Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.

To my sons.

It’s us against the world.

I am pieces of all the places I have been and the people I have loved. I’ve been stitched together by song lyrics, book quotes, adventure, late-night conversations, moonlight, and the smell of coffee.

—Brooke Hampton

PROLOGUE

Clover

Age Ten

SITTING next to my baby brother, Asher, bag of candy in my hand, I dangle my legs off the seat and glance around the police station, while my mom sits at the front desk, speaking to the lady there. Something about trying to get one of my uncles out of trouble, or something. Nothing new there. I know my mom is an important woman, and she helps a lot of people. I also know that my dad and his friends ride motorcycles and seem to get into a lot of trouble together. Everyone calls my dad Sin, but Mom calls him Dex. To me though, he is just Daddy. Mom rides too, which I think is really cool. I haven’t seen many other women who ride, but I know that when I’m older, I’m going to. I’m going to be just like my mom.

Distracted with people-watching, it’s too late when I realize my brother has wandered outside and into the street. Without thinking, I dash out after him, knowing that it was my responsibility to look after him while Mom was busy.

“Asher!” I scream, about to run after him when a lady snatches him up off the road and into her arms. She’s wearing a uniform, and when she comes closer I realize she’s a police officer.

She places Asher down in front of me. “You should never go near the road without an adult,” she tells him gently, and gives me a soft look. “Are you okay?” She must see the impending doom on my face because I know my mom is going to kill me when she realizes I almost let my brother get run over.

I nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

She grins. I’ve never met a nice police officer before, and I don’t know what to make of it. The only other times I’ve seen them, they were being mean to my parents and weren’t too kind to me either. They’ve come to our home a few times, and it’s never a pleasant visit. I know they don’t like my family, but I don’t really know why. Daddy always tells me to stand behind Mom when they come, not him, because they usually try to arrest him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a police officer smile at me before. It takes me a few seconds, but eventually my manners kick in and I smile back at her. “Thank you for saving my brother.”

“I was fine,” Asher tells me, an evil scowl on his face. “I was just crossing the road to get more candy.”

“You almost got run over,” I chastise. “You’re not old enough to be walking around on your own. Mom isn’t going to be happy.”

“It’s okay, you are both safe now,” she says, leading us back into the police station.

“I didn’t know women could be police officers,” I admit to her. The officers who have come to our door have always been men.

She stops in her tracks and turns to look at me. “Women can do anything men can do,” she says with a wink. “We do need more women on the force though. It is a male-dominated field.” She pauses and then adds, “So there are much more men than there are women.”

I eye her gun.

“I think it would take a special kind of lady to be a cop,” I think out loud.

“That’s very nice of you to say,” she says, smiling down at me. “You do have to be pretty strong, but you also have to have a lot of heart. There’s so much going up against you every day, and it’s not always easy.”

“I know someone like that,” I tell her, thinking of my mom.

“Do you?” she asks, warmth in her blue eyes. “Maybe you should tell them to join.” She touches my arm and adds, “Or maybe she could join when she’s older.”

Does she mean me?

I mean, I am pretty strong, and I do have a big heart.

Mom and Dad tell me that all the time.

Maybe I could be nice to people that cops usually aren’t nice to.

People like me.

We walk back inside, but I can’t take my eyes off the policewoman.

She carries herself with such purpose and power, but she was also kind to us today.

Until this moment, I never knew a police officer could be both.

ONE

Thirteen Years Later

RUSHING to the police car, I slide in and wait for my partner to get us on the road and out to the action. After getting a call for a suspected burglary, adrenaline fills me as I finally am able to do more than push paper at the station. I tap my foot impatiently as Jenks takes his sweet ole time, eating the last of his doughnut and wiping his sugary hands on his uniform before turning on the engine. The man couldn’t be more of a walking stereotype if he tried, with his slightly overweight appearance, balding head, and love for sweet treats.

We’re complete opposites. He’s one of those cops who has lost his passion and enthusiasm for the job and just collects a paycheck until he can access his pension. He probably doesn’t even remember why he joined.

I, on the other hand, entered the police force full of ambition, excitement, and determination to make a change in this world. I wanted to be a heroine. I wanted to make a difference, no matter how big or small. I wanted to go above and beyond. However, if I’m being honest, this job isn’t what I thought it’d be. I pictured myself being out in the field, being challenged every day, both physically and mentally. But for the most part I’ve been sitting behind a desk, which is slowly sucking the life out of me.

“Are you ready, Black?” Jenks asks me as we stop outside a dark two-story house. “Remember, stay behind me, and do as I say.”

I grit my teeth. I’m not the best at following orders, especially from someone like Jenks, but I’ve learned that being a new recruit, there’s nothing much I can do for now other than keep my mouth shut and do what I’m told.

“I will follow protocol,” I reply, sliding out of the car, hand on my gun.

“That’s not what I asked,” the bastard replies. For some reason he thinks he is the boss of me and can tell me exactly what to do.

“You just stay behind and let me handle this,” he continues.

“We’re supposed to be a team,” I fire back. “I’m not your little minion, Jenks.”

He makes a sound of irritation but says nothing further.

The street is quiet and deserted, what you’d expect on a weekday night in this neighborhood. The owners of the home are away, but when their alarm went off, the neighbors called 911, assuming someone had broken in. It could just be a false alarm, but I need to prepare on the off chance that someone really is in there.

Jenks heads toward the back entrance, checking the door, which is unlocked. I pull out my gun and follow behind him, alert and using all my senses. In my mind I plan how I’m going to take this man or woman down. Maybe I’ll finally get a chance to show off a few of my skills, the ones that made me the top student in the academy.

We clear all the bedrooms but find the place empty. There is no mess or signs of a burglary, and it doesn’t appear that anything obvious has been taken. Sighing with my shoulders hunching, I squat down when I see something move behind the couch.

“What is that?” I mutter to myself, glancing over it to see a little black cat sitting there. “They must have left their door open, or something, and a cat got inside.” I holster my gun.

Jenks groans. “Come on, let’s lock the place up.”

“We can’t just leave the cat here,” I say to him, grabbing the little beast, checking its collar, where it has a name and address on it. “It doesn’t live here, it lives down the road.”

“That’s not our problem,” Jenks tells me, tone annoyed. “Put it down and let’s get out of here.” He’s so heartless.

“I’m going to return him. Come on, Meowth, let’s get you home.”

I smirk at him being named after a Pokémon and place him on my lap in the car, ready to drop him back where he belongs. Jenks grumbles the whole ride, but I don’t care. There’s no way I was leaving the cat there, and I wasn’t breaking protocol by helping it. It was just an added few minutes of our time.

This isn’t how I was hoping the night was going to go.

But I saved a cat.

That’s something, right?

I know, I’m delusional.

Back at the station, I’m stuck writing up the report of our big call, while Jenks is telling the other cops about the cat as he drinks coffee and eats another doughnut. I’m the only woman on shift, and being a rookie officer, the men love to try to push me just to see how much they can get away with.

“Black, I hear you finally got to see some action tonight,” Officer Basil calls out. He can be a jerk sometimes, and we also like to pretend that he didn’t hit on me on my first day at work. Especially since he is married with kids.

“More action than you will ever see,” I reply with a smirk. I don’t let them get to me. Little do they know I’m used to much tougher men than they will ever be, and I can give back just as much as I can take.

Maybe even more.

I’m here because I want to be, not because I have to be, and I think that’s the difference between me and so many of the other officers. I’ve been a policewoman for six months now, and in that time, I’ve dealt with the most boring things. A ticket for someone driving while on her cell phone. Breaking up a minor fight between two homeless people. The return of a pet lizard when emergency thought it was a lost child. I once got a call for a domestic disturbance, but it turned out the couple just got a little too vocal during their intimate moments. Tonight was the most exciting call I’ve had. And it was a cat. Figures.

I don’t complain, that’s not who I am, but the boredom is starting to kick in, and I’m getting a little antsy. I need a challenge. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to become a cop in the first place, that and to actually help improve this city I call home. I went against the grain and all that I knew to follow this dream, and I did it because something inside of me told me that this was my calling and this is where I’m meant to be. I followed my gut, my heart over my mind. However, saving a cat wasn’t what I thought the highlight of my career so far was going to be.

“He’s married; he gets action,” Jenks says, big belly shaking as he laughs. “Just less and less every year, am I right? It’s like as each anniversary piles up, everything else goes down. Sexually and physically.”

The men all laugh.

“Don’t you all have some work to do?” I ask them, eyes back on my computer screen. I didn’t use my business degree because I knew I didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day, and yet here I am.

My phone beeps with a message from Cara, one of my best friends.

I’m coming to stay at your place tonight. Dinner and drinks? If I leave now I should be there when you get off work.

I reply to her, smiling.

Sounds perfect.

I always send her my schedule so we can work around our everyday lives to make time for each other. I grew up seeing her practically every day. It sucks seeing her only once a week or every other week, but I guess I had to adult at some point.

She is such a good friend to drive the hour just to see me, probably longer if there’s traffic, and I’m grateful. A dose of Cara is exactly what I need right now.

The sacrifices I have made once seemed worth it. But I don’t know if they are anymore.

TWO

“HOW long are you going to keep up this double life for?” Cara asks me over cocktails, her pretty brown eyes pinned on me. I took her to a new bar that just opened up, and I should have known the questions would start coming in. I would do the same if the situation were reversed, and I know it’s because she is worried about me.

Hell, I’m worried about me.

“I don’t know,” I tell her, ripping the label off my beer and avoiding her eyes. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, Cara. Nothing is going according to plan right now.”

“You know what that means, right?” she asks, watching me. “Ripping labels off bottles means you’re sexually frustrated.”

“My virginity is a whole different issue,” I mutter under my breath, forcing myself to leave the label alone. I’m probably one of the oldest virgins in recent times, but sue me if I haven’t met the one I wanted to lose it to.

“What do you mean, nothing is going to plan? To me it looks like you’ve gotten away with this plan and you should be celebrating. No one knows the truth except me, and I gave you one month before I thought they’d find out, remember?” she presses, sighing. “I still don’t like the fact that Rhett doesn’t know.”

Rhett is our other best friend, and the man Cara is going to end up with some day. Not that she will admit it. We grew up as a threesome, the best of friends who have always had one another’s backs. As children of the Wind Dragons, we lived a life few would understand, and we bonded over that. However, as a patched member of the motorcycle club, I didn’t want to put Rhett into a place where he had to choose between me and my shit and the Wind Dragons. The less he knows, the better.

“I don’t like it either, but you know I don’t want to pull him into the middle of this,” I tell her, bringing my beer to my lips and taking a sip. “And yeah, the only reason I’ve been able to pull this off is because everyone has trusted my word.”

We go quiet at that.

No one even suspects that I’m doing something other than what I’ve been telling them, because they have no reason to. I’ve never really lied about anything before. I’m usually a straight-up, honest, get-what-you-see kind of girl. But this dream, this job, it was just something I couldn’t bring to them.

Because it would break their hearts.

As far as my family and the Wind Dragons know, I’m doing bookkeeping for a firm. Apparently, I got an offer I couldn’t refuse, earning good money for an accounting firm, which is why I decided to accept the job. They were sad when I moved so far away, but they were happy for me. Proud even.

Which makes this even worse.

“You can’t keep going on like this,” she points out, as she has countless times before. I know it just as well as she does, but she’s right; it’s like I am living two lives. “I still think we should just come out and tell them the truth.”

I love how she says “we” like this is both of our bad decisions.

And that’s why the woman next to me is my best friend. She’s not afraid to tell me what she thinks, but she will also accept my fate as her own.

I throw back the rest of my beer. “I don’t even know if I’m going to stay here,” I admit. If things don’t change, there’s no way I’m going to want to continue to live here in this small-ass town, away from my family, sitting at a desk. It’s my worst nightmare come to life, just with a badge. “So I need a little more time. There’s no point telling them everything if I’m not going to be working here much longer.”

“You always have an excuse,” she tells me, picking up her phone from the bar as it rings, her face lighting up. “It’s Rhett.”

“Hello?” she says into the phone. “Yeah, I’m with Clover.” She pauses. “Nothing, we’re just having a drink and catching up. We might see a movie a bit later.” Glancing at her watch, she adds, “Okay, see you soon,” before hanging up.

“He’s coming?” I ask her, surprised. Unlike Cara, it’s not often Rhett will make the drive, usually opting to wait to see me whenever I go home. I know he’s busy with the MC, so I don’t take offense, plus it’s generally easier to keep everything separate when it’s only Cara who regularly visits me here.

“Yeah, he said he has nothing going on tonight and wants to hang with us,” she says, placing her pink-covered phone back down. “Probably wants to take that new Harley of his for a long ride. How long has it been since he came here last?”

“About two months. And I can’t blame him. Think he will let me ride it?”

“Nope,” she replies, a little too cheerfully. “I’m sure he’ll take you for a ride on it though.”

“Not as fun,” I grumble. “So what’s going on with the two of you, anyway? Still in denial?”

