CHAPTER SEVEN
After Marcel leaves, I look for my phone to text my brother.
I can’t find it anywhere.
Not in the shitty black dress I was wearing. Not in my purse.
Nowhere.
Did I lose it at the clubhouse?
I know I had it with me yesterday. In fact, it’s the last time I remember having it at all.
Shit.
I scribble a quick note for my brother and head down to the last place on earth I feel like visiting right now.
When I arrive, the back door of the clubhouse sits ajar. I open it in increments before peeking inside. It’s dark and shadowy except for light spilling out of their chapel. I had hoped the only person I’d run into might be a random club girl cleaning up after the guys.
Skirting the chapel door, I stop at the bar and do a quick search of the shelves behind it to see if someone turned in my phone.
Nothing.
Next, I hit the couch we’d been sitting on. My whole body cringes as I shove my hand between the cushions. Good God only knows what I’ll encounter. A lot of crumbs. Something sticky. Something sharp. Something I’m pretty-sure-but-don’t-want-to-verify is a used condom.
“Blech,” I mutter, wiping my hands on my jeans.
“You need to remind her who her family is, Prez.” That sounds like Keeper’s voice. Intrigued, I move closer to the door.
“Don’t tell me how to handle my family,” Chuck snaps.
“All he’s saying is you need to reel her in closer, not piss her off.” I can’t identify that voice, but it has to be another member.
“Fuck their grow op. Ironworks is more valuable to us,” someone else says.
“That’s what we want a piece of.” I recognize that voice—Hudson. “I don’t think Charlotte can help us on that one. We should leave her out of it.”
“Aw, that’s precious. You still sweet on lil’ Charlotte?” Keeper taunts. “Pissed she’s gettin’ it regularly from a King?”
“Fuck you.”
“Watch how you address your VP,” Keeper warns.
“Start acting like a fucking VP then,” Tiki says, which makes me laugh. Tiki’s older than dirt and been a member forever. VP or not, Keeper won’t give him lip.
“Fucking bullshit, them cutting us out of Ironworks after all the times we’ve helped them out over the years,” Uncle Chuck grumbles.
A ball of ice settles in my gut.
I’ve known all along my uncle would try to exploit my relationship with Marcel and I’d been fully prepared to tell him to fuck himself when the time came. The fact that the whole club seems to be discussing it at the table is worse than I anticipated.
“I might be more cautious, brother.” That grave tone can only belong to Whisper.
“’Bout what?” my uncle snaps.
Whisper’s voice lowers, and I have to creep closer to the door to hear him. “Teller’s not someone you want to mess with.”
“I’m not scared of that dumb fuck.”
My blood boils hearing him speak that way about Marcel.
“He earned that treasurer patch when he was nineteen. You think a club with the resources they have would vote in a moron to handle their money?”
“What’d you hear from Loco?” Chuck asks, ignoring Whisper’s logic.
“Nothing,” someone answers. “That fucker’s been sucking down Lost Kings Kool-Aid for too long.”
“Sucking Rock’s dick is more like it,” Chuck jokes. “You put some pressure on him?”
“With what leverage? He won’t budge. Seems convinced Rock’s crew has his back.”
A few moments of silence pass before my uncle speaks. “How can you work with Wrath for years and be so useless?” That question has to be directed at Whisper.
“We never talked MC business at the gym.”
Chuck grumbles something that I can’t catch.
“I’m inclined to agree with your SAA. Loco’s scared shitless of Teller,” someone else cautions.
“Loco’s afraid of someone?”
“Said Teller’s a crazy motherfucker. I’m guessing it has something to do with the Vipers disappearing.”
“You think Rock’s crew was part of that?”
“Without a doubt.”
My uncle’s quiet for a second.
“All the more reason to have Charlotte find out what she can.” That sounds like Keeper. “If she’s gonna keep spreading her legs for him, let’s use it to our advantage, Prez.”
Fuck you, Keeper.
“Did they go in wearing colors?” Chuck asks. “So that crazy asshole understood who he’s dealing with?”
“Fuck no. That’d be suicide stepping on Lost Kings’ territory—”
“Kings don’t run Ironworks yet as far as I’m concerned. These fools want to patch-over, they need to fucking earn it. Have them go back and make it clear the threat to his business is very real.”
“Merlin—”
“Get it done.” He mumbles a bunch of curses. “What?” he snaps.
