My eyes bulged. “Is that—”
Bender cracked the door open, keeping his nakedness covered. “You couldn’t have called first?”
“I tried. You didn’t answer.”
“Hold on a second, I need clothes.”
“We both do.”
It only took us a few seconds to find something to wear, then Bender ushered Fangs into my place. He took one look at me before a smirk crossed his face, and a blush worked its way down to my toes.
“Looks like you two had a good night,” Fangs said as he stood by my couch.
Bender tossed my door closed as Fangs looked over at me.
“So, will you lay off our club now that you’re shacking up with Bender?”
Bender leapt to my defense. “Hey, you’re in her house, which means you’re under—”
I held up my hand. “It’s okay, he’s got every right to ask.”
Then, my gaze locked with Fangs’s.
“You have absolutely no reason to trust me, I understand that. But I’ve seen first-hand now how you run your club. What you guys do for this community. How invaluable you are to the people of Twin Bays. I’ve seen the good things you do. The good hearts you have.”
Fangs tilted his head. “So…?”
I sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe all of you do. But I believe most of you do. So, while I’m going to always be keeping an eye out because my duty will always be to the people of this town, I’m not going to be writing some telling exposé that gets plastered all over the internet. You guys mean well, just like my father did when he was alive, and for now that’s all that matters. Just make sure that doesn’t change.”
Fangs blinked as his eyes widened a bit. “Well,” he said as he turned to face Bender. “I guess you can keep her around then. I like her spunk.”
Bender grinned. “So do I.”
Then, Fangs sniffed the air. “Is that coffee I smell?”
I nodded toward the kitchen. “Feel free to help yourself; creamer’s in the fridge and the mugs are in the cabinet over the coffee pot.”
Bender pulled out his phone. “I’ll get us some food ordered. I need a fucking sandwich.”
And as I stood there, watching these two massive, brutish men waltz around my small studio apartment, I smiled to myself.
Because damn it, for once in my fucking life, I was happy with where I had ended up.
TWENTY-THREE
BENDER
After enjoying coffee and breakfast with the two people I enjoyed most in the world, we all went our separate ways. Aria pieced herself together before she headed back down to the shelter where her sister was, and Fangs quickly called church. The two of us rode back, blazing a trail away from the one person I wanted to be with. And despite how much I tried to swallow down my worry, I texted Aria the second I parked my ass in front of the clubhouse.
Bender: Made it safely. Did you?
Aria responded almost immediately, and it made my heart soar.
Aria: Yep, I’m okay. I’m going to start jotting down these girls’ stories, if they’ll talk to me. They deserve to be heard.
God, what a wonderful woman.
Bender: Sounds good. Come by the clubhouse later?