“We are friends, and that’s it,” she says, avoiding my eyes. “He just became a member, I can only imagine all the shit he’s getting up to, and all the women. I try not to think about it, but it is what it is.”

“You don’t know that,” I tell her, but even I sound unsure to my own ears. He isn’t committed to Cara, in fact I don’t think they’ve ever addressed the mutual attraction between the two of them, hiding under the best-friends excuse. No one is stupid though; we can all see what is between them, and no one can understand why they don’t do something about it. Still, it’s up to them. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink, or whatever that old saying is.

“It doesn’t matter either way,” she replies with a stiff shrug. “I don’t want to lose one of my best friends by trying for something more. It’s meant to be the way it is.”

I don’t agree with that, but Cara doesn’t agree with what I’m doing with my life either, so I’m just going to call it even.

We can all live in denial together.

When Cara found out I was joining the Police Academy, she said something that stuck with me. She said, “You aren’t hurting anyone, Clover, just the Wind Dragons’ egos.”

I don’t think that’s right though.

My choice is going to have much deeper repercussions than that.

When Rhett steps into my apartment later that night, I can’t keep the smile off my face. He’s dressed in all black, his usual getup—jeans, boots, and a T-shirt—his blond hair falling across his forehead, the only thing boyish about him.

“Hello, stranger,” I say to him, running into his arms and giving him a warm hug. “How was the ride?”

“Just what I needed,” he replies, letting go of me and turning to embrace Cara. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages either. How’s work?”

“Good,” she replies, referring to her advertising and marketing career. “Keeps me busy.”

“Too busy to come visit the clubhouse a little more?” he asks, something flashing in his blue eyes.

“I was there a few nights ago,” she tells him, sitting back down on the couch and crossing her legs underneath her. Rhett and I do the same.

“I wasn’t there—”

“Not my fault,” she cuts him off, then turns to me. “I’m going to bring us more beer from the fridge.”

She escapes to the kitchen, leaving me with Rhett.

I don’t miss him staring at her ass as she walks away.

“Why don’t you two just fuck and get it over with?” I complain, getting comfortable on the black leather underneath me. My couch is probably the most expensive thing in my apartment, and it’s my favorite thing.

Rhett’s jaw goes tight. If he tells me it’s none of my business, I might have to take him out. Or try to, anyway. Rhett is as trained as me, but much bigger. I’m quicker though.

“Don’t start with me,” he grumbles, then expertly changes the subject. “How about you? Anyone catch your eye in the office? Some nerdy accountant or something?”

Cara comes back in with her arms full of beer, catching the end of that. “I can’t imagine Clo with a nerdy accountant.”

“There’s one really sexy guy I’ve seen around,” I admit, picturing one officer I’ve seen at the station. “I haven’t spoken to him though, but fuck, it should be illegal to look that good.”

Cara laughs, placing a cold bottle in my hands. “So what are you waiting for? There’s no way he hasn’t noticed you. You’re a babe.”

“I don’t make the first move,” I reply with a smirk. “And I don’t know, mixing business with pleasure isn’t the best idea, don’t you think?”

“I think you could use a little bit of pleasure,” she replies with a wink.

I roll my eyes and twist open the lid on my beer. “Okay, tell me everything I’ve missed out on back home.”

The two of them share a look, then remind me just how much I miss home.

THREE

“YOU asked to see me, Officer?” I say as I step into Jones’s office when I’m back at work a few days later. I met Officer Jones back in the academy, when he was one of the training instructors there. He’s a hard man and takes no shit, especially from me.

“Please tell me, Black, why you can’t seem to listen to your partner?” he starts off with, and I know this isn’t going to be good. “You are a rookie; Jenks is not. I paired you with him so he could show you the ropes and you could learn from his experience, not so you can do whatever the hell you want when he’s not looking.”

I purse my lips. I have been listening to Jenks, even when I don’t agree with his decisions, because I know I’ll get yelled at if I don’t. “And what exactly didn’t I do?” I fire back, trying to keep my temper contained. “Not run to the Seven-Eleven to pick him up more doughnuts? Because he actually did ask me to do that yesterday.”

It’s probably why I’m standing here right now. Jenks snitched on me, just like a little kid in the schoolyard, wanting me to get into trouble. In my world, snitches end up in ditches. Here? All you have to do is suck up to Jones’s ass to get extra privileges.

Jones sighs and picks up a piece of paper in front of him. “Jenks wants a new partner. He’s been asking for a while, and I’ve said no, but now, I’m going to grant him that, because I think it’s going to be beneficial to you both.”

I stay silent, because I’m more than okay with that, and wait for him to continue.

“Banks is going to be your new partner, and I think he will be a good mentor to you.”

“Who is Officer Banks?” I ask him, pursing my lips. There are many officers who come in and out of these doors, and I don’t know them all by name.

“I’ll introduce you to him. Let me give you a little brief on Banks. He’s about to be promoted to sergeant, even though he’s been with the force for only four years. He’s hardworking, intimidating, and good at what he does. He comes from a line of officers, but he’s much more than just born into this. He’s our most promising officer and may even be my superior one day. Hopefully he will rub off on you, Black.”

Being promoted after four years is pretty incredible. I was told it can take anywhere between five and ten years, so this Banks guy must be the real deal.

“Okay,” I reply, absorbing this new information. “And when does this take effect?”

“Now,” Jones replies, studying me. “And, Black?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t fuck this up,” he tells me, his eyes boring into mine.

“Would I do something like that?” I ask him, flashing a charming smile.

His expression remains unchanged.

“I graduated top of my class, sir,” I remind him. “I’ve done nothing to make you believe that I’m less than capable, and I want this. I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m meant to be here.”

I might not have been born into it, in fact that couldn’t be further from the truth, but I want this.

“None of the testing at the academy took your random spurts of attitude into account,” he grumbles, returning to his paperwork, silently dismissing me.

I exit his office and run straight into the sexy man I’ve seen around, the one I was telling Cara and Rhett about.

“Sorry,” I tell him, stepping back so my breasts are no longer touching his hard body. He’s even better-looking up close, and has this whole jock vibe about him: built, tall, with brown wavy hair and full lips.

I move to step around him, and as I do he glances down at me and says, “I guess Jones told you the news?”

“What news?” I ask him, lost in his eyes.

He scowls, lips tightening in irritation. “That I’m your new partner.”

My eyes widen. “You’re Banks?”

Just my luck.

“I thought they said you were bright,” he replies, expression unmoved. He steps around me and enters Jones’s office, and I stand there for a second with narrowed eyes. Of course he’s a dick. With a face, body, and ambition like that, why wouldn’t he be?

I bite the inside of my cheek, silently fuming at his extremely rude and uncalled-for comment. Who does he think he is?

Ten minutes later, he finds me at my desk, and says, “Get ready, we’re heading out on a domestic-violence call.”

I instantly follow him outside. When he reaches the police car, he stops and turns to study me. “Do as I say, Black, and this partnership will go smoothly.”

I grit my teeth together. “I want to learn how to be the best policewoman I can be, not be pushed into the background. We’re partners, Banks. It might have been your show up until now, but that was before you met me.”

I’m not letting anyone bully me, I don’t give two shits who they are, or what they look like. He’s not going to be allowed to speak to me like that, like I’m nothing and no one.

I’m Clover Fucking Black, and that might not mean something to him now, but it will.

I slide into the car and ignore him, watching how his jaw tenses and his mood sours.

Maybe I should have just gotten Jenks those doughnuts.

Banks stays silent the entire drive. Normally I’m a person who would probably appreciate that, but something about the way he ignores me sets me on edge. The tension in the car is palpable, the air thick and hostile. I don’t know why he dislikes me since we just met—no, it’s like he hated me before he even met me, and I want to know why. My stubborn side wants to stay quiet and not speak until he does, but my temper won’t allow my silence any longer.

“So what’s the deal?” I ask him, keeping my tone casual. “You like this with everyone, or have you been saving your brooding attitude just for me?”

I don’t think he expected me to be so direct, because his momentary glance is filled with surprise and annoyance.

“We’re not here to be friends—”

“No, we’re not. But even Jenks made the rides better than this, so if that’s how you want to be known . . .” I trail off, shrugging.

He’s silent for a few moments. “I’ve been with my partner for years. We worked well together. And now because he is injured and taking time off I’m being paired with some—”

“Be careful with what you’re about to say, buddy.”

“Insolent rookie who wouldn’t listen to her partner, who has seniority over her.”

“Insolent?” I ask, jaw tensing. “You know nothing about me, Banks. Nothing. You haven’t even had a proper conversation with me yet, so why don’t you keep your judgmental, rude attitude to yourself until you actually have something to go on, instead of lazy Jenks’s and Jones’s opinions of me.

“You’re supposed to be the older, mature one of us,” I continue, pushing him further. “Act like it. Show me and teach me how to be better; don’t treat me like I don’t deserve to be here.”

I want to punch something, and I sure as hell don’t want to be sitting in this car with him.

“And there’s the attitude I was warned about,” he mutters, shaking his head. “How do you still have your job?”

“They only call it an attitude because I’m a woman. One of the only ones here. If I were a man, they’d call it leadership skills, so don’t try and use that on me. I’m an asset to the force, and they know it. No one wants to give me a proper chance though.”

“Maybe because you’re a liability? If we can’t trust that you will listen to orders, no one will want to give you the important calls because too much will be at stake.”

Realizing his words actually make sense, I stare out the window and take a deep breath. Is that really why no one has given me a chance? They don’t think I can follow orders? I never thought of it like that. I hate that Banks might have a point.

“Okay,” I finally reply. “How about I prove to you that I can listen and be trusted, and then maybe you give me a little trust in return. I’m sharp, a quick learner, and have good instincts. You won’t regret it.”

He sneaks a glance at me before nodding. “Deal.”

Exhaling for the first time in weeks, I start to feel good about where I’m at. I’m not afraid of hard work, and I know there is a lot I still need to learn. I just needed this chance to show them that I can do it.

“So is it true you told Jenks he doesn’t need any more doughnuts?” he asks, cracking a small smile.

Maybe he’s not so bad after all.

We arrive at the house, and it’s definitely not the house I’d imagined for this type of call, but then again, domestic violence knows no discrimination. It even has the whole white picket fence, screaming “perfect family.”

We get out of the car and knock on the front door, and a man with a slash across his face answers it. It looks like he’s been burned with a curling iron, and I have to wonder if that’s what the injury is actually from. He tells us he made the call after his wife attacked him with—yes—a curling iron, punched him, and kicked him in the balls.

“We will come back and check on you,” Banks promises the man when his wife seems to be unable to be located. “You head on up to the hospital to get that burn taken care of, we will handle the rest.”

“Or we could try to track her down now?” I say to him. “What if we stake out here; she has to come back sometime today, right? She lives here.”

Banks shoots me a look, clearly telling me to shut up, then tells the man, “We will be back to check on the situation. Give us a call if there are any further incidents.”

“So this is what Jenks meant,” he mutters as we both slide back into the car. “When I make a decision, you need to follow it, and you need to back me up. Do not undermine me, or try to make us look unprofessional in front of civilians, Black. We are a team. We do not bicker like that in front of anyone, you hear me?”

Fuck.

“Yes, I hear you,” I say softly, shifting in my seat. When he puts it like that, I can understand what he means. Shit. I shouldn’t have said anything, and I need to trust that my partner has made the right call, even if I may disagree.

“Good,” he murmurs.

“That had to have been really painful,” I say, bringing the subject back to the man with the burn.

“She sounds crazy,” Banks admits, frowning. “I don’t want him to think she will get away with this just because he’s male. I know you obviously thought my telling him that we will return later is some kind of cop-out, but it’s not. We will find her. But staking out a house isn’t the best way to utilize our time, all right? This isn’t my first rodeo, you need to trust me.”

“Okay,” I tell him. “I get it.” He’s right. I can’t expect to focus on one case at a time, especially for a domestic disturbance like this.

I don’t like the whole stigma surrounding violence against men, and I agree with him: she can’t get away with attacking her husband, just like a man shouldn’t get away with attacking his wife.

“So what next?” I ask him.

It’s exciting not knowing what is going to happen today. I like the unpredictability of the job. It’s like my adrenaline is going to be at a high all day.

“You should see your face right now,” Banks comments.

“What about my face?” I ask, wondering if I have something on there.

“You just look excited, and in your element,” he admits, blue eyes softening as he watches me. “You look like me four years ago.”

I shrug. “Considering what I’ve heard about you, I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

He gives me a full-blown smile this time, and a set of dimples makes an appearance. Just when I thought he couldn’t possibly get any more attractive.

“I want to take down the bad guys, what can I say? It’s not like I’m excited that other people are having a shit day or going through a rough time, but I do like that I can do something about it. And if I get to chase a criminal, or save a fucking kitten, I’m still doing something to benefit the community,” I continue, avoiding his eyes.

“You know what, Black?”

“What?” I reply.