“While they’re working that angle, let’s see what Charlotte can find out for us,” Keeper suggests, and it’s ticking me off that he keeps bringing me into this bumbling plan.
“Char ain’t gonna spy on her lil’ boyfriend,” my uncle spits out and I bet it’s pissing him off to admit in front of his bros that he can’t control his niece. I’d laugh if I wasn’t approaching pee-my-pants level of fear.
“Don’t need her to,” someone says. “We got this.”
“You drop a bug in it?”
“It ain’t the eighties, Prez. All I needed to do was upload an app.”
“Whatever.” My uncle doesn’t have a sense of humor when it comes to people making him look stupid, so whoever that was clearly doesn’t fear him all that much.
“Prez, with all due respect, this is a bad idea,” Whisper cautions.
“You spent too many years working with Wrath. Forgot who your brothers are.”
“I ain’t forgot shit.”
“Ulfric never shoulda allowed you to be in business with him. Our clubs shouldn’t be mixing money.”
“Fuck you. That mixing brought a lot of money into this club.”
“Yeah, and turned you into Wrath’s bitch.”
“I ain’t no one’s bitch. I’m urging you to reconsider this plan. Teller isn’t stupid. You saw how protective he was of her at the funeral. He figures out you bugged his girl’s phone, it’s gonna start a world of trouble we don’t need right now.”
“I got a right to keep tabs on my niece,” he says in that sanctimonious tone that sets my teeth on edge. “I want to make sure she’s being treated right. Fuck only knows what goes on in their clubhouse.”
Oh, please.
Whisper’s loud sigh seems to say the same thing. “Teller won’t buy that for a hot minute.”
“How’s that asshole gonna figure it out?”
“Well, for one, they ain’t gonna let her near their clubhouse without Z checking her for shit just like that.”
“Bullshit.”
The room’s dead silent for a few minutes. A chair creaks. There’s the harsh thump of something slamming against the table.
“Fine. I gave my opinion. We’re still allowed to do that, right, Prez?” Whisper says. I can vividly picture the sneer he’s probably wearing.
In the silence, I imagine the two of them staring each other down. “We finally got peace in this area. Got our own setup with the Devil Demons—which the Lost Kings helped us set up, I’ll remind you. We’re earning well. Keeping clean. I don’t think stirring up a war over a few miles of shitty Ironworks territory is worth it, but that’s on you, brother,” Whisper finishes. He’s not quite challenging Uncle Chuck, but he’s coming awfully close.
I’m pretty sure in a fight to the death, Whisper would win, and I’d stand on the sidelines with my pom-poms cheering him on.
“Thanks so much for your permission,” my uncle says, each word dripping with anger.
There’s another creak and the door swings all the way open. I jump, ramrod straight, trying like hell to seem casual and disinterested.
“Oh, hey, Uncle Whisper, is Uncle Chuck around?” I ask, sounding way too sunny and eager.
He stares at me for a few seconds. Trying to gauge how much I overheard.
“Hey, Char. How you been?”
“Good. Except, I think I lost my cell phone last night.”
“Sure. We always find a few every weekend.” He lifts his chin at me. “How’s that boyfriend of yours treatin’ you?”
“Teller?” My voice squeaks. Maybe if I sound like he’s not all that important to me, they’ll lose interest. “Fine, I guess.”
One corner of his mouth twitches as if he knows I’m full of shit. “Check with your uncle. He might have seen it,” he says smoothly. If there’s one thing these assholes know how to do, it’s lie with ease. And while he might have just challenged my uncle at the table, outside the chapel he’ll protect and stand by his club no matter what. “He’s in there if you want to talk to him.”
Before I can answer, he reaches back and knocks on the door. “Mer, your niece is here to see you.”
“Come in,” my uncle calls out. As if he’s some sought-after CEO instead of a shifty-ass criminal.
Merlin’s at the table with Hudson, Keeper, Tiki, two other members whose names I don’t remember, and one guy who isn’t wearing a cut.
“Hey, Uncle Chuck. I think I left my cell phone here last night.” The more I think about it, the more likely it seems one of these assholes lifted my cell phone from me. I’ve never lost it before.
My gaze strays to Hudson, who had the perfect opportunity. He won’t meet my eyes, which makes me think I’m on the right track.
Asshole.
