8. Whitney
Whitney
“Hey.” I gave Ghost a nudge. “ Ghost... Ghost, wake up .”
“Hmmm,” he groaned with a stretch.
I knelt beside him as I whispered, “Toby and I are going to grab some breakfast. I thought you might want to get up on my bed.”
“Nah.” He sat up with another stretch. “I’m good.”
I’d fallen asleep with him on the floor, but I never dreamed that he would stay there the entire night. But low and behold, I woke up this morning to find him sound asleep on the floor next to me. His arm was tucked under his head, and his usual hardened expression was gone, leaving him looking almost boyish. My heart stirred at the sight. He’d stayed with me all night, watching over me and making sure I didn’t have another bad dream.
It was such a sweet gesture—one I hadn’t expected from a man like him, and I liked it more than I cared to admit. I gave him a warm smile as I said, “You stayed.”
“I stepped out for a minute, but yeah.” He sat up and got to his feet. “I stayed.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.” He gave me a slight smile. “But I wanted to.”
“Well, thanks. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” He reached for the door as he said, “I’m gonna stop by my room and take a quick shower. I’ll meet you down in the kitchen.”
“Okay.”
Without saying anything more, Ghost slipped past me and disappeared down the hall. Once he was gone, I turned to Toby and asked, “You ready?”
“Do I really have to see the tutor today?”
“Yeah, you really do. Preacher has gone to a lot of trouble to find this lady, and you are going to listen to her and do the lessons she assigns—just like you would do if you were in school.”
“But I’m not in school,” he huffed.
“You will be soon, and I don’t want you to be behind.”
“Okay,” he groaned.
“I know this isn’t ideal, but it’s the best I can do right now.”
“I know. It’s okay.” He got up and started for the door. “We better get down there, or the guys will wipe out all the good stuff.”
He was right.
Food seemed to vanish into thin air when all the guys were around, and today, they were here in droves. I wasn’t sure what was going on. I’d never seen so many there at once. There were even some I’d only seen a couple of times, and they all seemed to be gathered in the kitchen.
I was a little apprehensive about going in with so many guys around, so I leaned down to Toby and said, “Let’s make this quick. Grab a biscuit and juice, and let’s take it back to the room.”
Clearly feeling the same sense of unease, Toby nodded, and we both started into the kitchen.
Hoping not to draw any unnecessary attention to myself or Toby, I kept my head low as I made my way over to the counter and poured myself a cup of coffee. Toby grabbed a sausage biscuit from the stove and a bottle of juice from the fridge. We were about to head for the door when Skid and Grim came over to us.
I’d only been around them a couple of times, but Skid seemed sweet and docile, whereas Grim was gruffer and demanding. Skid smiled as he asked, “Hey, how are you two making it?”
“Pretty good, actually. Toby’s tutor is coming today.” I looked up at Grim as I said, “Thank Jenna again for finding her.”
“Just glad it all worked out.”
“Me too.” I looked over at the table full of brothers. “Quite a crowd today. Is something going on?”
Before he could answer, Ghost walked into the kitchen looking dapper as ever. His long, white-blond hair was still damp from his shower, and he had the top half pulled back, revealing his piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans that hung low on his hips and a black T-shirt with his cut.
He glanced around the room as he made his way over to me. Without even acknowledging Skid or Grim, he looked down at me and asked, “Did you get your breakfast?”
“I got my coffee. I’m good.” I motioned my head over to Toby as I said, “He’s got his, too.”
“Good. Why don’t you two head over to the family room, and I’ll come check on you when I wrap up things here.”
“Sounds good.” As I started for the door, I smiled at Skid and Grim. “You guys have a good one.”
“You, too.”
By the time Toby and I got to the family room, it was after eight, and his tutor was already there waiting for him. She was a beautiful girl in her mid-twenties, and she had a bright smile, which drew Toby in from the start. He didn’t even hesitate when she suggested working at one of the back tables in the family room.
He simply followed her over, and they got to work.
I sat on the sofa across the room, watching as she pulled out the books she brought. I hadn’t been sitting there long when Bridget came over and plopped down beside me. “Hey, girlie. How’s it going?”
“It’s going.”
“I see Toby’s starting his tutoring.”