“Maybe you’re not so bad after all,” he murmurs. “And maybe I do have something to work with here.”

“I was just thinking the same thing about you, Banks,” I reply with a grin.

We head out on the next call, tension in the car dulled, the hostility gone.

For now.

FOUR

“HAS Banks used his handcuffs on you in the bedroom yet?” Cara asks me, laughing to herself. I love coming home and talking shit with her more than anything.

“Very funny,” I tell her, pursing my lips. “We have a professional relationship only, so get your mind out of the gutter.”

The last few weeks as Banks’s partner have been my best time on the force. I’m learning things from him, and just watching him handle situations is honestly inspiring. He’s starting to trust me and give me more leeway and freedom with our calls, and it’s reminded me why I’m doing this. I haven’t had any time at my desk; I’ve been out in the action, and helping as many people as I can. It’s what I always wanted, and he’s the one who has taken a chance and given it to me. I know if I fuck up, he will be the one to take the heat for it, so I’ve been making sure to follow instructions and protocol. I’m not going to fuck this up, not when I’m finally getting a taste of what being a cop is really about.

“You’re the one who blushes every time his name comes up,” she teases, leaning toward me over the table. “Come on, admit it. You like him.”

Fuck.

Admitting this out loud is not what I need right now, because it doesn’t matter what I think of him, nothing is ever going to happen. I decide to distract and evade.

“Only if you admit that you like Rhett.” I pause, and then add, “As more than just a friend.”

She looks toward the bar. “Could we get another two vodkas, please?” she calls out.

I shake my head, refusing after already having one. “Dude, one of us has to drive.”

She turns to me, smirking. “They’re both for me.”

“Did you turn into an alcoholic in my absence?” I ask her, brows rising. Don’t get me wrong, the two of us have been irresponsibly intoxicated many a time, but Cara has never been much of a day drinker.

She taps her pink nails on the table, the clicking noise distracting. “I think Rhett has a girlfriend,” she blurts out, shoulders hunching.

“Is this you admitting that you have feelings for him?” I ask her, eyes going wide as saucers. “Holy fuck, Cara, isn’t this a day of revelations.”

I’ve been calling this for years, but all my comments have been ignored. Cara will call me and speak about Rhett most of the time, and then Rhett will call and do the exact same. I’ve tried to bring it up to the both of them, only to be shut down by their denial. This is a first.

A muscle ticks in her jaw. “I don’t know what I’m feeling, okay? But when I saw him with her at the restaurant, there was this tightness in my chest, and it hasn’t gone away, and for some reason it’s all I can think about.”

“That’s called jealousy, dear,” I tell her, wrapping my arm around her. “Why don’t you talk to him? At the end of the day, he’s still one of your best friends. You know, after me.”

I didn’t know Rhett had a girlfriend, but then again, he doesn’t really keep me up-to-date with his personal life. If he hasn’t even mentioned her, could he be serious about this woman? I really hope Cara hasn’t missed her chance with him, because the two of them are truly meant to be, stubbornness and denial aside.

“You know this isn’t something I can bring up, Clo,” she says, swirling the ice around in her glass. “Because I don’t even know how I feel. What if he’s meant to be with this chick and really likes her? I’d never stop him from being happy.”

“No one could make him happy like you could. It’s been written in the cards from the beginning,” I state, giving her a small smile. “I think the first step is for you to be sure about what you want, because you can’t tell him about this and just change your mind. You’re either all in or you let him be. It can’t be one of those ‘you don’t want him but don’t want anyone else to have him’ things.”

“It’s not that,” she whispers, her head falling back and her eyes closing. “I’m not that selfish, Clo. I guess I’m just scared. What if things change between us and it ruins our friendship? We’ve always been best friends, us three; we’ve always had that bond that everyone wanted and was jealous of. I don’t want to ruin that. I can’t lose that.”

I want to assure her that she won’t, but I can’t guarantee that. Things might change, but that’s a part of the gamble that is love. Instead, I tell her, “You can’t go on always wondering what if though.”

“I know,” she agrees, glancing at her watch. “And he’s going to be here any minute, so you can’t say anything. This can’t be awkward. Nothing has changed, it’s just us all catching up like we always do. It doesn’t matter that I saw him on a fuckin’ date, holding hands with some bitch. Nope, it doesn’t matter at all.”

My stomach clenches. Rhett doesn’t go on dates.

Ever.

He’s just not that kind of guy. He’s the one who has women falling over him, with him putting in no effort in return. He never has to work for it, and I’ve never known him to take a woman out for a meal.

“Ugh, telling you just now made it real. He took her on a real date,” she grumbles, stretching her neck from side to side, as if trying to release tension. “I just happened to be walking past the restaurant—can you believe that timing? I saw him sitting there at a table, facing her, sharing a meal, and acting like a couple.”

I can see why she’s worried.

Before, nothing changed between them. Cara dated but never took any of the men seriously; she pretty much just dated and bailed, and Rhett slept with random women who never meant anything to him and also bailed.

What they were doing was safe, because everyone knew they weren’t going to catch feelings for anyone else.

But now?

Rhett has changed the game.

“I think I need to see it myself to believe it,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck and taking a sip from Cara’s drink. “I can now see why you’re day drinking.”

Things are about to change around here, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.

I’m going to cause a huge stir among the Wind Dragons when they find out what I’ve been doing for the last year, and the safe friendship Cara has relied on with Rhett is now rocky.

“I know, maybe we should buy a bottle on the way home,” she jokes, head turning to the door the second she hears the rumble of a motorcycle. “He’s here.”

“You know him by the sound of his motorcycle?” I ask her, widening my eyes. “Fuck, girl, you’ve got it worse than I thought.”

“Shut up.”

I grin. “Make me.”

Rhett walks inside, blue eyes landing on us instantly. He’s wearing his Wind Dragons leather cut proudly, ripped light jeans, and white sneakers. His eyes seem to smile as he beelines for us.

“Ladies,” he says, pulling me against his chest in a bear hug. “This place has been so quiet without you, shithead.”

I laugh and push at his chest for him to let me go. He turns to Cara, leans down, and kisses the top of her head. “Should have known you two would be up to no good. Day drinking?”

“Just a welcome-home drink,” I respond, pushing out the barstool next to me. “Every chance we get to see one another is a cause for celebration. You going to join us or judge us?”

“Join, always,” he replies, sitting down and flashing his white, straight teeth. “Another round?”

And while I may have this impossible secret, I can forget about it for the day to hang with my two best friends.

I glance around, taking in the new shooting range in front of me. I hate to be one of those people, but this has always been my favorite part: weapons training. When Banks suggested I join him at his favorite range for a little extra practice, I wasn’t going to say no. Although I should be offended he thinks I need the extra practice, he hasn’t seen me shoot yet, and I’m looking forward to showing off a little for him. When I’m handed the gun, I can barely contain my excitement.

“Don’t look so trigger-happy,” Banks whispers, chuckling under his breath. “You go first. I want to see what I’m working with here.”

I don’t bother to tell him that I own a licensed gun, a Ruger LC9, and that I happen to know how to use it very well, among an array of other firearms and weapons. People underestimate me all the time, and I like it. If they knew who my mother was though, I’d doubt they’d be very surprised. She’s made it her mission to excel in every kind of weaponry, even random things no one would ever think of, like star throwing and nunchucks. She’d even survive back in time, because her sword skills are insane.

“I might need a little extra practice; it’s been a while,” I lie, keeping a straight face.

He gestures to the target. “Take your time.”

I flash him a smile, then aim and shoot.

Every shot I take hits the bull’s-eye.

When I step back, my eyes go straight to Banks, and I grin.

Smugly.

“How did I do?” I ask a little too sweetly.

I’m not a damsel in distress, and it would do well for him to remember that.

He shakes his head at me. “Nice to know you weren’t talking shit about your skills.”

“Let me know if you need any help,” I tell him, smirking.

“Where did you learn to shoot like that?” he asks me, watching as I put away the gun and safety equipment. “I know you didn’t learn all that at the academy. You shoot naturally, like you’ve been doing it all your life.”

I pause, wondering what the best way to answer this is, because there’s no way I can tell the truth. No one knows about my family ties to the Wind Dragons, and I want to keep it that way. Without knowing that little fact, it’s kind of hard to explain why I grew up being trained in different weapons, firearms, and fighting tactics. “I’ve visited a few shooting ranges in my time,” I decide on, with a nonchalant shrug. “I have good aim.”

I lift my eyes to see him studying me, as if trying to figure me out. Good luck to him, because I can’t even figure myself out sometimes. “You must have practiced a shitload to be so good.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “My parents wanted me to be able to protect myself, so they taught me at an early age. So I passed your test? No more second-guessing my capabilities?”

“We’ll see,” he murmurs. “Tell me something about you, Black.”

“You can call me Clover,” I say to him. I don’t know why, but coming from him, it’s weird that he calls me by my last name.

“Only if you call me Felix,” he fires back casually, like we didn’t just cross some invisible line.

“Deal,” I reply, watching him as he loads up his gun, ready for his turn. “Okay, something about me. Ummm. I remember my first day at the academy. I stood in front of the sign but didn’t know if I was going to walk in or not. I didn’t know if this was where I was meant to be.”

“And what made you decide to walk through those doors?” he asks, scanning my face.

“I don’t know—guess I followed my heart instead of my head for the first time ever. My parents didn’t really want me to be a cop, but I joined anyway,” I reply, quickly changing the subject instead of elaborating more on that one.

“What else . . . Oh, I have a business degree, and my friends call me Clo. How about you, Felix?”

“Only child,” he starts. “Athletic. I’ve played a lot of sports growing up and turned down a football scholarship to be here. I’ve always wanted to be a cop, for as long as I can remember.”

I totally knew he had this whole jock vibe about him.

“Turning down a football scholarship is a big deal,” I say, looking down at my hands. “But I think it’s nice that you knew what you wanted.”

“I always go after what I want,” he agrees, shrugging. “I’m not one of those people who believes fate is going to sort life out for me. If I want something, I have to go out and work hard to get it.”

I respect that. “Why have you always wanted to be a cop?”

“My dad was a police officer,” he admits, scanning the room. “Actually, he was friends with Officer Jones. They used to work together.”

I wonder if his dad ever arrested mine at some point.

“Following in his footsteps, huh?” I murmur, lost in thought as I can’t help but think what a good child he is, unlike me, going against anything my parents could possibly want for me.

“Something like that,” he says. “Why didn’t your parents want you to be a cop?”

I shrug. “I guess they think it’s unsafe.”

And because they see police as the enemy.

“Your life, your decisions,” he replies, studying me. “You deserve to be here, just like everyone else.”

“I think I’m beginning to see that.”

“So what other tricks are you hiding up your sleeve, Clo?” he asks after he finishes shooting the target, hitting every bull’s-eye as well. I don’t miss the use of my nickname, but let it slide. “You’re kind of mysterious, you know that? And you rarely give anything away.”

“No tricks here,” I say, ducking my head. “Well, maybe I have a few more, but you’re going to have to wait and see. I like to surprise people.”

“I can see that,” he mutters in a dry tone, then tries to mimic me. “I might need some practice, I haven’t had a shoot in a long time. . . .”

I throw my head back and laugh at the terrible high-pitched tone he used. “I did not sound like that at all, okay?”

“You sounded exactly like that,” he continues, then starts to bat his eyelashes. “I can’t believe you tried to play me like that.”

“I can’t believe you fell for it.” I smirk.

“Well, I won’t be doing that again, let me tell you. I won’t underestimate you again, Clo. Definitely learned my lesson there.”

We share a smile, a quiet moment where I realize how much I like his company. He’s funny, sexy as hell, but also has another side to him. You can actually talk to him. He’s approachable, and he has this vibe about him that screams that he will handle whatever situation is thrown at him. He may outrank me, but he’s my equal. I wouldn’t have to protect him; he can handle his own. He helped pull me out of the rut I was in, with no one giving me a chance to prove my capability, and slowly, he’s becoming someone I would consider a friend.

And yeah, there’s that whole attraction thing.

But I’m ignoring that.

FIVE

I HIT the punching pads harder and harder, trying to get rid of all my stress.

“Remind me never to piss you off,” Felix says as he holds up the pads for me while I make blow after blow. “You have some serious strength in those arms.”

“Thanks,” I grit out, punching each one a few more times before stopping and walking around in a circle, shaking my limbs out. “We should make this a thing. I’ve missed hitting the gym.”

When Felix asked if I wanted to go and work out with him after our shift, it couldn’t have been better timing. I had all this energy I needed to get out, and some company after work actually sounded nice, considering my only socialization is when Cara and Rhett visit me every now and again.

“We could make it a thing. I’m usually here about five times a week,” he admits.

“Okay, I probably won’t come that much, but a few nights a week isn’t so bad. Your turn,” I tell him, picking up the pads and putting them on. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

I notice him hesitate.

“What’s wrong? You know you can’t hurt me right? I’m just holding them up for you to punch, and I could probably kick your ass anyway, so don’t make this a sexist thing.”

