It didn’t shock me one bit when Chloe retrieved her drink and made her way to the back of the shop. We headed toward the only table cloaked in some semblance of darkness and it made me chuckle. She struck me as someone who basically lived their life like a mole rat. I knew that because I was the same way. The lights in my apartment almost never got turned on and when they did, I always found a reason to quickly turn them off.
And as we sat across the table from one another, I found that the conversation rolled effortlessly between us.
“So, how do you know Lexi?” I asked.
She took a long pull from her caffeine. “Her and I got close in college. We were freshman dorm roomies, and it sort of spiraled after that.”
“I never went to college. I graduated high school and went right into being an asshole.”
She snickered. “You aren’t an asshole. You’re just guarded. I get that.”
I tilted my head. “And why would you understand a thing like that?”
She shrugged. “Not everyone has a wonderful life. I’m sure you know that.”
“Does Lexi bring you comfort during those times?”
Her eyes darted away from mine. “She’s been a good influence on my life, yes.”
I wanted to ask her about it. I wanted to poke and prod until I knew everything there was to know about her. But I resisted the urge. The manager on shift brought our food over and I thanked him with a nod of my head, but I wanted to stay silent and give Chloe time to process whatever ran through her mind.
And when her gaze came back to my stare, she cleared her throat. “How did you get involved with the club? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I said as I picked up one of my sandwiches.
I took a hefty bite out of it and swallowed it down before I started in on my story.
“I was actually a member of another club when I found them. They were called the Road Reapers, and they’re based out of Los Angeles. My best friend was the president at the time, but he was killed by a rival gang in the area that we always had beef with.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said.
I took another bite of my sandwich. “It is what it is. I know what I signed up for when I chose this lifestyle. But after his death, the club just… changed. Their morals changed. Their goals changed. And when I didn’t like how the club was turning out, I spoke up about it.”
“Let me guess. They didn’t like that.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not one damn bit. I didn’t like the fact that they started treating their women like hell. I didn’t like the fact that they started dabbling in shit like drugs. They essentially turned themselves into the gang that had killed my best friend, and I wanted no part in it. So, I left and came to San Diego. Just… packed up my shit overnight and left without even so much as a goodbye.”
“They let you just leave?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “There was some tension after they realized that I wasn’t coming back. But I think they knew I wasn’t going to be an enemy to them. I just didn’t agree with what they were doing.”
“Did you come here specifically for the crew?”
I reached for my iced drink. “No, actually. I just came looking for a fresh start. I met Stone in this coffee shop actually. He was bitching on his cell phone to someone about rigging compound cameras and I offered some advice.”
“Oh, I’m sure helovedthat.”
I chuckled. “Stone’s rough around the edges, but when he figured out that I was a nomad with technical skills to help solve his problem, he brought me in to help with the job. I meshed with the club well. Told them about my past a bit. And before I knew it, they were initiating me as a prospect.”
She smiled, and it lit up her beautiful blue eyes. “Hell of a story.”
“Hell of a life.”
I held her gaze for a while, and I could’ve sworn her smile grew bigger on her face. But the second my phone rang from the inside breast pocket of my leather jacket, I knew we were fucked.
“One guess as to who that is,” Chloe said, nodding to my chest.
I rolled my eyes as I pulled out my phone and found that Stone was calling.
