Chapter 29
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
CHASSIS
I jump when I hear a knock on my door—well, Amos’s door.
It startles me, and I look around the entirety of the room, wondering if someone is going to pop out from the closet or something.
Although I’m not sure where they would be popping out from.
I think about ignoring said knock, but then it happens again.
I open my mouth to call out to the person on the other side, though I’m not even sure what I could say. All I imagine is that it’s that fucking woman on the other side trying to rile me up some more.
I don’t have to say anything.
The door slowly opens, and there is Juliette standing on the other side, a smile playing on her lips.
I don’t know what she’s doing here. I thought it was one of my brothers.
I haven’t heard from any of them at all today, but in all fairness, I haven’t stepped foot out of this room since my situation with that bitch.
She takes one step into the room, then another before closing the door behind her. I start to ask her if everything is okay, because I can’t imagine what she would want to talk to me about, but she clears her throat before she shifts from foot to foot.
I suck in my own breath, holding it as I wait for whatever is about to come my way.
I feel like it’s going to be big. I don’t understand what’s happening.
I’m not sure what to say right now. She’s staring at me, and I’m staring at her.
I don’t know why she’s here looking at me, watching me, waiting for me to say something, but I have no clue what to say.
Thankfully, she opens her mouth and begins to speak. “Alex and Elodie brought snacks and iced coffees, but a refresher for you.”
She stares at me for a moment. I’m not sure why she’s acting this way. I have a feeling that something else has happened. I don’t know if she’s waiting for me to say something or not. But I’m not quite sure how to continue here. I mean, I’m socially awkward, but I’m very confused.
Sliding my legs over the side of the bed, I place my feet on the floor and stand.
I don’t move toward her or the door, even though I’m sure I should.
I don’t even know what to say right now.
I blink as I watch her, waiting for her to explain why she’s here, standing in my room, because clearly, iced coffee and snacks aren’t the whole story.
“Come and hang out with us?” she asks. “We just finished cleaning the place.”
I didn’t even know they were here. I should have been out there. Amos made it clear that he wants me to get to know them better, to be friends. It seems I’m already screwing that up. I want to be friends with them. I want to do it for Amos, but also because I like them all.
“Sure,” I say, squaring my shoulders.
I take a step toward her, then another until I’ve closed the short distance between us. Then I realize why she’s acting a little off. She has something to tell me. “I don’t really like the clubwhore girls that much, but there aren’t many out there,” she whispers.
“Let me guess, they’re in the back with my brothers?” I ask. Juliette grimaces at my question.
I just know that’s what’s happening. There isn’t an opportunity my brothers would pass up to have sex with some overly eager clubwhore.
I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to be around these women. In my dad’s club, I didn’t even have to see them. They knew to scatter when I walked in, which was probably why I wasn’t really allowed to be there too much.
Juliette chews on the corner of her bottom lip, her gaze flicking from mine to the floor and then back up again. Yes, at least three of them are with my brothers. Probably that one who was acting confrontational, too—the replacement snake.
I’ve never cared what clubwhores do, or rather who they do in my life. I’m pretty sure that Amos has been with the others I’ve seen milling around the clubhouse, and that horrible one who somehow has disappeared, something I haven’t asked any questions about.
“There’s something off about her,” I announce. “The head one or whatever. She claimed she was in charge.”
I don’t mean to say the words out loud, but they come out anyway. And I can’t be sorry for them, because there is something off about this bitch, and I cannot stand her smug face. I’m not sure what she thinks she’s getting over on me, but she is nothing and means nothing to me.
Except for the fact that her existence gets under my skin and digs a little further with each passing minute. She knows it, too, which sends a fresh wave of annoyance and pissed-off energy throughout my body.
“I agree,” Juliette murmurs. “Which is why I was a little nervous to mention it, but I could tell that Minty has been watching you intently, for whatever reason.”
Minty. So that’s her name. Interesting. I have no clue why they call her that, and I’m pretty sure I don’t ever want to know. It’s something I can live my whole life without having any knowledge about.
“She has, and she confidently spoke to me when she knew the rules, and that’s after the Rocky woman disappeared.”
Juliette dips her chin in a single nod, her eyes finding mine before her lips curve up into a grin. “She was sent packing. I saw her with her bags in hand and all. The only person who can kick her out is Dare.”
My heart races at the thought. Dare kicked her out… for me. He didn’t tell me, which means he didn’t want a big deal made about it. He didn’t want me to be upset about it or even know about it.
I want so badly to ask him what happened, but I also know that it’s not my place to say a word about any of it, not unless one of them has severely crossed the line, which would involve some kind of physical altercation or betrayal of some sort.
I’m hoping at this point that Minty joins Rocky and jumps into the grave she’s been digging, and sooner rather than later, because I don’t know how much longer I’ll be willing to put up with her.
“Snacks and iced coffee, though, with some good conversation where we can ignore her?” Juliette offers.
“That sounds amazing,” I murmur, and it does sound amazing.
But it’s not just the food or the coffee. It’s the conversation that sounds the best. Conversation with people who just want to be friends. I feel like the past few years, all my relationships have been fake. I crave something real.
I’ve been stuck in this room all day, and I definitely need to get out. I don’t know where my brothers have been, but judging by Juliette’s grimace when I asked about one of the clubwhores, they’ve been busy.
Together, we walk out of the bedroom and head into the bar area, where Elodie and Alex have pushed two tables together and are sitting there waiting for me, like promised, with snacks and iced coffees. It’s in this moment that my lips curve up into a smile.
I’ve never had this before: friends like this.
I’m going to soak it all in and soak it up.