“You’ve got a healthy ego, you know that?” he mutters as he winces and punches with his right arm, but it’s the weakest punch ever, and I know he’s uncomfortable with even pretending to hit me.

Is there a gentleman hiding underneath all that brute?

“All right, how about we do some weights or something?” I ask him, rolling my eyes.

Relief fills those baby blues. “Sounds good. I wouldn’t want to hurt you, or make you look bad.”

“How kind of you,” I reply in a dry, sarcastic tone. “In that case, maybe we should head to the mats and spar?”

Taking me off guard he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. “Does the sass ever end?”

“Nope,” I reply, unsure how to handle this playful side to him. “Put me down, you caveman. Stop showing off. And don’t try to distract me from the ass kicking you’re about to get.”

He carts me around like I’m nothing; he’s so big and strong, and my mind goes to the gutter, imagining him throwing me around in the bedroom. Not that I have that much experience in that department, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking about it. I have a pretty dirty mind, but none of that ever gets played out. At least not yet, anyway.

“When I’m showing off, Clo, trust me, you’ll know it,” he replies, putting me back on the ground and leading me toward the weights.

I’m more of a cardio girl, but I just want to watch him lift, you know, supervise and all that. Make sure his form is correct.

“I believe it,” I murmur, watching him get into position, fixing the weight to more than I’ll ever be able to lift in my life, and lying down on his back. If only he were shirtless. He starts to lift the weights, arms bulging, and I take the moment to enjoy the view.

If my aunt Lana, who is a romance author, needs any inspiration for her books, she needs to be here right now. She writes under a pen name, and she’s actually really talented. Uncle Tracker, her husband, even used to appear on a few of her covers and was actually quite the hottie back in his day. You know, before he got old.

I notice a few of the other women in the gym watching Felix too, which annoys me. They should use a little self-control and keep their eyeballs to themselves. Feeling annoyed, I get on the treadmill and run it off. Apparently one of the women takes that as her cue to zoom in closer on Felix, now standing next to the weights and starting up a conversation. I can’t seem to look away, watching her body language as she tries to make her move. I slow the speed on the treadmill to a brisk walk, knowing if they did exchange numbers or something, there’s nothing I could do about it. Felix and I are only just becoming friends, and even that’s a loose term of the word. Besides, we’re partners.

I don’t know what this tightness I feel in my chest is, but if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was jealousy.

No, it can’t be.

Have I ever felt this before?

Fuck.

This is not a good sign.

When Felix is done, he gets up and straightaway he’s scanning the gym for me—which I secretly enjoy—and completely ignoring the other woman. I want to jump for joy, wave at her, then give her the finger, but I stay contained, knowing that from the outside no one would know that anything was wrong. I don’t like to let my emotions control me; that’s a weakness I won’t allow. Especially for something like this. I don’t even know how I feel about the man, and either way, I know that I’m not going to act on it.

Felix smiles over at me and steps onto the treadmill next to me, starting off at a slow walk, head turned to me.

“Race you?” I say, flashing him a smile.

He sighs exaggeratedly. “Not everything is a competition, Clo.”

I put up the speed on my treadmill.

“That’s what people who lose say,” I reply with a flick of my long dark ponytail.

“The sass,” he mutters under his breath. “No wonder Jenks got rid of you.”

“Hey.” I reach out and slap his shoulder. “Jenks got rid of me because he’s boring and I refused to be his doughnut slave.”

“Did you just assault an officer?” he asks, trying to keep a straight face.

I start to lose my breath, but he keeps talking as normal, like his stamina isn’t affected by mere jogging. He’s much fitter than I am, but I try to pretend like I’m not dying. I’m also trying to pretend like I’m not seriously enjoying the banter between us. I knew Felix was good-looking, and badass, but I didn’t know that he was actually a really cool guy too.

I look forward to my shifts now, and it’s only getting better.

I lower the treadmill to a fast walk, and then turn it off, lost in my thoughts.

“Clo,” Felix says, glancing over at me.

“Yeah?”

“I won.” He grins triumphantly.

Damn.

“Clover!” a familiar voice calls out to me as I’m about to unlock my front door.

I spin around, eyes widening when I see Rhett jogging up the stairs to me.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” I ask, smiling.

“I thought I’d surprise you,” he says, coming to a standstill, just watching me. “I haven’t put in much effort to visit you, and Cara has, so I didn’t want her to make me look bad. What the fuck, Clo?”

“What?” I ask him, frowning. I glance down at myself and realize what has him so stunned. “Fuck.”

I’m still in my work clothes. My police uniform.

Fuck.

“What is this?” he asks me, coming closer. “Please tell me this is for some costume party, or that you’re into role-play in the bedroom.”

“Rhett—”

“Tell me!” he barks out at me. Sighing, I open my front door and pull him inside, so we can have a more private conversation. I hate the way he’s looking at me right now, like he doesn’t know me, but I’m still the same person. I’m still his best friend, badge or not.

“I haven’t been here working for an accountant,” I tell him, shifting in my spot, nervous for how he’s going to handle this information. “I’ve been—”

“Fucking hell, Clo, you’re a cop?” he cuts me off, eyes wider than I’ve ever seen them. He rubs the back of his neck and starts to pace, a mixture of confusion, shock, and anger written all over his expression. He’s fuming. And he has every right to be. “How the fuck did this happen? Who knows about this? Sin is going to . . .” He trails off.

I gulp at the thought of my dad finding out.

“No one knows,” I tell him, glancing down at my feet. “Except Cara.”

“Cara knows about this bullshit?” he fires back, scowling. “I don’t know if I should be happy you saved me from all this drama, or angry that you have been lying to me this entire time and living some secret double life as the enemy.”

“I’m not the enemy,” I say, lifting my chin up. “And that’s why I haven’t said anything! I just wanted to help people, Rhett. This has nothing to do with the MC.”

“You want to help people? Volunteer at a fucking soup kitchen or something. Don’t become something you know is such a bad decision that you have to hide it from everyone who loves you, besides your bloody partner in crime.”

Fuck.

The man knows exactly what to say to hit his target.

“I’m not hurting anyone, or affecting anyone else’s life, Rhett. I didn’t tell everyone because I knew it would turn into a huge uproar, when it doesn’t need to be some big deal. I wanted to do this, so I did it. I’ve always wanted to do this, Rhett. And you knew it. You knew it when I did that assignment in high school on it, so don’t act like I pulled this out of nowhere.”

“Yeah, and even back then I told you it was a stupid idea. I thought you grew out of that bullshit,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest and studying me. “This has broken my heart, Clo, so I can only imagine what it’s going to do to the rest of the MC.”

Covering my face with my hands, I process this moment. I knew it was coming, I did, but I always let future me worry about it. I was in denial and thought I could get away with it for as long as I saw fit. Realistically, I’m lucky to have gotten away with it for this long. They were always going to find out the truth; it was just a matter of time.

“Don’t say that to me, I already feel so shitty about it,” I tell him, moving closer to him and looking up into his eyes. “I am well aware no one is going to like this, it’s why I kept it separate from everything and everyone. I didn’t know if I was going to stay, because it wasn’t how I thought it was going to be, so I just kept telling myself that soon it might not even be an issue.”

“I don’t know how you can even say that it’s not an issue. What are you going to do if they put you on a case that has something to do with one of the Wind Dragons members? What happens then? Whose side are you on?”

I gesture my arms out wide. “I’m here in the middle of nowhere, in a sleepy-ass town that doesn’t even have any bikers, and most of the work I’ve been doing up until recently has been paperwork. I really don’t think I have anything to worry about in that department.”

He moves and plops down onto my couch, shaking his head to himself, blond hair falling over his forehead. “Only you would do something like this, you know that? You have balls of fucking steel, Clover. That, or you are just batshit crazy.”

“You mean a vagina of steel,” I reply, flashing a hopeful smile at him. “I’m sorry I’ve been lying to you, Rhett. And I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you. But I’m still me, and I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

“Tell me everything, from the beginning,” he says to me after a few seconds. “And I’m going to need a drink for this. What do you have?”

“Beer and vodka.”

“Bring both.”

I get us some alcohol, and I start with the moment I decided I was going to go for what I wanted and not worry about what anyone else thought.

Was it a selfish notion?

Maybe.

But it was also me being true to myself and living my life on my own terms.

Wind Dragons blood runs through me, and I’m proud of who I am. I just hope everyone can be proud of me, too.

After I tell him everything, he sits there with a look of horror on his face. Never did I think there’d be a time where Rhett wouldn’t hold me in the highest regard, but his expression lets me know that I’m pushing that boundary right now.

“I don’t know what to say,” he whispers, blinking slowly.

“Why don’t we take the heat off me for a second?”

He nods as if he still cannot believe what I just told him.

“So what’s going on with you?” I ask him, changing the subject and turning it around on him. “I heard you’ve been dating heaps, does this mean that you’re finally off the market?” That breaks through his fog.

“Where did you hear that from? I haven’t been dating per se, I went on one fuckin’ date, and no one else knew about it, so how did you? Especially when you haven’t even been home?” he asks me, scowling. “You got eyes on me?”

So much for getting him to forget about my being a cop. “You never take women on dates,” I point out, looking him in the eye. “How did this one come about?”

“First, tell me how you knew.”

“Fine, but you can’t say anything,” I say, deciding to get involved in his and Cara’s odd relationship. Maybe it will make him reveal his true feelings for her or ignite a conversation between them. Cara is going to kill me, but something has to be done.

“You know I won’t.” He gives me an exasperated look.

“Cara happened to be walking by and saw you in the restaurant,” I tell him, watching his reaction very closely.

Blue eyes widen. “You’re kidding me, right? Why didn’t she say anything? Fuck, what are the chances?”

I arch my brow and leave it at that. He knows why. He’s not stupid. I know they say love is blind, but he can’t be that blind.

“Fuck,” he grits out, rubbing the back of his neck. “So that’s why she’s been acting weird and not answering my phone calls?”

Again, I don’t bother with a reply. He knows the answer to that.

What I do ask is, “So who is she?”

“Just some girl,” he replies absently, pulling out his phone and staring down at the screen. “Fuck it, I’m going to call her, I can’t believe this shit.”

“Why are you angry? It’s not her fault she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or better yet, considering the two of you are just friends, why does it matter?”

He throws a pillow at my face.

“You’re quiet today, is everything okay?” Felix asks me as we walk through a mall, trying to locate a shoplifter. By the time we managed to get here though, it’s more than likely that he took off, but we’re doing a check just to be sure.

“I’m fine,” I tell him. “Just a little distracted.”

Understatement of the year. I’ve never felt like the world was against me more than at this point in my life. It’s hard, because I love who I am and would never change it, or where I came from, so I need to accept that if I want to be a cop, I’m going to have to handle the backlash from the MC. Rhett left this morning, after saying it won’t be him who tells the MC, it will be me. It buys me some time, but it also makes the whole situation very, very real.

“He’s not here,” Felix muses, scanning the crowd. “We should take a copy of the surveillance and print out a picture of him.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

After we sort out the surveillance, we head back to our car. I come to a stop though, when I see a young woman passed out on the pavement, a small child next to her, sitting there patiently.

“Hello,” I say to the little girl. “Are you okay?”

She nods, but clearly the situation in front of us is not okay.

“Is this your mom?” I ask her, inspecting the woman and checking her pulse.

She nods again.

“Felix, call an ambulance,” I tell him as he comes up behind me. “I think she overdosed.”

Felix does as I ask while I try to get more information from the girl, who looks to be about four or five years old. She says that her mommy sleeps a lot, and it’s okay because she will wake up, she just has to wait. I feel so bad for her. She doesn’t seem to know that anything is wrong, because she’s probably used to it. What kind of life is that?

“What is your name?” I ask her, making sure to keep my tone gentle and friendly.

“Amelia.”

“That’s a pretty name. I’m Clover.”

She stays silent, staring up at me with a confused expression, probably wondering why I have such an unusual name, who knows.

“Have you eaten, Amelia?” I ask, knowing that I can at least get her some food and something to drink.

“No. I’m hungry,” she tells me, so I take her back inside the mall and buy her a hot dog, some fries, and a milkshake, her pick. By the time I get back outside the ambulance has arrived, and her mother is being lifted inside.

“What about her?” I ask Felix, glancing down at the curly-haired girl, who is happily enjoying her meal. “We need to find a family member to look after her.”

“The lady had no ID on her,” Felix explains, frowning. “We might have to take her back to the station with us and call child services, see who her next of kin is.”

We pile Amelia into our squad car and head back to the station.

After an hour, we get a call that the woman, Charmaine Dickson, is awake and freaking out, asking where her daughter is. I try not to be judgmental, I really do, but the first thought that enters my mind is, Bit late to start caring now. Child services said they’d come to the hospital to speak to Charmaine and take it from there. We take Amelia to the hospital, where Charmaine is sitting up, looking terrible but lucid.

“Amelia,” she cries, holding out her arms. She looks so young, maybe twenty-one max, and it’s really hard to see someone in the position she’s in.

