Hell, it attracted me.

   “Well,” she replies, wrinkling her nose. “I mean, he’s a Knight. It’s never going to be a problem for them to get a woman, okay?”

   “Great.”

   “But that doesn’t mean they can’t commit and be faithful. It just means they like to have fun when they are single, and there’s nothing wrong with that. No slut shaming in 2020.”

   “You calling Crow a slut?” I tease, laughing back when she does the same.

   “I never said that,” she says, raising her hands in the air. “He’s just a very...friendly guy.”

   I cover my face with my hands. “Exactly. Except with me he was standoffish at the start and it threw me off. But then last night we actually spoke and hung out—”

   “And dirty danced.”

   “Yes, and danced.” I sigh, staring down at the cake on my plate and wishing it would solve all my problems. “And I don’t know where we stand, but work is probably going to be awkward tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to that.”

   “So, nothing, right?” she teases, using my original statement against me.

   “Nothing.” I nod.

   “He’s a really nice guy,” Abbie says after a few moments. “He is used to taking care of everyone. He was a prospect when Skylar came into the Knights’ world and was ‘assigned’”—she uses air quotes—“to watch her and keep her safe when Saint wasn’t around. That included Izzy and me as well, so us women are a bit protective of him. He’s one of the good ones.”

   “Prospect?” I ask with a wrinkle in my brow.

   Abbie looks at me in confusion for a second before understanding what I was asking. “Oh, that means he wasn’t officially a member of the Knights. He was pledging, or whatever the boys call it. He was on probation.”

   “Got it. But he’s now a member?”

   “Yes. And honestly, Bronte, you have nothing to worry about with him. He never has anything bad to say about anybody. He’s just one of those easygoing, nothing-fazes-him types.”

   “Not around me. He was broody as shit.”

   “That’s because you’re different, and I don’t think he knows how to handle it,” she states, pushing her coffee away and bringing the lemon cake closer to her. “And I don’t think you do either.”

   I’ve had a few boyfriends in my time. Nothing amazing and no one really worth mentioning, but I’m not completely inexperienced. But she’s right.

   I have no fucking idea how to handle this situation.

   “He’s my boss, and I actually really love this job and all the people I work with. I take it seriously, you know? Getting involved with a boss is never a good idea. I think we should all let it go, because these things usually don’t end well.”

   “Technically Temper is your boss, not Crow,” Abbie adds, lip twitching. “I mean, Temper is the actual owner of the garage. Crow just runs it.”

   Did she just find a loophole for me?

   “We almost kissed last night,” I confide to her, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. “I wanted him to kiss me, and then he was leaning in...”

   “And what happened?” she asks, sitting up straighter in excitement.

   “His phone rang and a woman’s name popped up, so I got the hell out of there, and that was how the night ended.” I wince, puffing out a deep breath.

   “What was her name?” she asks, bringing her face closer to mine.

   “Heidi.”

   She blinks slowly a few times. “Heidi is Crow’s sister.”

   Fuck.

Chapter Seven

   After spending three hours with Abbie discussing everything from our childhoods to our friends to her dad, I decide to drive over to surprise my own dad. I haven’t seen him since the barbecue, and although we spoke on the phone the other night, I know it’s not the same. I’m his only child and I need to remember that he’s not getting any younger. I should make sure I spend time with him.

   I put the new Eminem album on for the drive, only turning the volume down when I pull up in his driveway. When I get to the front door, I knock a few times, but he doesn’t open up. I know he’s home, though, because his car is here.

   “Dad?” I call out, knocking on his window this time, but nothing. Maybe he’s in the shower.

   “Let’s see,” I murmur, reaching up to one of the potted plants that hangs on his porch. “Bingo.”

   Some things never change.

   Key in my hand, I unlock the door and step inside. “Dad!” I call. “Your favorite daughter is home!”

   Nothing.

   Thinking he must be in the bathroom, I open the fridge and scan its contents before settling on some green grapes straight out of the bag. I pop a few in my mouth and close the door with my hip before I call his name again.

   Seeing his bedroom door slightly open, I push it the rest of the way and step inside, my eyes adjusting to the darkness.

   “Dad?” I ask, turning the light on. My eyes go straight away to his bed.

   When I see him there, unmoving, my heart stops.

   He looks like he’s sleeping, only...not. I’ve seen him asleep before, but this time he’s so still. Unnaturally still.

   I’ve never been more scared in my life, and I just hope and pray that he is okay.

   Please let him be okay.

   “Dad?” I say again, stepping toward him, moving the sheet from his neck and touching his shoulder, trying to gently shake him awake. “Dad?” My voice becomes more frantic as the reality of the situation hits me. Big, fat tears fall down my cheeks.

   “No,” I whisper, shaking my head. My trembling fingers reach for my phone in my jeans pocket and I call for an ambulance.

   “Yes, I found my dad and he’s unresponsive,” I say quickly to the man on the line, my voice breaking, and tell him the address. “No, he’s not breathing. Please, come soon.”

   I hang up and search for a pulse, but I find nothing.

   No.

   He’s going to be okay. He will be okay.

   “Dad?” I whisper, wrapping my arm around him. What happened to him? I don’t understand. He’s a healthy man, and there are no signs of blood or a struggle, or any visible injuries. I check him over, looking for any clues, but there’s nothing. It just looks like he’s asleep. My head can’t wrap around what my eyes are seeing.