“Oh,” Chuck says in a bored tone. “Someone turned a phone in.” He holds up my phone. “This it?”
“Yup.” I snatch it out of his hand, afraid to touch it, knowing they defiled it somehow. “Thank you so much, Uncle Chuck,” I gush in the most syrupy tone I can muster up.
“How you doing, princess?”
Barf.
“Still sleepin’ with the enemy, Charlotte?” Keeper asks, earning a glare from my uncle.
I raise an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
He ignores my icy tone. “If you’re datin’ bikers now, we got plenty of eligible Knights. You shouldn’t be with a King.”
“Uh, I’m not with him because he’s in an MC.” I’m with him despite his MC ties—I keep that to myself though. No reason to go scorched earth on the insults yet.
Chuck seems ready to blow. God forbid he can’t keep control over a situation.
“You need anything, let me know, Char.”
“Will do.”
He nods, dismissing me and I’ve never been so happy to get the hell away from him.
In my car, I take several deep breaths. My phone sits on the passenger seat taunting me. I have no idea if they’re listening right now. If they’re recording everything or if it’s triggered by my voice. How am I going to explain this to Marcel without tipping off my uncle?
That’s right. I plan to tell him everything as soon as I can.
It’s not even a question.
I already know where my loyalties lie and they’re not with the Wolf Knights.
I went straight to Charlotte’s house after my talk with Rock. I’m waiting on her front steps when she pops out of the alleyway.
I stand and meet her on the sidewalk, grabbing her by the hips and kissing her hard.
She pulls away before I’m finished with her. “Hey, Teller,” she says with an edge to her voice. Strained.
Something’s wrong. She rarely uses my road name when it’s just the two of us.
“What’s up?” I lean in to brush another kiss over her lips, but she jerks her head back. “What’s—”
She stops me by pressing two fingers against my lips and shaking her head. Intrigued and only mildly alarmed I follow her inside.
“What’s—”
She cuts me off again, pressing me up against the door. Holding me there with a hand to my chest, she leans over and grabs a small pad of paper and a pen.
Christ, it’s distracting when she leans over, pushing her ass into my crotch while she writes something down. My hands curve around her hips and I grind myself against her.
Ignoring my not-at-all smooth moves, she turns and thrusts the paper in my face.
My uncle bugged my phone.
I snap the paper out of her hand and read it again. Yeah, it doesn’t say anything different or provide more detail.
Plucking the pen out of her hand, I scribble down: How?
She lifts her shoulders.
“You want me to order a pizza, babe?” I ask.
Another shoulder lift. This time she adds a what the fuck face.
“I’ll go down the street and grab it, okay?”
“Uh, sure.”
Stay here. I write down.
Shit. I want to tell my club about this as much as I want Wrath to punch me in the balls while saying “I told you so” a couple dozen times.
Z’s the one who takes care of our tech stuff and I think he’ll go easier on me, so that’s who I dial.
“’Sup, brother?” he answers on the second ring.
“I need you.”
All ease vanishes from his voice. “What’s wrong?”
“Charlotte…it will be easier to explain it to you in person.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, but I’m at her place. Can you come here?”
“Sure. I’m at CB now. Give me a few minutes.”
It occurs to me after we hang up that I didn’t give him Charlotte’s address, but I’m not all that surprised when Z shows up half an hour later all on his own.
He slips his bike into a small space in front of Charlotte’s. She joins us outside. Her fearful eyes meet mine, and I kiss her cheek to reassure her. “It’s okay. Z knows more about this stuff than I do.”
“What’s going on?” he asks as he approaches, taking the two of us in slowly. “Hey, Charlotte,” he says, giving her a friendly chin lift.
“Charlotte thinks her uncle bugged her phone. Can you take a look at it?”
It takes a lot to ruffle Z, so he barely skips a beat. “Where is it?”
“Inside.”
“Why do you think he bugged it?”
She hesitates. “I lost my phone and went to look for it at the clubhouse. While I was searching, I overheard some things.”
Z watches her with narrowed eyes in a way I don’t particularly care for.
“Can you be more specific?”
“Not out here, bro,” I mutter, slapping his arm.
Charlotte motions for us to follow her inside. The three of us pretty much fill up her living room. Z checks the place out. Not in a judgmental way.
Well, he’s not judging her. It’s more of a why-you-letting-your-girl-live-here once over.
