Chapter Eighteen
Corey
I came here tonight with a lot of jealousy, and pettiness...but I’m actually having such a good time. The cocktails are flowing, the show is actually really good, and the dancers are so talented. I find myself admiring their sexy costumes, the fishnet stockings and feather boas, and their seductive dance moves.
I might have overreacted a little by making the women come here tonight just so I could see with my own eyes what Damon was up to. I can now see that I’m definitely showing my crazy a little too soon, especially when he was open with how my age was a concern for him.
I’m not coming off as the most mature.
I shouldn’t have come in here tonight, guns blazing, when he was working.
But now that I’m here, it’s actually turned into such a fun girls’ night, and I’ve mostly forgotten that Damon is even here.
“We need to do this more often,” Bella says, lifting her glass up. “Cheers to us, letting loose. Thank you, Corey, for being crazy enough about Damon to make us show up here.”
Truth be told, they didn’t want to come and tried to talk me out of it. But Julianna didn’t put her foot down, which she easily could have, so maybe she wanted a night out, too, letting her parents keep Julian for the first time. I know that we aren’t supposed to be out without the men with us because of everything going on with Tatum and his MC, but Damon is here, so that counts for something, right?
There’s no way he hasn’t messaged Romeo and River and told them where their women are.
I excuse myself and get up and go to the bathroom, where I find Echo looking at herself in the mirror.
“Hey,” I say, and she smiles and wipes her eyes. Was she crying? “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is fine,” she replies, clearing her throat. “So Damon tells me you guys were maybe looking for some new friends.”
I laugh, feeling tipsy after my three drinks. Although technically I’m not legal yet, it’s never been an issue for any establishment owned by the MC. “Yeah, I did say that. We realized we didn’t have anyone else that we actually liked.”
She smiles sadly and straightens the collar of her blouse, and it hits me that maybe she needs a friend, too.
“Are you finished with work?”
“Yeah, I’m done for the night.”
“Would you like to join us for a drink?” I ask.
It’s not her fault that she’s gorgeous and a way more sophisticated and sexy redhead than I am. She looks sad, and a little vulnerable, and I think she needs someone to reach out to her. I’ve heard only good things about Echo from all the men, and how professional she is.
“Really?” she asks, sounding surprised. “I don’t want to interrupt your night...”
I wave my hand in the air. “The more the merrier. I only came here because I wanted to see where Damon was spending his night, and just how close he was getting to the dancers.”
Green eyes widen. “Oh, you and Damon?”
“It’s new,” I admit, wincing. I probably shouldn’t tell everyone yet. For all we know next week we could be back to ignoring each other. “But don’t repeat that, please.”
“Of course,” she replies, hiding her grin.
She heads out while I use the restroom and check my texts, but there’s no reply from Tatum. I’m well aware River and Damon would be pissed to know what I am doing, but I find myself falling deeper into it anyway.
When I get back to the table, Echo is sitting there, and Julianna and Bella are ordering her a drink.
“Thanks so much,” she says to all of us. “I’ve had the worst day, and some company right now is just what I need.”
“Of course,” Bella says. “We know you’ve worked for the MC for so long, but we’ve never really hung out with you without the men.”
“I’ve tried to keep everything strictly business with the MC, so I usually keep my distance,” Echo admits, taking a long sip of her drink. “But now I can see that I’ve isolated myself by doing that.”
I feel for Echo and the spot she’s in.
And if I’m being honest, when I walked in and saw her talking with Damon so closely, I did feel jealous. But she works alongside them, and she’s never slept with any of them, so she’s never stepped on any toes.
Something must have happened and maybe she’s realized that she doesn’t want to be so alone anymore. I think that everyone can relate to that in some stage of their life. I know I can. I’ve always considered myself a lone wolf, but I love the people I have around me, and I’d never want to be without them.
At the end of the show, we are all cheering and tipping the dancers.
Damon comes and sits with us at the end, bringing us another round of drinks.
“This was fun,” I tell them all, my head buzzing in the very best way. “I’ve had the best night, so thank you.”
Romeo and River show up, looking less than impressed.
“Hey, husband,” Julianna says to Romeo, sliding up to him. “I know, I know. Save the lecture. Damon was here and we were safe. Now let’s go home.”
Romeo kisses her and whispers something into her ear. Her cheeks warm and she clears her throat.
Romeo then looks over at me. “We need to talk about those text messages.”
“What messages?” Julianna asks, arching her brow.
“Tatum contacted her,” he explains, and I shrug.
Julianna widens her eyes. “Saying what? Did he threaten you?” she asks as she grabs my arm.
A fierceness enters her eyes, and I see the President of the Angels MC in her come out. She really was born to rule.
“No, he didn’t threaten me. He wanted me to meet him, though,” I admit.