“He is.” I gave her a slight shrug. “It’s not exactly what he was hoping for, but it’s a start.”
“And it seems to be a good one.” Bridget smiled as she added, “He seems pretty taken with her.”
“Yeah, and I can’t really blame him. She’s a beautiful girl.” I took a sip of my coffee before adding, “Jenna was really sweet to work this all out for us.”
“Jenna is the best, and her daughter is just precious.”
“Yes, she makes me want a daughter.”
“Me too!”
Our attention was drawn to the door when Ghost and Goose walked in with Seven and Grim. They weren’t laughing or talking like usual, and they paid no mind to either of us. It was strange. It was like we were in the room with completely different guys. I thought I was the only one who’d noticed until Bridget glanced behind her, making sure none of them were within earshot before she whispered, “Is it just me, or does something feel off today?”
“It’s not just you. Something is definitely off.”
Since day one, the guys had been nothing but friendly to me and Toby, and they were the same with each other. They were always goofing around and telling stories, but today was different. The energy in the clubhouse had shifted, and I had no idea why.
I glanced over at Ghost, and he was pacing at the back door with his jaw clenched tight. Goose and Memphis were standing at the window, watching the parking lot like hawks, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. Bridget sounded equally curious as she whispered, “They’ve been acting strange all morning.”
“Yeah, they’re more anxious than usual.” I glanced back over at Ghost, and his face was void of expression. “Do you think something is wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Bridget grimaced. “But usually when it gets like this, it means trouble is brewing.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“We’ll never know,” she shrugged. “Just try and keep your head down for now, and whatever is going on, they’ll handle it.”
I nodded, and my eyes immediately drifted back over to Ghost. I trusted him. In fact, I trusted all of them, but the shift in the air made my stomach tighten. I’d had the feeling enough times to know that something was coming—something big.
Bridget sat with me a moment longer, then excused herself to go check in with the guys. The tension in the room seemed to grow by the second, and I was relieved when Toby’s tutoring session came to an end. I gathered up Toby and his things, and we headed back to our room. I helped him finish up his schoolwork, and then we found a movie to watch on TV.
I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something was going on, so we only ventured out to grab a bite to eat for lunch and dinner. We were on our third Marvel movie when we heard strange voices and footsteps echoing down the hallway. I glanced down at Toby, and he was looking at me with wide eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” I eased off the bed as I told him, “Hold on, and I’ll check it out.”
I went over to the door and cracked it open—just enough to peer out into the hallway, and immediately spotted Ghost and several of the guys standing at the back door. They were gathered around an attractive older woman, and they all looked happy to see her.
I’d never seen her before and had no clue who she was.
She was older but very attractive, with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. Even though she was just wearing jeans and a pullover, there was a presence about her that made me wonder who she was and what she was doing here.
The guys all smiled as they hugged her and welcomed her home. Memphis was the last to step forward, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. His voice was filled with affection as he said, "Hey, it’s good to have you back, Mom."
Bridget had talked about Memphis’s mother being there and how eager she’d been to leave, so I was surprised when she smiled and said, “It’s good to be back.”
Even from a distance, I could tell there was a history between them, but they hid it well as they hugged each other tightly. Memphis released her and asked, “How was the drive?”
“Long,” she sighed. “I’m in dire need of a hot shower and a bite to eat.”
“That can be arranged.” Memphis reached for her bag as he said, “I’ll get you to your room and have the girls scrounge you up something to eat.”
I didn’t want them to catch me eavesdropping, so I quickly closed the door and made my way back over to Toby. As soon as I sat down, he glanced up at me and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Memphis’s mother is back.”
Like he knew who I was talking about, he muttered, “Oh.”
Then, he turned back to his movie like nothing had happened. I, on the other hand, was quite interested in why she’d returned and if her arrival had anything to do with the guys’ unusual behavior. It was something that weighed on my mind as I crawled into bed.
I eventually drifted off to sleep, but woke when I heard a deep thump of bass came rattling through the walls. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. In fact, I heard it almost every night, but usually, it was down the hall at the bar. Tonight, it was coming from the family room, and it was growing louder by the minute.
