She slides a mug toward me before I even finish the sentence.
“Council meeting?” she asks.
“Is it that obvious?”
“You look like someone just sat through a PowerPoint titled ‘Community Standards.’”
I groan. “They said ‘safety concern.’ Out loud. In a gym. Under a Wildcat banner.”
Lani gasps dramatically. “Oh, that’s aggressive.”
I wrap my hands around the mug and let the heat sink into my palms.
“They’re going to review The Hollow’s license,” I say. “Next week.”
She nods slowly. “Benjamin’s been sniffing around for weeks. I thought he might go after The Hollow. He goes after everyone at first. It’s his MO.”
That makes my head snap up. “Weeks?”
“Yeah. Asking questions. About Ryder. About the club. About where the money came from.”
My stomach tightens. “That feels… orchestrated.”
Lani leans in. “Benjamin doesn’t dig. Benjamin collects. But he doesn’t often win.”
Before I can spiral further, the bell over the door jingles.
Ivy walks in.
I like Ivy immediately and instinctively. She has the energy of someone who would absolutely set something on fire if it deserved it.
She’s flanked, and not by her children or her handsome men.
It’s givingcouncil of beautiful, mildly dangerous women.
“Aurora,” she calls out excitedly. “Thank goodness you’re here. I have beendyingto introduce you to everyone.”
I blink as Ivy strides toward me, all energy and confidence, but there’s something about the women following her that makes my heart race. There’s a certain unspoken strength in how they walk. Each of them has a different vibe, but they’re all somehow… magnetic.
I rise from the stool just as Ivy reaches the counter, her grin already big enough to light up the room.
“Aurora, these are my friends,” Ivy says warmly. “This is Olivia,” she gestures to a tall, blonde woman with soft curls and a look that says she’s not here to mess around. “Sloane,” she adds with a nod to the woman next to her, a brunette with a sharp jawline and a smile that’s both approachable and knowing. “And Delaney,” Ivy finishes, pointing to the final woman, who is strikingly petite but exudes a fierceness that immediately draws my attention.
“Hi,” I say, suddenly feeling a little out of place, like I’ve just stumbled into some kind of secret society. But the smiles they give me are warm, not intimidating. There’s a comforting air about them, like they’ve seen it all and still come out on top. “Nice to meet you all.”
Olivia gives me a friendly smile, her hand resting on her slightly rounded belly.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Aurora,” she says. “We’ve all heard a lot about you.”
I blink, surprised. “You have?”
Sloane, leaning against the counter, chuckles. “Don’t worry, it’s all good things. Well, mostly good.”
She winks at Ivy, who laughs.
I raise an eyebrow. “Mostly?”
“Okay, fine, all good,” Sloane concedes. “But we’re all curious about you. And it looks like you could use a friend right about now.”
