“Hey, Cam,” says Saint, who has followed Vani, together with his twin brother, Lex, out of the truck.
He’s never earned the right to call me Cam, as if he’s my bestie, but I say hello and smile sweetly because he’s Vani’s man now.
Zane nods at me. He’s the one out of all Vani’s men I like the most. He might be terrifying to look at with his build, and his ink, and the scar on his throat, but he’s got a calm way about him these days, now he’s with Vani.
Unlike Saint and Lex, who still seem to be total chaos gremlins as far as I’m concerned.
“Dad said you were struggling,” Vani says, linking her arm with mine.
I hang my head, my face warming. “Yeah, I guess. It’s not been easy, being here with all these men.”
“I get it. I grew up in a place like this, remember. Try going to speak to Smokie Saul when you’re thirteen and just got your first period, but don’t know where to get any pads because all the ol’ ladies were out on a girls’ day and I had no one else to ask.”
I widen my eyes at her. “Oh, my God, you didn’t?”
“I did. He was good about it, too. Took me to the machine in the ladies’ room and fed it with coins until I had what I needed.”
“You didn’t go speak to your mom?” I ask.
Vani shrugs. “She was on the girls’ day out. I grew up with the MC, so most of the guys felt like family anyway.At least, the older members did. Dad wouldn’t so much as let the younger ones look at me.”
“Yeah, I can tell he can get pretty protective.”
She laughs, tossing her long dark hair down her spine. “You can say that again.”
“It must be nice having him so much nearer.”
She nods. “It is. It’s great. I really hope he’ll stay here at this club, so I can always have him close by.”
“Merde,” Saint mutters under his breath.
The twins are French and both speak that as well as English fluently.
Vani digs him in the ribs with the elbow not linked through mine, and he rolls his eyes good-naturedly.
I cast a surreptitious glance their way. They’re both astonishingly good looking, but Lex is quite casual, whereas Saint looks like he fell off a catwalk during Milan fashion week.
“I’ll go visit with my dad for a bit up at the house, and then maybe we can grab a bite or something?” Vani suggests.
“A bite would be great. Your dad’s not at the house, though. He’s at the clubhouse, in his office.”
She turns and gives me a strange, lingering look. “Oh, right.”
“He said to tell you he’d catch up with you when he’s done.”
“When did he say this?”
“Just now, in the office.”
Vani stops walking. “You wereinDad’s office? Just now?”
I’m not sure why this is such a big deal, and I nod hesitantly.
“What gives?” Lex raises a questioning brow to Vani.
“The only women allowed in his office when I was younger were either Mom or me.” Vani appraises me much the way some of the sweetbutts and ol’ ladies have.
I don’t know what to say. It’s like I’m supposed to be sorry or explain, so I do. “I went in there to ask something, and he ordered me out. It’s not a big deal.”
