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“Can I have my wallet back now?” I ask and she glares up at me.

“I don’t know. Are you going to try to pay for anything else?”

Chuckling, I open the door for her and guide her toward the car. “I feel like the correct answer here is no.”

“Then say it.”

“I can’t,” I answer with a laugh and she lets out a huff of annoyance.

“And to think Theo was worried you were going to use me to be your sugar mama.”

I bark out a laugh, stopping her on the sidewalk and turning her to face me. “What? Exactly how much money did your mom leave you?”

“Um,” she murmurs, biting her lip. “Almost half a million dollars.”

My eyes widen and I let out a low whistle as I start leading us to the car again. Well, there’s one more plot twist in this confusing story. When she said her mom left her money, I’d figured it was a few thousand not enough to buy a new house outright. My phone buzzes just as we reach the car and I pull it out as I open Tate’s door for her.

Streak:

Based on what it says and the fact that it was left for her…

I’d say someone is threatening her.

Me:

I’ll talk to you in twenty.

As soon as I drop Tate off at home, I’m going straight to the clubhouse to see what Streak knows and confront Blaze again. It’s time for all the secrets to end. I shut her door and jog around the hood before slipping behind the wheel and firing the engine to life.

“I’ve got to run to the clubhouse and deal with some shit. You just want me to take you home?” I ask and she nods as I pull away from the curb.

“Yes. Thanks for hanging out with me today.”

I grab her hand, lacing our fingers before I bring it to my lips and kiss her thumb. “Anytime, baby. You like your tattoo?”

“Yes,” she replies, her grin growing as she glances down at her forearm. “It’s perfect.”

I kiss her hand again. “I’m glad.”

She turns on the radio and changes the station until Smile by Uncle Kracker starts pouring out of the speakers. Grinning, she turns it up and turns to me as she sings along with the song, capturing my full attention. A grin splits my face as I watch her sing and just be silly, something that I get the feeling Tate doesn’t do all that often but it’s fucking adorable and in a moment, I realize that this girl already owns my heart.

By the time we pull up in front of her house, she’s already belted out two more songs and I might as well go out and buy a ring today because I’m never walking away from her. I don’t care if she finds out everything and chops my balls off, I’ll still beg for her to take me back and I’ll spend every day of the rest of my life making it up to her.

“All right, I suppose I better let you go,” she says, pouting as she turns down the music and I laugh.

“What if I promise to come back later?”

Her face lights up. Man, I’d do anything to see that look on her face.

“Yeah?”

I nod.

“Okay, I suppose I’ll release you then but tell Blaze that if he doesn’t give you back, I have no problem going in guns blazing and stealing you myself.”

I laugh, reaching across the car and brushing my thumb over her cheek. “I’ll be sure to pass that message along.”

“Make sure he knows how scary I am, too,” she orders, looking anything but scary and I laugh again.