“Mommy!”

Amelia jumps up onto the bed and gives her a big hug.

I know my job is done, and we could think we did all we could, but I can’t seem to just walk away and pretend that I didn’t see that little girl suffer from her mother’s issues.

“She’s a lovely little girl,” I tell Charmaine, who is very wary of me in my uniform. To her, I’m the enemy. I’m not the one who just played board games with her daughter for the last hour, or the one who made sure she was safe and fed. Nope, I’m just the one who might take her drugs away.

“She is,” she agrees, stroking Amelia’s light curly hair.

“You’re lucky it was us who found her and not someone else,” I say, ignoring the feel of Felix’s stare. She needs to know that she put her child in danger, not to be enabled. I can’t act like this is okay.

“I know,” she murmurs, ducking her head. “It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure. It’s just that, well, when the man said . . .” She trails off, looks down at her daughter, and covers her ears with her hands. “When Reaper said that the first sample was free, I couldn’t not try it. I’ve been trying to be good but . . .”

Reaper?

I share a look with Felix but prompt her to continue. “But?”

She looks down at her hands. “It was hard to say no when he was offering it for free.”

My eyes narrow. “Are you saying a dealer is handing out free drugs for people to try?”

Free drug samples.

This could create an epidemic.

He’s getting them hooked that way, and trying to get them to trust him or maybe even consider him a friend. I don’t know who this guy is, but I already don’t fucking like him.

Felix starts questioning her about this man, asking for a description, where she met him, and anything else that could help us find him. I’m glad he’s got the same idea as me. The more drugs we can get off the street, the less situations like this we’re going to have to deal with. I know it’s probably fighting a battle we can’t win, but it won’t make it any worse, that’s for sure.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask him as we get back into the car.

He glances at his watch. “Yeah. Let’s find out who and where this guy is so we can make a plan to get him off the street.”

I grin evilly.

We do a fist bump and take off on the lead that Charmaine gave us.

Whoever this guy is, he caught the attention of the wrong woman.

My shoes slam down on the asphalt with each step while I run as fast as I can, not wanting to let this man get away. Felix took the other possible route he could have taken, but looks like I’m finally getting the action I wanted because he ran in my direction. I all but tackle him as we reach the grass on someone’s front lawn, placing his hands behind his back and pinning him down as he struggles. “You are under arrest,” I tell the man just as Felix finds us, reading him his rights, handcuffing his hands behind his back. I make sure to follow the protocol on everything, knowing Felix is watching me and making sure I know what I’m doing. He’s letting me take the lead with this, and I appreciate it. I also appreciate him at my back, ready to jump in and help me if I need it. It makes me feel safe and confident at the same time. When a man we spoke to gave us the name and description of a dealer, we realized it wasn’t the one we were originally looking for, but when we found him with drugs on him, of course we are going to make this arrest. Even though the man Charmaine described is still on the loose, at least we took one other drug dealer off the streets. For now anyway. We do our part, but the next bit will be up to the court system. We place him in the back of the car and drive back to the station. It’s the first time I’ve been in the car with a criminal in the back, and it’s kind of weird.

“You did well,” Felix tells me under his breath, so only I can hear, and nods his head in approval.

It means more to me than I’ll ever admit.

Fuck you, Jenks and Jones.

I’m going to be the best cop this town has ever seen.

We head out for a few drinks after our shift and, because a few of the other cops come with us, it doesn’t feel too intimate. People give us a wide berth, even though we aren’t in uniform it’s almost like they can sense who we are.

“You drinking that or just holding it?” Paul, one of the guys, asks me, grinning. “You not much of a drinker?”

“I can be,” I admit, bringing the glass to my lips and having a taste. “I’m savoring it, don’t try to peer pressure me, Paul.”

They all laugh and order another round. I’ve never been invited to anything like this before with the other cops, and it’s kind of weird to be hanging out with them away from the station, and without our uniforms and badges. It feels like normal people just having a drink, and it’s nice.

When one by one everyone decides to leave early though, it’s just me and Felix and alcohol, and I realize this might not have been the best idea.

“You smell nice,” Felix says to me. He’s somehow crept much closer to me from when we first arrived here, so our arms are now touching. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable having him in my space.

“You only realized that just now?” I tease, flashing him a cheeky grin to let him know I’m just messing with him.

“No, I noticed it from the first time you bumped into me,” he admits, showing off his twin dimples as he smiles back, eyes locked on to mine.

“Oh,” I whisper. “You mean when you bumped into me, right? When you were really rude and acted like you hated me?”

He chuckles, placing his beer down on the bar and giving me all of his attention. “I’d lost the only partner I’d ever known, because he broke his damn leg off duty, and I’d just been told he’s getting a transfer, and I was told I basically had to babysit some woman who showed promise but had a bit of an attitude problem. The second Jones told me your name, I knew who you were. Everyone knows who you are at the station.”

“How is that? All the amazing paper pushing I’ve been doing for everyone?”

“You have something about you that just draws people in. It’s everything. The way you carry yourself, your confidence,” he states simply, scanning my eyes.

“I’ve been told I can be kind of intimidating,” I admit, not knowing what else to say. “But don’t worry, I don’t bite. Much.”

“Why would anyone be intimidated by you?” he asks, gently nudging me with his shoulder. “Other than your attitude and firearm skills. That’s quite the deadly combination, by the way.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” I reply, only for him to flash those dimples at me again. They’re a weapon, I tell you, because all I want to do is make them reappear, over and over.

“I believe it. I’m looking forward to seeing how you surprise me next.” He pauses to take a drink of his beer and looks around. “I feel like we should make this a weekly event.”

“Us getting drunk at a bar and pretending we live normal lives?” I ask, lifting my glass to my lips and taking a sip, eyes locked with his.

“No,” he replies. “Just us. Spending time together alone.”

I put the glass back down and tuck my hair behind my ear. “What exactly are you asking me, Banks?”

More dimples and amusement in those blue eyes. I tilt my head and wait for his response.

Instead of saying anything with words, he cups my cheek with his rough fingers, leans forward, and kisses me, catching me off guard. Instantly melting into him, I close my mind off and just enjoy the moment, his soft, full lips against mine, his taste, and the feelings he brings out of me. I feel fuzzy, and I know it’s not the alcohol. I’ve been attracted to him, before I ever spoke to him; it feels like this has been a long time coming.

“Is that answer enough?” he whispers against my lips before pulling away.

I want to ask him what the hell we’re doing and tell him no one can know about this because I’m pretty sure it’s not allowed, but instead I stay silent and lick my lips.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

I haven’t gotten to where I am right now by following the rules, and I guess that’s not about to change.

He flashes me a grin and places some money down on the counter. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

I nod and let him lead me outside, hand in hand.

Lead.

I think that’s the key word here.

I let a man lead me.

I never expected Felix Banks to enter my life, but now that he’s here?

I think I might be all in.

SIX

“SO I have a confession to make,” Cara announces, crossing her legs and leaning back against the couch.

“Oh, good, because so do I,” I reply, rubbing my hands together in anticipation. “Hit me with it. What have you done this time?”

“Nothing,” she says, blushing a little. “It’s just, I don’t know. I guess I’ve been hanging out with Rhett a little more than usual recently, and I think we may have started flirting.”

My eyes widen. “You guys are finally leaving the friendship zone? How the hell did that happen?”

She purses her lips before responding. “I don’t know. He just started putting in more effort, coming to see me more and calling more. And then he said let’s go out for dinner and a movie, which as you know is nothing new for us, but it just felt different this time. It felt like a date.”

Reaching over, I pull her into a hug. “I’m so happy for you guys. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this. Mom is going to be so excited; she’s always asking how come the two of you don’t just get together already.”

“Is my dad going to be excited though?” she grumbles, cringing.

“Is you with any man going to excite Uncle Rake?” I ask her, wincing in return. “Hey, at least he’s a Wind Dragon. And Uncle Rake loves Rhett. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

Unlike me, because bringing a cop home would probably be the worst thing I could ever do.

Besides actually joining the force myself.

Shit.

“That’s true. How about you? Spill,” she says, giving me her full attention.

“I kissed my partner,” I blurt out, exhaling. “And it was the best kiss I’ve ever had, and I want to do it again.”

Her mouth drops open. “I fucking knew it! I knew just by the way you spoke about this guy something was there. Tell me everything. Where were you? Does this mean you two are going to start dating?”

“It happened a few nights ago: a few of us went to grab a drink after work, and one thing led to another. We had only two drinks, so we weren’t drunk, and he made sure I got home safely and then left. I kind of thought he was going to come inside when he walked me to my door, but then he didn’t.”

“Did you want him to?” she asks, studying me.

“No. I don’t know. It would have been stupid to invite him in, but I was tempted,” I admit, closing my eyes and resting my head back. “I’m glad I didn’t though. He doesn’t know that I don’t have any experience, and I don’t want to rush into anything. I want to be sure.”

“You sound sure,” she adds, blinking slowly. “I need to meet this guy, seriously. When I’m at your place next you have to bring him over.”

“I suppose I could do that,” I agree. “I need a little time to see if this is going to turn into something or not.”

“Are you even allowed to be romantically involved with your partner?” she asks, voicing the dreaded question.

“Who are you, the police?” I tease, covering my face with my palms. “I don’t know. I’ll worry about that when we get to it.”

Cara laughs softly under her breath. “Man, this was just the plot twist we needed.”

“He’s started texting me too,” I admit, looking at her and gauging her reaction. “We spend so much time together as it is at work, and some shifts are so intense, you know? We have to be on the same page, and have each other’s backs because our lives depend on it. We had to learn to trust each other.”

“Sounds like the makings of a great relationship,” Cara replies. “Might have to be a secret relationship though.”

“Why do I always have to hide shit?” I ask myself out loud.

“Because you go after what you want, Clover. Without rules or boundaries, you always follow your heart, and I love that about you.”

“And I love you for loving that about me. How much shit did Rhett give you about knowing I am a cop?”

“Not too much, he knows what we’re like by now,” she says, shrugging it off. “Besides, he’s not my dad. He’s never going to be able to control me, and if he wants to be with me, he’s going to have to realize that.”

“I think he already does.” I snicker, resting my head on her shoulder. “I guess we better get back to the clubhouse. I want to see everyone before I drive back home tomorrow.”

“You’re coming to the barbecue next weekend, right?” she asks, standing up and pulling me up with her.

“Yeah, I won’t miss that.”

We head back to the clubhouse, each with secrets of our own.

But I can’t help think how much heavier mine are than hers.

“Another arrest, but not the guy we’re after,” Felix murmurs as we get back into the police car.

“We’re working up the chain. We’ll get him eventually. And we’re still making the streets safer,” I point out, even though it can be frustrating.

“Always so confident.” He smirks.

“We make a great team. And we’re both determined and stubborn as hell. I have no doubt that it’s not an if but a when.”

“We have a few more leads we can chase,” he says to me, just as another call comes through.

“I think we should start with Charmaine. I think she would help us,” I tell him. “And might even remember something else that could help us find this guy.”

“That’s a good idea,” he says.

“You sound surprised.”

“It’s obvious, but I didn’t think of it,” he admits, and I can tell he doesn’t like that fact.

I shake my head at him in amusement. “This is a partnership, not a competition.”

“That’s profound coming from you, Miss Competitive,” he replies, lip twitching.

“I’m learning,” I say softly, humbly even.

“Yes, you are,” he says, pride in his tone.

I glance out the window, unable to keep the smile off my face. It’s a good feeling, that I’m finally doing something right and I’m being acknowledged for it.

Jenks never taught me anything, or even gave me any constructive criticism; it’s as if he didn’t want me to do well. With Felix, he treats me as though I’m a reflection of his skills, so it’s like we really are a team. If one of us wins, we both win, and if one of us fails, we both fail. I never knew what it was like to have a real partner up until now, and I’m so grateful I got this opportunity before I decided to leave the job.

After our shift we find ourselves at the gym, except I’m feeling a little tired, so I just walk on the treadmill.

“Do you want to go?” Felix asks me, stopping next to me. I was watching him doing his weights, but obviously even he can sense that I’m just not feeling the workout today.

“Only if you’re done,” I tell him. “I’m being a shit gym buddy today, aren’t I? If we’re going to make this a thing, I should probably put in a little more effort.”

“You had a rough day,” he says, looking me in the eye.

We ended up stumbling upon a meth lab, and yeah, there were children living inside the house. Seeing them sitting there, looking so scared, because to them we were the bad guys, it was a really hard pill to swallow. Two parents were arrested, and four children are now going to be placed in foster care if none of their family members step up to take them in.

“So did you,” I reply, turning off the treadmill.

“I’ve been doing this much longer than you have. Working out helps me deal. If that’s not your thing, you need to find out what is,” he says, offering me his hand. “Why don’t we go do something else?”

“Like what?”

“How about a swim?” he suggests, blue eyes twinkling. “It’s the perfect night for it.”