He holds out his hand, and Charlotte slips him the phone. Without speaking, he flicks it on and wanders over to the couch, dropping down, completely absorbed in searching for the app. After a few seconds, he motions me closer. “What are we doing?”
“Don’t know.”
“I think we should feed them some false information and see what happens.”
“All right.”
Z stares at me for a few more seconds. “What do you want to do?”
He’s asking if I plan to report this to the club. I definitely should. This isn’t a secret I should ask Z to keep. “Can we keep this between us for now?”
“Yeah, brother. I won’t say anything. But think on it.”
And by think on it he means come clean with the club soon. “I will,” I promise.
He lifts his chin and addresses Charlotte. “You mind getting a new phone?”
“No. Of course not. Did you find it?”
“Yeah. It’s off right now, but I’ll need to examine it more to make sure they didn’t tamper with anything else.”
“Okay.”
I’m proud of the way my girl doesn’t argue with Z or even question him. “I use that phone for work, though. If I go get a new phone set up can you forward the calls to it?”
“Absolutely.”
She grabs her keys but hesitates by the front door. I should go with her, but I need to talk to Z.
I approach her slowly and take her arm, leading her outside. “You okay running to the store yourself?”
“Yes. Of course.” Her gaze darts to her front door. “Is he going to tell the rest of your club?”
“Not yet.”
She bites her bottom lip. “I hate causing trouble for you.”
I lean in and press a kiss to her forehead. “What did I tell you?”
She nods and gives me a quick kiss. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I watch her leave before going back inside.
“Where you at with her?” Z asks as soon as I shut the front door.
“You heard me this morning. I’m with her.”
He watches me closely for a few beats. “I don’t see anything else on here. Clumsy attempt to bug her. I’m not sure if they’re really that stupid and lazy or they’re trying to throw us off of something bigger.”
“Great.”
He stands and motions me closer. “Hear me out before you get all pissed off.”
Naturally that raises my hackles. “I’m listening.”
“Let me place a few cameras.”
“Are you fucking serious? First thing she did was tell me. And you want—”
“Ease up, bro. Think about it. Is she trying to gain your trust by telling you about this, only to fuck you over harder later?”
“No.”
“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“It’s a shitty fucking thing to do.”
He humors my attitude because we both know I’m going to agree to whatever he suggests. Especially since he’s sticking his neck out by not taking this to the club right away. I trust Charlotte and I want my club to trust her too.
Z tries a different tactic to convince me. “Think of it as a security measure. This place is nowhere for a girl to be living on her own.”
“Fuck off with your fake-ass concern.”
Despite some dickish behavior lately, Z’s normally pretty chill and easy-going. It takes a lot to push him to Wrath levels of scary. Instead of getting pissed-off, he seems to find my outburst amusing. “We both know you’re going to say yes. Why you makin’ my life harder?”
“You’re a dick.”
“I know, brother.”
“Where?”
Rather than rubbing my nose in my reluctant agreement to his plan, he opens the door and points to a heating grate opposite the entrance. “View of the front door.” He steps inside and points to another grate in her living room. “That’ll give me a straight shot down the hall into the kitchen.” He points to a spot in the opposite corner. “Front door from the inside. That’s it. Not trying to be a fuckin’ creeper, sticking them in her bedroom or bathroom. Just want to get a sense of whether Merlin or any of his crew stop by on a regular basis.”
“I’ve stopped over unannounced a bunch of times and only people I’ve ever run into are her brother or her best friend, Mercy.”
“She hot?”
“Shut up.”
“You sure the brother has nothing to do with the club?”
I snort because maybe it’s time for Z to meet Carter. “Yeah. His uncle’s a dick and treats him like he doesn’t even exist. He’s got no love for the club.”
Z lifts his hand, absently stroking his fingers over his chin. “He ride?”
“No.”
“Doesn’t matter. He still might be able to help us out.”
Not wanting to encourage that line of thinking, I ignore the comment. “When?”
“Whenever you say. You got a key?”
“Yeah.”
He nods as if he’s proud we’re at the key-exchanging stage in our relationship. “She work nine to five?”
“Longer usually.”
He makes a face as if he doesn’t approve. And good God, if we’re all cavemen, Z’s the cave-maniest of us all.
“Is she taking time off or going back to work tomorrow?”