I sat up in the bed and listened to the women’s laughter—so carefree and full of life. Hearing it made me wonder what they were up to. I glanced over at Toby and found him sleeping soundly. I had no idea how the noise hadn’t woken him. I laid back down and tried to ignore the low rumble of voices and bursts of laughter, but I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what was going on.
My curiosity gnawed at me, and when I couldn’t stand it a second longer, I slipped out of bed and threw on a hoodie. Being careful not to wake Toby, I eased the door open and stepped out into the hall. I closed it quietly, then started down the hall.
The noise got louder as I got closer to the family room, and I grew more and more apprehensive. I had no business snooping around like this, but my curiosity had gotten the best of me. I had to see what was going on.
When I reached the end of the hallway, I peeked around the corner and spotted Ghost sitting at one of the large tables with a stack of cards in his hand. Around him were Goose and several of the guys, along with Bridget and a few club girls. The girls were draped over the guys with loose smiles and glittering eyes, and they were clearly having a good time.
Sadie, one of the younger club girls, let out a high-pitched squeal as she leaned against Ghost and checked out his cards. Her fingers traced the ink on his arm, but he didn’t seem to notice her touch. In fact, he didn’t seem to notice her at all. His focus was more on the play he was about to make, but seeing the way she was pawing all over him made my stomach turn.
I had no idea why it bothered me so much. I had no claim to Ghost. We weren’t a thing—not even slightly, but there was something about seeing the girls flirt with him that got to me.
I watched as Ghost lifted his shot glass and quickly downed it. He immediately reached for the bottle and had just started to pour them another round when Bella, another one of the club girls, wound her arm around his neck, giggling flirtatiously as she whispered something in his ear. The sight had my entire body humming with a mix of anger and jealousy and hurt.
I’d seen enough.
I needed to get the hell out of there.
And I planned to do exactly that, but when I turned, I tripped over my own two feet and almost fell flat on my face. My stumble caught the attention of Goose. He was all smiles as he called out, “Hey! It’s Whitney!”
“Hey,” I muttered, quickly adjusting my stance.
“Come play a round with us.”
Bella was practically glued to Ghost when his eyes locked on mine. He held my gaze until I said, “I’m good. You guys have fun.”
The words had barely left my mouth when Ghost pushed Bella to the side and stood. “Hey! Whitney! Hold up!”
I didn’t want to talk to him, so I hurried back to my room. I could hear him calling out to me, but I didn’t stop. I just kept going, and as soon as I reached my door, I opened it and slipped inside, praying that he would take the hint and go away.
He didn’t.
“Whitney,” he whispered. “Open the door.”
I didn’t answer, but sadly, that didn’t stop him.
“I’m not leaving,” he warned. “Whitney, open the door.”
Again, I remained silent.
“I know Toby’s asleep. I don’t want to wake him, but...”
With that, I swung the door open and stepped out into the hall. Trying my best to seem unbothered, I forced a smile and said, “What?”
“You okay?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. You just seemed kind of upset back there.”
“Nope. I was just fine.”
“You sure about that?” he pushed. “’Cause if I didn’t know better, I’d say that you were pretty bothered. And if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were still pretty bothered.”
I pressed my lips together as I mumbled, “Nnn-nope. I’m juuu-st fine.”
“You’re mad,” he continued like I hadn’t said a word. “But what do you have to be mad about?”
“I’m not mad.”
“The girls? Were you mad that they were hanging out with us? Ah, damn. Were you jealous?”
“ Of course not .”
“I don’t know. I think maybe you were .”
“Well, I think you had one too many shots.”
“Baby, I could’ve had that entire fifth and could still see that fire in your eyes.”
He was right.
I was a little jealous that he was with the women.
But there was no way I was going to let him know that. “You need to stop.”
“I will as soon as you admit it.”
“There’s nothing to admit.” I eased my door open and started back into the room. “I’m going to bed.”
“Hold up.” He reached for the door, blocking me from closing it. “Just so we’re clear, you got nothing to be jealous about. We were just playing cards. None of us were looking for anything to happen, especially me.”
“Thanks for clearing that up.” I tried pushing the door closed, but Ghost held it open. “Goodnight, Ghost.”
He moved his hand, but he didn’t leave.
He just stood there, staring at me with that sexy little smirk as I closed the door.
Damn.