“I feel like you’re no longer helping.”
“No, I am. You love it,” Elle assured me and gestured at Ivy at the front door.
Once I let her inside, Ivy asked, “What are we doing?”
“Lyric and I plan to help pick something fun for Nova to wear tonight.”
“I’m a good helper,” my baby told Ivy.
Elle gestured for us to follow her as she walked down the hallway. “We’ll listen to music and dance. If I wasn’t pregnant, we could drink margaritas and talk about boys.”
“Can I have a margarita?” Lyric asked me.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Why not?”
Elle sighed. “You need to listen better, Lyric. I already explained how I’m pregnant.” When Lyric frowned at Elle, she frowned right back at her. Their irritation lasted for about a minute before Elle gave up and asked, “Want to help me pick a song on my phone?”
Once a band called Metric started playing, Ivy and I searched my closet. Elle rested on her side, stretched out on the bed, while Lyric danced around me. Three songs later, we had chosen a peach knit top that emphasized my chest without being trampy. A simple pair of faded blue jeans and sandals finished off the look.
By the time Zodiac and Sutter showed up to reclaim Elle, I felt ready for my date tonight. Elle was a loudmouthed woman, but she tended to be honest. She had held back with Zodiac, just like I had done with Boone. Once Elle admitted her feelings, the relationship moved quickly, and she smiled all the time now.
If I could be similarly brave, I believed I could also win the heart of the sexy biker of my dreams.
BOONE
My condo at the Five Points Lofts had always been comfortable. I had a loft bedroom and a small side bedroom for my parents or Goldie to bunk in if they stayed over. I liked my view of the city. Everything about my condo fit my style. I didn’t even mind being on the third floor while Rowdy, Rock, and Clint were up on the fourth.
Tonight, I returned home and wondered if this place would work for kids. The size might be enough since Skylar and Lyric were used to sharing a room. But they were also used to a backyard with a play set and space for their dog to run around. Living here would be a step down from their current home.
I told myself I was rushing things. Nova and I had one date. We hadn’t been around each other enough to know if this attraction would fade. I was jumping ahead to the kind of relationships I saw growing up.
The next morning, I felt more centered. My condo was fine. The girls were happy where they were currently living. Nova wasn’t looking for an instant husband. We could have fun and get to know each other.
Restless with nothing to do before the date, I walked around the condo complex and looked for someone to chill out with until I could head to Nova’s place.
The building’s courtyard was neutral territory between the Crimson Guard and another local club called the LM Jokers. Its president, Tricky, and VP, Jagger, lived in the condos. Their club was founded at the same time as the Crimson Guard, and a few of their earliest recruits were also residents. Tricky, Jagger, Clint, and I had been friends growing up. Our clubs had been allies.
Yet, something shifted when Tricky chose to patch in guys who moved up from Baton Rouge. Their fathers and uncles had been pushed out of the Black Rainbow by Zodiac and his guys. Now, the Crimson Guard had an alliance with the Black Rainbow, inspiring many LM Jokers to be openly hostile toward our club.
Meaning, every time I walked out to the courtyard, I found myself wondering if I’d encounter attitude from men that I used to consider friends.
Fortunately, rather than the enemy, I spotted Rowdy in the courtyard. His tiny dog, Goblin, ran over and barked at me. I barked back at him and walked to where Rowdy smoked a cigarette on a bench.
Rowdy’s long brown hair was tied back in a little braid that I assumed a fox gave him. His pale blue eyes watched me with amusement.
“Date night, huh?” Rowdy said and smirked. “Everyone’s falling in love and settling down.”
“I don’t know about that. It’s our second date.”
“Bullshit. You’ve had your eye on Nova for months. Now, you need to nail this thing down before she escapes.”
“Why would she escape?”
“Women are crazy. You know that shit.”
“Is this about the woman who ran away from you?”