“She’s supposed to meet up with her friend in the morning.”
“All right. Good. So tomorrow, we’ll set it up.”
Still pissed, I grumble, “Thanks for including me in your B&E.”
“Want me to ask Rock instead?”
“Fuck no.”
“Then shut your mouth.”
“Asshole.”
He follows me into the kitchen and I pull two beers out of the fridge, handing one to him and we both sit at the table.
“You seem at home here,” he observes.
I shrug.
“This where you’ve been spending all your time?”
“Where else?”
“Seems you’d find her a better place.”
I pick at the label on the bottle before answering. “I don’t think she’d appreciate me telling her where to live.”
“This keeps getting serious, you movin’ in here?”
“As long as I’m with her, it really doesn’t matter.”
His eyes widen. “Bro, her whole apartment could fit in your bedroom at the clubhouse.”
“Yeah, I don’t think Wrath’s gonna be okay with her living at the clubhouse.”
“He’ll come around.” He sits back and watches me for a few seconds. “How bad you think this is gonna get with Merlin?”
At the moment, my opinion of Merlin couldn’t be lower. But I try not to let what he did to Charlotte bleed into my opinion on a club issue. “Not sure. He’s an asshole. I know that. Been after her from the jump to either get info on the club or drop me. Keeps trying to scare her away by telling her I’m dangerous,” I explain.
“Is it like a daddy’s girl kinda thing? He doesn’t want to see his niece with anyone? Or specific to you?”
It’s pretty fucking obvious Merlin doesn’t give a single fuck about Charlotte’s well-being. “It’s about me being from another club. He doesn’t give an actual fuck about her.”
The front door opens and slams shut. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in and out of there so fast,” Charlotte says in a rush as she hurries into the kitchen. “Hey, guys.”
She automatically hands Z her phone, and he wanders back out to the living room to do whatever he’s going to do.
I stand and pull her into my arms. “I’m sorry, Charlotte.”
She wraps her arms around my waist and rests her chin on my chest, staring up at me. “I’m the one who’s sorry for having such an asshole for an uncle.” Her teeth sink into her bottom lip and her gaze shifts to the hallway. “I need to tell you some of the stuff I overheard. Z should hear it too.”
My jaw clenches. What the hell did her uncle say?
“What’s that, sweetheart?” Z asks, strolling into the kitchen and setting her new phone on the table.
He shrugs off the glare I throw him for the ‘sweetheart’ and focuses his gaze on Charlotte.
She pulls away from me, and gestures for us to sit at the table. “Do you need anything?” she asks Z.
He taps the side of his beer bottle. “All set. Thank you.”
I pull out the chair next to me and she takes it. “Okay. So when I got there they were discussing my relationship with Teller, obviously.” She rolls her eyes, making Z laugh.
Reaching over, I place my hand over hers.
“My uncle was certain he could get information from me about your club.” She turns to me. “Whisper stuck up for you. Said you weren’t dumb enough to share stuff with me.”
“Go on,” Z says, sitting up.
“Chuck—Merlin—wanted to know if they squeezed any information out of someone named Loco? About Ironworks. They said they couldn’t because he’s too loyal to Rock.”
“That’s how they said it?” Z asks.
She blushes and looks away. “Not exactly.” She gives us the exact words, and Z chuckles.
“Rock will love that.”
“Who else was there, Charlotte?” I ask.
“Besides Whisper and Chuck?” She pauses to think about it. “Keeper, Tiki, Hudson, a couple guys whose names I don’t remember and one I didn’t recognize at all.”
“Not a full club meeting,” Z says.
“Interesting.”
“Supposedly this Loco guy is scared shitless of you,” she says, raising an eyebrow at me.
Z bursts out laughing. A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. That’s not a story Charlotte needs to hear.
“That’s it. Oh, he gave Whisper shit for being in business with Wrath. Seemed disappointed he didn’t have any information about whatever your club’s into. Whisper said MC business was never brought into the gym.”
“Whisper stood up to Merlin?” Z asks.
“He was pretty pissed that my uncle’s trying to stir up trouble for no reason and cautioned them not to bug my phone.” She nods at Z. “He warned them you’d search me for something like that.”
Z snorts but doesn’t deny it.
“It was so much to take in, and I was scared shitless the whole time.” Charlotte taps her finger against her chin as if she’s trying to remember another nugget of information. “Oh! Jesus. This was the most important part.” She shakes her head as if she’s frustrated with herself and I put my arm around her shoulders.
