Chapter 18
HOPE
“I’m Hawk, Frost’s dad,” a man with a gravelly voice says, stepping beside Frost. He holds out his hand. “I take it you’re Hope.”
I shake his hand. “Yes, sir. That’s me.”
“Appreciate you coming out to drag my son’s head out of his ass.” He winks.
“You can thank Paige for that.”
Frost’s brows shoot up. “Paige?”
Hawk chuckles. “Damn girl is always butting her nose in.”
“For once, I’m glad she did,” Frost mumbles into my hair.
A beautiful woman steps around Hawk. “I resent that.” She gives a small wave, and I return the gesture. “Hi, Hope. Glad you could make it.”
“Paige?” I question, and she nods. “Thanks for calling.”
Glancing around, I see we still have an audience, all of those who witnessed our whole shouting, crying, and threatening to break kneecaps reunion.
I shift my weight from foot to foot, my anxiety building with every passing second.
Hawk must sense how uncomfortable I am because he signals for everyone to disperse with a wave of his finger.
Everyone rushes off, suddenly having more important things to do.
Amy stays exactly where she is, still gripping her bat, until I elbow her. “I’m fine,” I whisper.
She squints at Frost like she’s memorizing all the places she’ll hit if this goes sideways. “Fine, if you need me, scream. Or text me the word pineapple. I’ll know what to do.”
“Oh my god,” I mutter, covering my face.
Frost actually chuckles under his breath. “Your friend scares the shit out of me.”
“She scares the shit out of everyone,” I say, glaring at Amy until she finally walks toward the clubhouse, no doubt to inspect the premises for places to discard a dead body.
When she’s gone, and we’re alone, the air between us shifts. It’s electrified and tense, but with a ‘I want to fuck you silly’ energy.
Frost steps closer, his hand brushing mine. “Hope…”
The sound of my name leaving his lips sends my libido into overdrive, and I have to chastise myself internally.
No. Down girl, he doesn’t get off that easily.
I swallow and peek up at him. “We’re not fixed,” I say quietly. “This isn’t magically better. I’m still hurt.”
“I know,” he says immediately. “I don’t deserve you forgiving me this fast, but I’m going to spend every day proving I won’t screw up like that again.”
I breathe out shakily. “I missed you.”
His jaw flexes. “I’m not worth missing, but you, I missed you every fucking day.”
I look away, blinking fast before I embarrass myself again. “Show me where we’re staying. Amy will want to inspect the place for an escape route, knowing her.”
A small smile touches his lips. “Come on.”
He takes my hand hesitantly, like he’s terrified I’ll pull away, and leads me toward the clubhouse. The building looks intimidating from the outside: brick, metal, massive sliding doors. Inside is a different story.
My eyes widen in shock. “Wow. What is this place?”
“Welcome to the Death’s Gambit MC clubhouse.”
“This isn’t what I pictured at all.”
Frost smirks. “What did you imagine?”
“A smoke-filled, dirty bar in the middle of bodily fluids dripping from every surface.”
Hawk comes to stand next to me. “Well, the bar is in the middle, but dirty, not so much.”
I nod my agreement. The clubhouse's interior has a warm, inviting feel. There’s a large, nicely decorated seating area with pool tables off to the side.
There is a big bar in the middle of the room, but it’s square with comfortable-looking barstools placed all the way around.
It’s a vast open area where you can see what everyone is doing, and more importantly, hear the sounds of laughter.
“There’s a room ready for Amy,” Frost says, checking his phone. “Paige said she’ll get her settled and make sure she’s comfortable.”
“What about me?” I ask.
He looks down at me with that deep, heavy gaze that always turns my bones to liquid. “You’re with me.”
It’s not a question or a request. It’s a statement said with absolute certainty. My heart thumps in my chest, and as much as I want to lie in his arms, I don’t trust myself around him.
He’s too much of a temptation.