Page 43 of Fallen Flame

“I was doing my job.”

She tilted her head. “So... is that a yes?”

I looked toward the clubhouse. Everyone else had already disappeared inside and nothing needed my attention. “Yeah.”

Her smile softened. “Come on.”

The backyard was quiet. The firepit sat cold tonight, leaving the sky above us clear enough that thousands of stars stretched from one end of the horizon to the other.

Lark dropped onto one of the Adirondack chairs.

I took the one beside her, leaving a couple feet between us. Neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn’t uncomfortable and it settled around us like the cool summer air. From somewhere inside the clubhouse came the muffled sound of laughter.

Someone yelled. Another voice answered. Then everything faded back into the background.

Lark tipped her head back, her eyes fixed on the stars. “They’re prettier out here.”

“They are.”

Another minute slipped by. She hugged one knee against her chest.

I studied her from the corner of my eye.

She’d barely talked since we’d left the Social Club.

That wasn’t like her.

“You okay?”

She smiled without looking at me. “Yeah.”

I waited.

She sighed. “It was just...” Her voice trailed off. “Surreal.”

“What was?”

“The Social Club.” She looked over at me. “Watching all of you.”

“We were throwing axes and acting like dumbasses.”

I caught the smallest smile. “I know.” She laughed quietly. “That’s not what I mean.” She looked back toward the sky. “The way everyone was together. Alice giving Pipe crap. Nikki threatening him if he lost. Wrecker acting like he was twenty-five instead of...” She paused with a grin. “However old he is.”

I snorted. “Don’t let him hear you.”

“I won’t, I enjoy living.” Another quiet laugh escaped her before her expression grew thoughtful again. “They’re a family.”

“They’re loud,” I grunted.

“They’re both.” She swallowed. “They’re not all related by blood, but you never would’ve known it tonight.”

My chest tightened. I knew exactly what she meant, or at least I thought I did.

“I’ve got a piece of paper that says I’m a Fallen Lord.”

She turned toward me. “What?”