“I didn’t bring a suit,” I reply, although I’m now wishing that I did, because I would really like to finally see him shirtless. “Are there pools here?”

“Yeah, there are. But I had something else in mind,” he says with a sly, boyish smile. “Something that doesn’t involve bathing suits.”

“Skinny-dipping?” I guess, arching my brow. “Do you do this with all your partners? What do you take me for, Felix Banks?”

“Someone who likes adventure,” he replies, winking at me. “I know the perfect spot, and I’ll even close my eyes and wait for you to get in first.”

“A true gentleman,” I tease.

I’ve never actually been skinny-dipping before, so why the hell not? “Okay, you’re on.”

He grins in triumph.

“But, Felix?” I add, facing him. “Just so you know, I definitely won’t be looking away while you get in.”

He laughs and offers me his hand. “If you want to see me naked, Clo, all you have to do is ask.”

Wait, what?

It had been that easy this whole time?

Oh, wait. I’m behaving myself, right? I mean, we have a professional relationship only, one that has now turned into a kind of friendship. More and more lines are being blurred every day, and if I’m not okay with that, I need to stop this, now.

I don’t.

We leave the gym, him sweaty and me happy.

We then drive twenty minutes to the beach.

“Can I take you out on a date sometime this week?” Felix asks me, glancing over at me from the driver’s seat, catching me completely off guard.

“Really? You want to take me on a date? Is that allowed?”

“Yes, I want to take you on a date,” he replies, tone gentle. “And I don’t know, probably not, but is it really anyone else’s business what we do in our private time?”

“I guess not,” I say, mind racing.

Time waits for no one. I either need to take a chance with him and get to know him better, or completely friend-zone him and potentially have to watch him move on with someone else. Now I understand the position Cara has been in for years with Rhett. It takes so much for a guy to get my attention; it’s hard for me to find guys I connect to and actually want to spend time with. And the one who does is possibly off-limits because he’s my partner.

“Is it because you finally saw my ass in these yoga pants? It looks good doesn’t it?”

He barks out a laugh. “I don’t know, I think I’m going to need to check you out in them again, at a closer distance.”

Grinning, I duck my head and come to a decision. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Felix.”

Fuck it.

I’m in.

He’s too good to pass up, rules be damned.

He looks relieved, exhaling, as if he’d been holding his breath.

“Did you think I was going to say no?”

He nods.

“But you still asked?” I push, wanting to see where his head is at.

“You’re worth the chance,” he says with a nonchalant shrug. “If you’d said you weren’t interested, it would’ve fucking sucked, but at least I’d know where I stood and I would’ve accepted it.”

“Lucky I didn’t turn you down then,” I tease.

“I am lucky,” he agrees.

We start chatting, about anything and everything. I tell him about my favorite spots back home and how I have an obsession with Asian food and culture, and he tells me how his cousin Bella is going to be visiting him and how he’d love for me to meet her.

As soon as the car stops, we both get out, and I can tell how much everything has changed in such a short space of time. I slide up to him so that our bodies are almost touching, and his hand drops down to my waist, touching my bare skin. I always feel sexy when I wear my workout clothes, and today is no exception, my black sports crop shows off my flat, tanned stomach, and my tight pants reveal every curve.

“Do you know how damn beautiful you are?” he asks me, scanning my eyes.

“This is escalating,” I mutter, smiling at him with said hazel eyes. “You’re not so bad yourself, Felix. I like the whole funny, sexy jock thing you have going on.”

He’s the perfect mix of boy next door and badass.

We walk along with our bare feet in the sand, the huge full moon lighting the way. I’ve read about romance, and I’ve even seen it with my parents and other members of the MC, but I’ve never experienced it before. It turns out its not expensive gifts and elaborate over-the-top dates, but this.

Just us: unable to stop looking at each other; alone with moonlight on our faces, highlighting our smiles and dreamy eyes; hand in hand. This right here is romantic, and I can’t stop smiling. I don’t know what he’s done to me. If someone told Cara and Rhett I was acting like this, they’d probably laugh in that person’s face, because this is just not how I usually act. I’m usually a little standoffish, a little rude, and I like my own personal space, but with Felix? I like holding his hand. I like when he looks at me. And I like that he’s fun and spontaneous and is pulling me out of my comfort zone.

Even more, I like that he’s making work feel like home. Like it is where I am meant to be.

He rips off his white T-shirt and throws it down on the sand, oblivious to the fact that my jaw is hanging open and my eyes are as wide as saucers. Okay, I knew he worked out and was clearly muscled, but I had no idea just how much. His six-pack is so cut and toned, I just want to trace it with my tongue and let my fingers explore every inch of him.

He has that sexy V, like an arrow pointing to heaven.

Or hell, if I’m lucky.

His basketball shorts drop next, leaving him in a pair of briefs and nothing else.

“Normally I’d go commando,” he admits with a grin. “But not for working out.”

“Good to know,” I rasp, licking my suddenly dry lips and staring at the obvious bulge in his underwear. “Well, don’t let me stop you now.”

I’m pretty bold for someone who has seen only two penises up close in her life.

I’ve touched one.

And that’s where my experience ends.

He pulls his briefs down with a smug smile, but covers his package with his hands. “The key is to always leave a little mystery.”

“Little?” I tease, brows rising.

He chuckles and turns around, showing off his round, tight ass. “A whole lot of mystery.”

Stepping into the water, he wades in until it’s up to his hips. “Much warmer than I thought it was going to be,” he calls out to me. “Come on!”

He has his back to me, keeping his promise, while I remove my sports bra, yoga pants, and black lace panties. Covering my breasts with my hands, I test the water temperature with my toe before stepping into it. He’s right; it’s actually pretty warm. I stop next to him and lower myself onto my knees so my breasts are covered by the water.

He does the same, dropping down and staring up at the night sky. “Perfect way to end the night, don’t you think?”

I dip my hair back into the water. “Definitely. And also a first for me.”

“You’ve never skinny-dipped before?” he asks, sounding surprised. “I thought this was something everyone did.”

“It was on my bucket list,” I admit, lifting up my head and slowly going deeper into the water, Felix following beside me. I guess when you usually have scary-ass bikers following you around, making sure you’re safe, you do your best to keep your clothes on at all times. The last thing I’d ever want one of my uncles to see is my walking around on the beach naked.

Felix moves in front of me, so we’re facing each other, and cups my face, his wet fingers leaving droplets running down my neck. “Is kissing someone while skinny-dipping also on your bucket list? Because as of tonight, it made it to mine.”

“You’ve never kissed someone in the ocean before?” I ask him, eyes dropping to his perfectly formed, full lips. Or is he just referring to the skinny-dipping?

He shakes his head.

“Me either,” I say, even though that is pretty damn obvious.

A slow-spreading smile that gives me butterflies plays on his lips before he leans forward and softly kisses me, testing the waters before he dives in deeper, sucking on my bottom lip and making me feel light-headed. I press myself against him, my breasts touching the warm, wet skin of his smooth chest, my arms tangling behind his neck, pulling myself closer to him. He tastes like salt and mint and never was there ever such a perfect kiss in the history of kisses.

When he pulls back and looks into my eyes, I’m breathless, left both satisfied and wanting more. He doesn’t look down, taking in my naked body, just keeps on seeing right into my dark soul and accepting me just as I am. His fingers trail down my back and land on my hips, and he presses one long kiss to my forehead.

“Well, fuck,” he whispers, eloquently expressing exactly how I feel.

“I think . . . we might need to do that again,” I say, pressing my lips back against his.

He smiles, then gives me what I want and more.

SEVEN

A FEW nights later I’m standing in front of my mirror in my little black dress and block heels, waiting for my first official date night with Felix. I press my red lips together, making a smacking sound, then turn to the side to make sure my ass looks good, which it does. I can’t remember the last time I went on a dinner date. A gentle knock at the door tells me Felix is early, but not too early, and I can appreciate that. I love punctual people.

I open the door to a handsome man holding a bouquet of black roses and a smile.

“You look stunning,” he says, eyes roaming over my dress and back up again. He looks pretty good himself, in a black shirt, jeans, and boots. I’ve never seen him so dressed up, and it’s kind of sexy, but I think I’ll always prefer him in his police uniform.

“Thank you,” I reply, smelling the flowers as he steps inside. “These are beautiful, Felix.”

He gets extra points for making them my favorite color. I’ve seen these flowers online, they are the ones that can apparently live for a year. I don’t know how they do it, but they’re absolutely amazing, and I won’t have to throw them out in a few days.

“I’ve always wanted some of these,” I admit to him, smiling down at them. “Black like my soul.”

“Or so you’d like people to think,” he replies as I place the flowers on the decorative table near my front door.

I grab my bag and take his hand with my other hand. “You making theories about me, Felix?”

“No, just getting to know you,” he murmurs, holding the door open for me. “Shall we?”

I nod, locking the door and walking with him to his car, a silver Cadillac. He opens the door for me, forever the gentleman, and waits until I’m seated to close the door and move to the driver’s side.

“So, where are we going?” I ask him once he’s settled in. “You still haven’t told me.”

“That’s because it’s a surprise,” he tells me, and not for the first time. “Haven’t you had a man surprise you before?”

I tilt my head to the side, thinking. “No, I don’t think I have. I mean, unless a surprise boner counts.”

Felix flashes me an unimpressed look. I think about what I said and realize how it might sound if you didn’t know I was a virgin, which for some reason makes me amused at his annoyance.

“Felix.”

“Yes,” he replies, looking straight ahead.

“Why are you grumpy? Are you jealous about someone else’s boner coming near me?” I ask him, unable to stop myself from laughing. “You’re seriously hilarious.”

“This is our first date, and I’d rather not talk about any penises going near you.” He pauses, and then adds, “Unless it’s mine, of course.”

“I guess this would be the right moment to tell you that I’m a virgin,” I blurt out, smirking when he brings his surprised blue eyes to me. “There’s my surprise for the night for you.”

No one believes it when they hear it, and I don’t know why. It wasn’t like I was saving myself for marriage or anything like that; I’ve just been waiting for the right guy. So many girls I knew from school regretted who they gave their virginity to, and I never wanted to do that, so I’ve just been waiting until I was sure. I don’t know how it happened, but time just kept passing, and I just never met anyone I wanted to sleep with.

“But you must have to fight men off you on the daily, you’re so beautiful,” he replies, confusion written all over his face.

“Lucky I’m a badass fighter then, huh?” I tease, shifting on the seat. “It’s not like men haven’t tried. But I’m not sleeping with someone for the hell of it. I need to feel comfortable, and trust that person . . .”

And I rarely trust anyone.

My mom has always instilled in me high self-confidence, and I don’t know if that has something to do with this, or maybe just the fact that I’m seriously fussy, but I’m glad I waited.

Especially now that I’ve met the man sitting next to me.

“I don’t know why I’m so shocked, but I am,” he murmurs, reaching over and squeezing my thigh.

“This is when you open up about your sexual experience,” I prompt, arching a brow and looking at him expectantly. Whatever he says won’t change anything, but this is all part of getting to know each other. Nothing is off-limits or too personal, or at least that’s how I feel it should be when you’re with the right partner.

“Well, I’m not a virgin,” he starts with, studying me, maybe to see if that bothers me or not. “But I’m kind of wishing that I was right now.”

I don’t want him to feel that way at all.

“I’d never assume you were a virgin, not at your age and not with those dimples. I’m not going to judge you, whether you’ve slept with five or thirty,” I say with a shrug.

I really hope it’s not that many though.

“I’ve slept with about ten women,” he continues. “I’ve had a few one-night stands. The rest were girlfriends.”

“That’s less than I thought it was going to be,” I admit, looking down at my black fingernails. “What with you being a football player and all that.”

“This is not how I pictured the start of our date going,” he says in a dry tone, making me laugh. He quickly glances at me before looking back at the road. “But you know what, I want to know everything about you. The good and the bad. I’m glad we had this conversation. Especially because now if you make a penis reference, I won’t have any reason to get jealous.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Oh, so you admit you were jealous! And hey, I’ve still seen one and touched one.”

Look at me, bragging about my lack of experience. Not something I ever thought I’d be doing.

“So have I,” he laughs, not bothered in the least. In fact, he looks happy, a wide smile on his lips. Does he like the idea that if we had sex, he would be my first? I mean, he’d have to take the lead, not that I can see him minding that. Felix has something about him that screams dominance, yet he doesn’t always show that side of him, which I also appreciate.

I wouldn’t take kindly to a man telling me what to do, but at the same time I like that he can take control of any situation if he needs to.

“Okay, I need you to put this on,” he tells me, handing me one of those sleeping masks that covers your eyes. This one has a pug on it.

“What? Why? Where are you taking me?” I ask, lifting it up and sliding it on. “And whose mask is this?”

“I bought it for the occasion—cute isn’t it?” he says, sounding a little too cheerful. “I don’t want you to see where we’re going until we’re there.”

Well, at least I know that he’s a dog person.