“You’re doing fine.”
Z glances at me and nods as if he’s impressed.
“Whoever went to speak to Loco is from another club and they’re trying to patch over to the Wolf Knights. Chuck’s using that as some sort of test. Told them to go back and this time wear their colors in Ironworks so Loco takes it more seriously.”
“Jesus Christ.” I lift my gaze to Z. “Has to be South of Satan MC. That’s why he’s been cozying up to them.”
“That’s what I figured too. I think that’s everything,” she says. “If I think of anything else, I’ll tell Marcel.”
Z stares at her for a second before nodding. “Thank you, Charlotte. I’m sorry you’re getting dragged into stuff that has nothing to do with you.”
To say I’m shocked doesn’t begin to cover it. Z doesn’t apologize often or for much. He must actually like Charlotte.
She leans against my side, resting her head on my shoulder. “I tried to warn him my uncle would be an asshole.”
That pulls a chuckle from Z. He stands and slaps my shoulder. “Yeah, when he wants something, nothing stands in his way.”
Charlotte peeks up at me, her eyes full of so much heat, I’m close to kicking Z’s ass out the door.
“All right,” Z says. “I’m out. You staying here tonight?” he asks me.
I nod without taking my eyes off Charlotte, and Z slaps my shoulder again. “Walk me outside.”
“Yeah, okay.” I lean over and kiss Charlotte’s cheek. “Be right back.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re fucking whipped.” Z laughs and smacks my chest as we land on the sidewalk outside.
I don’t bother defending myself because I’m okay with it.
“All right,” he says in a more serious tone. “I’m taking her phone, so her place should be fine.” He stares at the building a little longer and I hope that means since Charlotte came clean, he’s willing to call off the whole “lets spy on Charlotte” escapade.
“Meet you here around ten?”
My face must show my disappointment.
“Listen, if it makes you feel better, I trust her. She did good remembering all that shit and it’s obvious she’s on your side.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. We’re still setting those cameras up.”
“I figured.”
He steps closer and lowers his voice. “Honestly, I’m concerned. I don’t like that he’s willing to use her to get to us or that he’s clashing with Whisper. Friction like that in a club can end up blowing shit over all of us.”
No kidding. We’ve lived through that before. “If he’s really trying to patch over SOS, we’re in trouble.”
“Yeah, that could squeeze us right out of Ironworks.” Z glances up and down the empty street before continuing his thought. “Empire’s not an issue. We have enough connections to hold this territory.”
“But we’d have another Viper’s situation.”
“Yeah, but worse because this time we wouldn’t have Wolf Knights on our side.”
“Fuck. Merlin’s such a greedy dick.”
“Sounds like Whisper agrees. That’s good. He’s been a member long enough that he’s gotta have some sway with the others.”
“Jesus, Rock’s gonna kill me.”
Z raises an eyebrow. “This ain’t your fault, bro. Sounds like he’s been putting this in motion for a while now.” He glances at Charlotte’s brownstone. “Shit, if you two hadn’t hooked up, we might not have realized the extent of this until it was too late.”
Logically, I know he’s right, but I’m not ready to pat myself on the back just yet.
Z’s not finished talking me into placing the cameras. “What if they try to bug her apartment next? Think of it as a way to keep her safe.”
Reluctantly, I agree, even though when Charlotte finds out we’ve been spying on her, it could ruin everything we have.
“It’s not her fault.” It’s a lame response, but it’s all I got.
Z isn’t unsympathetic, but we both know whose fault it is doesn’t matter. He gives me a quick hug. “Call me if anything else comes up.”
Charlotte’s in the living room when I re-enter her place.
“What’s the verdict?” she asks as soon as I close the door behind me.
I’m going to spy on you.
“Nothing. Z appreciated the details. You helped us out a lot.”
“Good. That’s what I…Marcel, I meant what I said. I choose you.”
I close the distance between us and sit next to her, pulling her into my lap. “Yeah?”
I don’t deserve her words, but I need to hear them again.
Her uncertain eyes meet mine briefly. “There’s no choice. It’s always going to be you.” A soft smile curves her lips and she peeks up at me through her lashes. “I told you I’m Team Teller and I meant it.”
I want so much to be worthy of her loyalty.