“Lucky for you, the boss likes you,” Abbie adds, smirking at us both. “Do you want to come back to the clubhouse, Bronte? I think it’s time you met the squad.”

   I think she’s right.

* * *

   My first thought is that they must only let good-looking people join the MC. Everyone is friendly enough, some a little reserved, but I can understand why. I’m being brought into their clubhouse, their safe place, and they don’t even know me.

   “It’s nice to finally meet you, Bronte,” Izzy says to me, her partner, a man they call Renny, by her side. I meet Saint and see Skylar again, and the mysterious Chains, Dee and Temper once more.

   “You too,” I reply, smiling at her. “I must say this isn’t what I pictured.”

   The clubhouse is...homey. It’s clean and tidy, and it has personal touches—lots of black, leather and a hell of a lot of space for all of them.

   “I said the same thing.” She smirks, glancing up at Renny. “I actually own a house down the road, although I seem to be spending more and more time here these days.”

   “That’s nice that you have your own space if you want alone time though,” I reply, nodding in approval.

   “We’re sorry to hear about your dad,” Temper says. “Crow says you’re out for revenge.”

   I arch my brow at Crow. “I don’t think I want revenge. I just want the truth, and I think someone killed him.”

   “Okay, I’ll bite. Let’s say there was someone who set him up, someone who wanted him gone. Let’s say he was killed, and they made it look like an overdose. What are you going to do to that person?” Temper asks, watching me very closely.

   I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t think I’ll know the answer to that until that very moment.”

   “Which makes you unpredictable,” Crow murmurs, wrapping his arm around me and leaning forward until I look at his face. “And I don’t like that.”

   “You don’t have to like it,” I say, lifting my chin. “And you don’t have to help me. I’m sure me and Nadia can do it ourselves. I don’t need—”

   He covers my mouth with his hand. “It’s too late for that, I’m in. Look around you, we’re all in. So stop running your cute little mouth and accept your fate.”

   Fate could have done me worse.

   He removes his hand, and my eyes narrow to slits. “I don’t know whether to thank you or to punch you.”

   He simply grins, his hair falling over his forehead, his stupid blue shirt matching his eyes.

   “You’re lucky you’re cute,” I add, glancing around the room to see everyone watching us. “What?”

   Abbie shakes her head, smiling. “You’re both damn cute, that’s what.”

   Izzy and Skylar bring out some cocktails and a cheese platter for us to munch on.

   “The way Crow looks at you...” Skylar says, moving closer so no one else can hear. “Are you two officially together? What’s going on? He wouldn’t have brought you here if he didn’t want you to be his woman.”

   “Abbie brought me here,” I point out, watching Crow speak to Saint. “And no, I don’t think we’re together. I mean, we haven’t even kissed yet. Why has he not kissed me yet?”

   “Maybe because you’re kind of going through a lot right now?” she guesses, looking to Abbie. “What do you think? Why hasn’t Crow made a move on her?”

   “He’s been looking after you. Maybe he’s waiting for the right time. You’ve only just left your house,” she reminds me.

   “Oh my God, maybe he sees me like someone he has to look after, and not a hot, sexy woman,” I say, just as Izzy sits down with us, another platter in her hands. “Maybe he feels like I’m his responsibility. He did see me when I hadn’t showered in days, so maybe he’s not sexually attracted to me anymore.”

   I look down at my clothes. I could have put in more effort. I mean, I’m wearing the standard jeans and top. I cringe when I notice my feet. I’m wearing my Birkenstocks with socks. Why did I not change my shoes when I left the house? Or at least remove the socks?

   “This is probably why he hasn’t kissed me,” I tell them, pointing at my feet. “We’ve solved the problem, guys.”

   Private investigator of the year.

   I touch my lip. When’s the last time I got waxed? Great, I’ve all but let myself go. To top it off, I put on granny panties this morning and they have holes in them.

   The girls laugh, which gets Crow’s attention, and he comes right over to me. Maybe he noticed the horrified expression on my face, which I wasn’t able to mask in time.

   “What’s wrong?” he asks, sitting down opposite me. “And what’s so funny?”

   “Nothing,” I state loudly, sending threatening looks to the ladies. “Absolutely nothing. Would you like a chip with some dip on it?” I ask, smothering a Dorito in jalapeno hummus and shoving it in his mouth.

   The girls laugh harder, and I don’t know where to look.

   One thing I do know is, here, right now, I forget everything that has happened, and I feel almost back to my old self.

   Almost.

Chapter Ten

   Cam all but runs over when she sees me. “Oh my God, Bronte.”

   “Hey, I’m back,” I say, hugging her and laughing as she picks me up in the air.

   “I didn’t know if you were going to come back or not. I can’t believe what you’ve been through,” she says, putting me down and cupping my face with her hands.

   When I saw Billie last night, she told me that she and Cam have been hanging out together since the night we went to Kamikaze. I’m not surprised since the two of them seemed to hit it off so well.

   “I didn’t know either,” I admit. “But I didn’t get fired, so here I am. What have I missed? Who has been filling in for me?”

   “Everyone has been pitching in. Abbie actually came in a few times, and whenever I haven’t had any bikes to work on, I’ve been manning the front,” she says, sitting down at the desk and showing me the schedule. “Luckily it hasn’t been too busy for once, so we’ve made do. How are you? If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

   “I’m...okay,” I say, nodding. What else can I say? I’m never going to fully get over the loss of my father, and I know that. But I am going to have to learn to live with it, and hopefully over time the pain will lessen. Time heals everything, right? I might not fully believe that in this case, but it does give me a little hope.