“Okay,” I whisper, dragging out the word, excitement filling me. The fact that he’s put so much thought and effort into tonight means more than anything, and I know that I’m going to love whatever he comes up with. “I’m pretty fucking excited right now.”

“Good,” he rumbles, touching my thigh again, sending shivers all over my body.

Fuck.

It’s all there.

The mental and emotional connection, the physical attraction.

He’s the trifecta.

And it’s both exhilarating and terrifying.

Felix helps me out of the car and leads me to wherever we’re meant to be going. The sleeping mask isn’t the best, but I’m still not able to see where the hell we are, so it definitely did the trick, pug and all.

“I’m going to carry you up these stairs,” he warns me, lifting me up bride-style while I hold on to his strong shoulders. When we reach the top he doesn’t bother to put me down, just keeps carrying me to our secret destination.

“Almost there.”

“You aren’t even panting,” I point out.

“You’re not heavy,” he tells me, kissing my cheek. “I could carry you all day, but fortunately I won’t have to because we’re here.”

He puts me down and slides off the mask, but before I can look around and see where we are, he’s kissing me, and my eyes are closed once more, lost in him, in his taste and scent. I’m dazed when he pulls away, but I look behind him and grin when I see where he has brought me.

“If I knew this was where we were going, I sure as hell wouldn’t have worn this dress,” I say, glancing down at my heels and frowning.

“I have it all sorted,” he assures me, moving to the corner of the room and picking up a black bag. “And you’ll need the dress for the second half of the date.”

I shake my head in amazement. I love rock climbing, always have, but it’s been so long since I’ve done it.

“I love this,” I tell him. “Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

“I was hoping you would,” he murmurs, opening the bag and pulling out some sweatpants and a shirt for me, along with some sneakers. “A friend of mine owns this place, and when I told him about you he said he’d help me set this up.”

“Is that why no one else is here?” I ask him, doing a full-circle spin.

We have the whole place to ourselves.

“Except for a few of the employees, you know, so either of us don’t fall off and die.” He chuckles, removing his shirt to reveal a white singlet, muscles bulging.

“Yeah probably for the best, in case one of us gets a little . . . distracted,” I mutter, licking my lips suggestively. “Where can I put these on?” I ask him, glancing around. “Wouldn’t want to put on a show for the staff.”

He shows me where the bathroom is. “Come on, I’ll come with you. I have to change my pants and shoes anyway.”

“How did you know my shoe size?” I ask him, eyeing the brand-new Nike trainers.

“I looked at the shoes you wear to work.” He shrugs, like it was a no-brainer. “And I noticed you liked Nikes because of your gym shoes, so instead of asking you to bring yours and giving you a hint that we might be doing something physical, I just went out and bought you new shit instead.”

If he keeps this up, we definitely will be getting physical.

“Great detective work. You didn’t have to buy me anything though,” I comment as we walk into the changing room together.

“I know,” he replies, as I boldly let my little black dress drop to the floor, so I’m standing there in nothing but black silk and heels.

“Wow,” he whispers, slowly taking me in from head to toe.

I flash him a cheeky smile and bend down to remove my shoes, and then I slide on the track pants. They fit like a glove. Just as I straighten, Felix comes up to me and grabs me by the hips, pulling me forward against him.

“I’m feeling like a really lucky man right now,” he says against my lips, kissing me softly, a gentle tease promising of much more to come. He cups the side of my neck, stroking my skin with his thumb, driving me crazy. If he doesn’t step away from me right now, I don’t know how much rock climbing we’re going to be getting in.

“You’re not the only lucky one,” I manage to reply, picking up the top and sliding it on over my bra. I don’t feel any less sexy in the casual clothes, especially when we both know what I have on underneath.

Tension filling the room, we manage to get ready and head back outside to do some climbing.

I wouldn’t mind climbing him right now.

Clover, concentrate.

Time to show off my rock climbing skills.

After he beats me to the top, twice, much to my dismay, we get re-dressed and head out for dinner. Felix chose a Vietnamese-French fusion restaurant, all because I once mentioned that I love Asian food. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone pay so much attention to my every word, listening to every detail and making notes about it. Considering everything I’m hiding, I guess that can also be a bad thing. I push that thought away, not wanting anything to ruin the second part of the evening he’s got planned. He pulls out all the chivalrous stops, opening doors, pulling out chairs, and even making sure he walks on the side of the pathway closest to the road. He’s obviously been raised to be a gentleman, and I wasn’t sure his kind even existed anymore in our generation.

“I love this place already,” I say, glancing over the menu. “Have you eaten here before?”

He shakes his head. “I haven’t, but the reviews were really good. It wasn’t easy to get a reservation either.”

I glance around at all the full tables. “I would imagine. What are you going to order?”

He scans the menu in his hands. “I’m eyeing the shared plate.”

“The shared plate looks good,” I agree, reading all the different things to try on it. “A little taste of everything on the menu. Or did you want to eat it all by yourself?”

His lip twitches. “I was going to, but for you, I’d be willing to make a sacrifice.”

I tuck my hair back behind my ear and shake my head in amusement. “Maybe we should get that and something else.”

“Sounds perfect. That rock climbing made me hungry.”

Watching him climb, material stretched thin, made me hungry too.

We settle on the shared plate, some crab noodles, and wine.

“I love that you can do both,” he suddenly says, watching me with hooded eyes from across the table.

“Do both what?” I ask him, confused.

“Be badass and casual sexy, then you turn into this, all class in your dress, heels, and makeup. You’re the best of all worlds,” he says, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip.

“Well, aren’t you all complimentary today.” I grin. “I’m not used to losing though, so don’t make it a habit.”

“You won’t win all the time, Clo.” He smirks, leaning back in his seat and studying me. “That would be too boring for you. You need someone to keep it interesting and keep pushing you. Someone who can handle you.”

“And do you think that person is you?” I ask boldly, lifting my chin.

All I get in reply is matching dimples.

This has been the best date already, and I haven’t even tried the food yet.

Ten out of ten would recommend.

“Cara’s still out,” I announce, glancing down at my watch the next day. “How long is this catch-up with her . . . work acquaintance going to take?”

“You can’t even say out loud that she has other friends, can you?” Rhett says with a smirk.

“I prefer not to think about it,” I agree with a grin. “A little jealousy is healthy in any relationship. Just a little though. Too much and it’s time to bail.”

“You have issues,” he says, flicking his blond hair off his forehead.

“It looks like we all have issues right now,” I grumble, rubbing my temples, a sudden migraine forming. “Some more than others.”

Rhett’s blue eyes shine with amusement. “When are you going to tell everyone? Maybe I should take a vacation around that time so I don’t have to deal with any of the drama.”

“Very funny,” I reply, just as there’s a knock on my door.

Rhett and I share a look.

I shrug as Rhett gets up to answer the door.

“Who the fuck are you?” Rhett asks in a curt voice as he opens the door. “Clo, why is there some pretty boy at your door?”

“I’m Felix. Who are you?” Felix fires back, sounding both confused and pissed off.

Ahh, shit.

Felix probably thinks I have some random guy over and is probably judging me hard right now.

Lovely.

At least Rhett isn’t wearing his cut, or I’d have even more explaining to do. I move next to Rhett and force a smile. “Felix is my partner. Felix, this is Rhett. One of my best friends,” I explain.

“And what is your partner doing at your place on your day off?” Rhett asks, scowling.

Great, he’s in full protection mode.

Here we go.

The two of them eye each other.

They’re both tall, but Felix is just a little taller than Rhett. Rhett makes up for it in his width, though.

“Cut it out,” I tell Rhett, slyly nudging him and hoping that he takes the hint.

He doesn’t.

“Going to take a lot more than this to scare me off,” Felix replies, looking Rhett straight in the eye. “I was going to see if you wanted to go out for dinner and drinks, Clo, but if you’re busy we can do it another time.”

“Another time would be perfect,” I tell Felix with a small smile. “Rhett drove a long way to see me, so I’m going to hang with him tonight. Thanks for the invitation though.”

I step closer to him and press a kiss to his cheek.

He smiles down at me with his eyes, then presses another, bolder kiss against my lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, you will.”

Rhett moves forward and closes the door and turns to face me. “Please tell me this is a fuckin’ joke?”

“What?” I ask him, lifting my chin. “I’m allowed to have cop friends. What did you expect would happen? I’d be a cop but not associate with any of them?”

“I was hoping,” he grumbles, following me into the kitchen and raiding my fridge. “A man can dream, right? Telling your parents about being a cop is one thing, but telling them you’re also dating a cop? I don’t know how that’s going to go down.”

“Uncle Ranger is with a cop,” I point out, referring to one of my dad’s club brothers.

“Uncle Ranger left the MC,” he reminds me.

Oh, right.

He’s an ex–Wind Dragons’ member, and I can’t be sure but I think he left because his wife is a cop.

Not looking good for me.

“He’s still family though,” I say, pulling out a chair and sitting down with a sigh. “Why can’t I have the best of both worlds? My mom manages it. It’s not impossible.”

“Is this how it feels when you talk to me about Cara? When the truth is so obviously there? You are dating a cop; this isn’t a small issue, Clo. Fuck, it is frustrating,” he says, a moment of realization hitting him. He sits down opposite me with a bottle of water in his hand.

“Yes!” I reply instantly. “Except in your case, this has been going on for years and years, so imagine how frustrating it’s been for me. Worst case of denial I’ve ever seen.”

“Okay, we’re still talking about you though,” the bastard says, with a smirk playing on his lips. “And the pretty-boy cop.”

“He’s not a pretty boy,” I deny, narrowing my eyes on him. “And I’ll date whoever I want, Rhett, don’t you try that caveman shit on me. Save it for Cara.”

His lips tighten. “I’m just trying to look out for you, Clo.”

“I know that, I do. But I’ve got this. He didn’t back down to you,” I point out, lip twitching. “Yet he wasn’t disrespectful. I think he handled it well.”

“You aren’t going to listen to me at all, are you?”

I put my hand on my chest, all dramatic. “Excuse me, I’m listening to you. I’m listening to you talk trash to me right now, without fly-kicking you in the head. If that isn’t friendship, I don’t know what is.”

He blinks slowly a few times, then starts to laugh, shaking his head at me. “You’re fuckin’ crazy, Clo. I just don’t want to see some punk-ass guy hurt you. It’s not going to happen on my watch.”

“You haven’t said anything about Felix being a pussy, or any other comment you’d usually make, so I’m going to take that as a good sign,” I reply, wiggling my eyebrows at him. “Maybe you’ll end up liking him and being friends with him.”

“I highly doubt that,” he says in a dry tone. “He’s a cop, and he might not be stuck on a power trip yet, but just wait.”

“So cynical.”

“And your head is in the clouds.” He sighs, softening his tone. “Does he even know about you and the Wind Dragons?”

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

“And if he’s so damn great, why haven’t you told him?” he asks me, looking me dead in the eye.

“It’s complicated,” I reply, shutting down a little. “I want people to see me for me, the real Clover, without any preconceived notions.”

“The MC is the real you.” He sighs again. “Come on, I don’t want to argue with you. Get your jacket, or we’re going to be late for this movie.”

Rhett suggested we do a dinner-and-movie bestie date, and I’m looking forward to it.

I go to my bedroom and get my leather jacket from the wardrobe, sliding it on as I grab my oversize bag. “I’m ready.”

Excited that I get to ride on his bike, I rush down to his Harley and swipe my hand over the seat. “Just as beautiful as I remember her.”

He laughs, eyeing his pride and joy. “Isn’t she?”

“Can I ride her?” I ask him, sticking out my lower lip.

“No.”

“Bet you’d let Cara,” I grumble, giving him shit.

“Cara can’t even ride,” he points out. “And I’d let you, but you don’t have your license.”

He’s right, of course, but I do know how to ride, and he knows it.

“So what, you’re just going to pick and choose what laws to follow? Are you a shopping-basket criminal?”

He throws his head back and laughs at me. “Shopping-basket criminal, where the fuck do you come up with this shit? And if I’m a criminal, so is your whole family.”

“I’m aware,” I reply in a sarcastic tone. I know the MC has claimed to be legit for a while now, but there’s no way Rhett and the younger men aren’t up to some kind of shit. I’m not that stupid to believe that. I’ve seen how much money Rhett has, and he couldn’t have just gotten it from the businesses, considering he was only patched in this year. I doubt they’re handing out shares just like that.

“Stop arguing for the sake of it and get on the back of my bike, Clover,” he says, handing me his spare helmet.

“When you and Cara get together, is she going to let me ride with you still?” I ask him, eyes going wide. “I need to ask her this.”

“I’m glad you won’t be able to talk in the theater,” he deadpans.

“I can whisper.”

Sliding my helmet on, I open the visor and say, “You know I love you, Rhett.”

“It’s the only reason I put up with you.”

I grin and jump on behind him.

“Hey, sorry about last night,” I say to Felix when I see him outside the front of the station the next morning. “Rhett can be a little overprotective sometimes; he’s been like that since we were little.”