Julianna loosens her grip on my arm. “I’m glad you didn’t. You need to be careful with Tatum. He’s unpredictable. You can’t put yourself in any danger.” She pulls me in for a hug. “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”
River comes over and Bella says something to him quietly. Then he turns to me and narrows his eyes. “Come on, Corey. We’re all going home.”
Damon walks over and stands next to me, and River looks between the two of us.
Shit.
Bella takes my arm and leads me away, leaving the two men alone together.
I knew this was going to have to happen, but now that it’s here, I’m terrified. Luckily the alcohol takes the edge off.
I just hope that River doesn’t decide to be an asshole and say that he doesn’t approve of Damon.
“What do you think they’re saying?” I ask Bella, trying to look around her and lip-read. “Do you think River is going to be reasonable?”
“I spoke to him, don’t worry,” she assures me, pulling me to the bar. “Let’s have another drink. You can’t control what happens next, so don’t stress out about it. Either way, in the end, it will be fine.”
“You’re right.” I nod and take her offer on the drink. “How about a shot?”
“I’m going to suffer tomorrow, but sure,” she replies, and slides me a menu. “How about tequila?”
Sounds like regret. “Let’s do it.”
“You’re going to endanger her even more!” I hear River yell at Damon.
Endanger me? Because he’s moving up in the club? River is my fucking brother—I’ve already got a target on my back anyway.
I’ve got the lime in my mouth when I turn around and see River punch Damon right in the jaw. Damon takes it and doesn’t retaliate.
I get off the barstool and try to go to them, but Bella grabs me by my arm and holds me back. “Let them handle it.”
“He hit him!” I say, trying to get her hands off me. “I’m going to kill him!”
Damon has done nothing wrong! And my own brother shouldn’t be angry that someone is finally making me happy and loving me the way that I deserve.
River is not going to ruin this for me, even if he’s coming from a good place. I’m not a child anymore.
Bella gives up and lets me go. I rush to my brother to give him an earful. “River, I love him, and I don’t care what you have to say. Do you hear me? And don’t ever put your hands on him again, or I’m going to...”
I trail off when I see Damon’s expression, filled with amusement, pride, and pure fucking happiness. His eyes gentle as he gives me a long, searching look.
“What?” I whisper-yell at him.
Did I just blurt out that I loved him?
Yes, yes I did.
“You can calm down, Corey,” River says, looking me in the eye. “I don’t love it, but as Bella pointed out to me, I probably wouldn’t like anyone. Damon is a good man, and an Angel moving up in the club, and I suppose it could be worse. But if he hurts you, I’m going to skin him alive and enjoy every second of it.”
I open my mouth, only to close it and open it again. “Then why did you hit him?”
“I asked him if he’d spent the night with you yet. He said he had. That’s what he gets. You both should have had this conversation with me before then,” River says with a blank face. His arms cross over his chest.
“That is none of your business, though! But if you must know, we didn’t even have sex!” I point out, my hands clenching to fists.
He is one nosy motherfucker.
He winces and shakes his head. “Yeah, I don’t need the details, baby sister. I love you, but you’re right. You are an adult now, and I can’t keep you locked away forever. But I just wanted to warn him what’s coming if he ever hurts you.”
Wait, what?
“No, you can’t,” I murmur, studying him carefully. Is he really not being overprotective and controlling? “And what happens is between me and Damon—it has nothing to do with you.”
A muscle works in his jaw, but he nods.
It’s a Christmas fucking miracle. I jump on him and hug him, catching him off guard. He grunts as he takes my sudden impact. “Thank you, River. I love you, you know that, right?”
“I do, and the feeling is mutual,” he says, squeezing me back. “Now let’s get home—you shouldn’t have dragged everyone out here tonight without letting us know in the first place.”
“How did you know it was me?” I ask with a frown, wondering who snitched.
He arches his brow, but says nothing, instead heading over to Bella and pulling her out of there.
I turn to Damon, who is watching me intensely.
“What?” I ask, a slow smile taking over.
“You said that you loved me,” he replies, cupping my face and scanning my eyes. He tucks my hair back behind my ear, his eyes filled with something that sends tingles all over my body.
Shit.
“I’m tipsy—don’t listen to anything that I say right now,” I blurt out, but we both know the truth.
I did mean it, and I think I’ve loved him for a long time now.
But he doesn’t need to know all my secrets, and drunk me needs to shut up and keep her thoughts to herself.
He simply laughs and kisses me. “You love me,” he whispers against my lips.
I rest my forehead against his and nod.
Yeah, I fucking love him.
We share another sweet, gentle kiss filled with emotion.
He takes me back to the clubhouse, to his bedroom, to stay the night.
No River.
No hiding.
Just him, and me.
Finally.