“Have you dated him before or something?” he asks, watching me closely and waiting for my reaction.

“No,” I say, wrinkling my nose. “He’s basically family. Trust me, there’s nothing going on there. Why do you ask?”

“Just checking,” he murmurs, shrugging and clearing his throat. “Beautiful day today, isn’t it?”

My eyes narrow.

Is he jealous?

There’s no way I’m going to ask him, so I accept his pathetic attempt at changing the subject. “It really is.”

“Jones told me you’re a mixed martial artist,” he says randomly. “You never mentioned that to me.”

“You never asked,” I say, glancing up and flashing him a haughty look. “I grew up doing all different styles of fighting. Started with karate until I got my black belt, then I dabbled in a little bit of mixed martial arts.”

“Fuck, you’re a weapon, you know that? Deadly. And no one would see it coming,” he says quietly, puffing out a breath. “What a way to go though. Taken out by the most beautiful woman they’ll ever lay their eyes on.”

I duck my head, my cheeks heating. It’s not that I haven’t been told I’m beautiful before, because I have, plenty of times.

It just means more coming from him.

And the deadly weapon comment?

I can’t express how much I enjoyed that one. “That’s very sweet of you, Felix.”

“I’m only being sweet because now I know you can kick my ass,” he says with a straight face, blue eyes amused. “I’m going to have to step up my game now.”

“Not from what I’ve heard about you,” I assure him. “Some kids learn musical instruments, or dancing, or sports; my parents just happened to make sure I knew how to defend myself from a pretty young age.”

“Do you enjoy it?” he asks me, sounding genuinely curious.

I think about it. “Yeah, I do. It’s always been a part of my life, and it makes me feel safe, powerful even, not that I’d go around hurting people just because I can.”

“You’re in the wrong career if that’s what you want to do,” he teases, then does something that takes me by surprise. He holds out his hand, looking me in the eye, and waits patiently for me to take it.

When our fingers touch, sparks sizzle up my arm, goose bumps appearing on my flesh. “What are you doing to me, Felix?” I ask him, expelling a deep sigh.

I wasn’t meant to find him. Not now, and not like this. The timing is all off.

He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “I ask myself the same thing about you. I don’t know what it is, Clo. I just like being around you, and yeah . . . I’m not normally this forward with women, but there’s something about you I just can’t let go of. I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re an enigma. Sweet but strong, mysterious yet so open-minded. You’re intoxicating.”

I swallow hard, not knowing what to say to that.

He doesn’t really know who I am, but I’m going to have to tell him.

“You only know the parts of me that I’ve let you see, Felix,” I warn him, rubbing my thumb along his knuckles. “You’ve only just touched the surface, and trust me, you’re not going to want to see who I am the further you delve.”

“I want to know everything about you, all of you,” he says, stopping and turning to me. “If you let me in, you won’t regret it.”

I force a smile as he opens the door for me, and I walk in front of him.

I might not regret it, but I know that he will.

“My dad would have liked you,” he says, catching me off guard.

“Would have?” I ask, brow furrowing. “Is your dad . . . ?” I trail off, not knowing how to word what I want to ask him.

“He passed away,” he explains. “He was killed in the line of duty a few years back. He died a hero.”

When Felix mentioned his father last time, he said he was an officer, not is, but still, I had no idea he had passed away. “I’m so sorry, Felix.”

I never really asked about his family until now, or pressed for information, because that would mean that I’d need to return the favor and tell him about mine. We need to know this stuff about each other though, or our new relationship won’t be off to a good start.

“Don’t be,” he murmurs. “I still remember the day it happened. My mom was pacing in the kitchen, a worried look on her face. I knew that meant that Dad was late to come home. She’d always worry whenever he was late; I guess that’s a downside to being with an officer. You never know when they might not walk through those doors.”

I wrap my arms around him, offering comfort, but then quickly pull away when I remember where we are. “What happened?”

“He and his partner had been called into a bar,” he says, swallowing hard. “Two men had gotten into a fight, and they weren’t letting up. They tried to arrest them, but one of the men pulled out a gun on my dad and shot him. Apparently they were both bikers—you know, like in a motorcycle club—and Dad had just walked into some club war, and instead of being arrested they decided they would just shoot him instead. As usual the bikers thought they’d hand out their own version of punishment to someone who was just doing his job.”

Fuck.

Eyes closed, I lay my head on his shoulder.

How am I supposed to tell him who I am now after this story? His father was killed by bikers, and now he’s dating the daughter of one.

I don’t know who killed his dad, but I guess being raised with bikers, regardless of the club, he might see me as guilty by association.

And the Wind Dragons haven’t always been angels, what if one of them had something to do with Felix losing his dad?

The thought makes me feel ill.

“What happened to the man who shot him?” I ask, holding my breath.

“He got away,” Felix grits out, teeth clenched. “They never caught him. Somehow the bar lost the camera footage and he managed to get away before backup showed up. He’s still out there somewhere, probably.”

“Is that why you’re here?” I ask him softly, cupping his stubbled cheek with my palm. “For revenge?”

He shakes his head. “No. I meant it when I said I always wanted to be a cop. But if I got justice for my dad? I can’t lie and say that that doesn’t fuel me. Of course I want the man who murdered him behind bars. I’d like those bikers to pay for what they did to him. I want to know who they are. I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to forget what happened to him. He was there doing his job, trying to protect people, and in return they took his life. I’ll always wonder what would have happened if someone else took that call. Would he still be alive? Or would I have lost him in another accident?”

“Don’t think like that,” I whisper to him, feeling very drained all of a sudden. “It won’t change anything.”

Felix and I already have so much stacked against us.

My family ties.

My father not liking anyone to even look at his daughter, not to mention someone who is a cop.

Me not being completely honest from the start.

But this?

This one is the one that we might not be able to recover from.

Instead of opening up to him about my family, I decide to let it be for a little while. There’s no way I can say anything now after he just told me all those things.

In his eyes, I’m probably going to be put into the same category as the man who shot his dad.

And it’s too late to back out now.

Because I’m falling for him.

“We miss you,” Mom says to me, giving me a warm hug. “Now that you have some experience, can’t you find a job here in the city?”

“Maybe,” I reply vaguely. “I’m sure I’ll move back eventually.”

If my brother, Asher, was home, I don’t think Mom would mind so much, but because he’s overseas she’s without both her children, which must suck for her.

“How is work going?” my aunt Lana asks, as she reaches over and takes a handful of grapes from the center of the table.

“Not bad. Same old,” I reply, shrugging. “How about you, Aunt Lana? How are your books going?”

“I’m taking a little break for now,” she says to me, pushing her glasses back up on her nose. “But in a few months I’m going to start a paranormal romance.”

“I’ll have to read that one,” I say to her, eyes darting to the door as Rhett and Cara walk in.

Together.

Holding hands.

“Oh my god,” I whisper, standing up and cheering. “It’s about fucking time!”

Cara’s face goes bright red, but I don’t even care. I turn to Mom, Aunt Lana, Aunt Anna, and Aunt Bailey. “Can you guys believe this?”

Cara grabs my arm and yanks me out of the room, leaving Rhett to deal with the peanut gallery.

“Dude, how the hell did this happen? When I hung out with Rhett last week you two were still friends, flirting, but still friends, and now? You just made it official.”

This news is going to travel around the clubhouse faster than the usual gossip. These two really have some balls walking in like this.

“I’m going to kill you,” she whisper-yells, fingers digging into my soft skin.

“For what? You two walked in here all coupled up without giving me a heads-up,” I reply, smirking. “How did this happen?”

“He took me out on a date, and we had the chat we should have had a long-ass time ago,” she admits. “We told each other how we really felt, but both of us didn’t want to ruin our friendship; I think that’s why we just didn’t do anything about it for so long. We don’t know what we’d do if we lost each other. It would be like losing you.”

“No one is losing anyone,” I tell her, wrapping my arm around her. “Just don’t fuck up.”

I should be telling Rhett that.

“Tell him that,” she mutters, reading my mind. She sighs and then tilts her head to the side with a warm smile.

“What is your dad going to say?” I ask her.

“Cara!” I hear Uncle Rake call out.

Fuck.

“I guess I’m about to find out,” she replies, as Uncle Rake storms up to us.

“Hey, Dad,” she says, supplying an awkward wave.

“You and Rhett?”

She nods.

I take a step back, well I try to, but she grabs my arm to keep me in place, so I have to share this awkward situation with her.

“At least she’s keeping it in the MC,” I offer, trying to help her a little.

Uncle Rake’s jaw goes tense. Even though I make a point, this is the first time Cara has openly dated someone in front of the whole family. Any other dalliance was always hidden from everyone, so this must be a huge shock for overprotective Uncle Rake, even though I know he does love Rhett.

His eyes narrow on me, silently telling me my input isn’t appreciated. I shrug and flash him a charming smile. “If it makes it any better, I too only just found out about this.”

He scrubs his hand down his face. “Me, you, and Rhett need to have a chat.”

Cara gulps.

I manage to escape, rushing back to the kitchen, not wanting to hear the good old “if you hurt my daughter I’m going to kill you with my bare hands” lecture.

Mom, Aunt Bailey, Aunt Anna, and Aunt Lana are lost in the gossip, with Rhett nowhere to be seen. The women have all known one another for years, each of them having fallen in love with a Wind Dragons member and becoming instant family, kind of like me with Cara and Rhett.

“I think it’s about time,” Mom tells them. “We all saw this coming, just didn’t know when they were going to stop being stubborn and admit that they both liked each other.”

“I know, and Rake will get over it,” Aunt Bailey assures them. “I like Rhett. If I had to choose a man for my baby, Rhett is a good choice.”

“When did they grow up?” Mom sighs, looking over to me. “What about you, Clo? When are you going to spring a man on us?”

I swallow, hard. “Not anytime soon.”

Mom’s eyes narrow. “You hesitated. Who is he?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lie.

“Spill,” she demands, not falling for my bullshit.

There’s no point even denying it at this point.

“Now, now, Mom. Today is about Cara and Rhett; I wouldn’t want to steal their thunder,” I say, grinning and exiting the room before they can question me further. After finding Rhett sitting outside, having a smoke, I take a seat next to him and wait a few moments before starting in on him.

“Do you think Uncle Rake is going to battle you to the death or just beat the shit out of you?” I ask him, in a tone way too cheerful for the subject matter.

If looks could kill. “A bunch of us are heading out now to handle some business, so I’m sure he will save the beating for when we return.”

I’ve never really pried into their activities, not really questioning too much, so I really have no idea what pies the MC have their fingers in. It’s probably better off that I don’t know actually. It’s the only way I can keep my family separate from my job.

My phone rings and Felix’s name pops up.

“Hey,” I say into the line.

“We have a lead. How soon can you get here?” he asks me.

“An hour?” I reply, standing up.

“Drive safely.”

“See you soon.”

I hang up and look down at Rhett. “I have to go. I’m going to miss out on all the drama, so send me a recap, please.”

I say good-bye to everyone, gently brushing off questions of why I have to leave so soon, saying that something has come up at work and I need to be heading back. I know that they are suspicious because what possibly could come up at an accounting firm, but there’s nothing I can do about that right now.

I have a drug dealer to get off the streets.

EIGHT

“YOU’RE going to do fine,” Felix tells me under his breath, eyes gentle on me. We’re gearing up for my first-ever raid in the city, where we will be breaking into the address that was given to us in an anonymous tip and hopefully making an arrest of the man known as Reaper, the infamous dealer Charmaine told us about. It’s been a week of following leads that have brought us to this moment, and I can’t help but feel nervous. I really want this to go well, and I won’t allow myself any mistakes.

“Let’s do this,” I tell him, swallowing hard and stretching my neck from side to side. He sits next to me in the back of the van, and when we reach our destination we get out as a unit and stand in our allocated positions. With the signal to move ahead, the two men in front of me kick the door down. I feel safe with Felix at my back and me in the middle. As we enter the premises and take a look around though, that feeling of safety disappears within an instant.

When I look to the middle of the room, my stomach drops.

There stands someone I would never have expected to find here. Out of anyone in the world who could be sitting here, of course it has to be her.

She is sitting there patiently, as if it is perfectly normal to be sitting in an abandoned warehouse that is pretty much empty. It’s as if we’re the ones who have been keeping her waiting. She is dressed in her signature badass, all-black pantsuit, with killer heels to match. Her long hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. If I know anything about my mother, it’s that she always dresses to impress.

Flanking her on each side is Uncle Tracker and Uncle Rake, standing there in soldier mode. Their faces are wiped of any emotion. I’ve never seen them look as scary as they do now. It’s as if they are entirely different people.

They don’t see me at first. After we enter the warehouse, my mother looks up and is directing her gaze to the front of the pack. I try to stay focused to not give myself away and stay in formation, but Uncle Tracker sees me first. The only thing that shows he’s noticed me is a quirk of his eyebrows indicating that he’s confused. He did it every time I tried to explain to him how important my eyebrows are.

When the men in front of me don’t move toward the three of them but wait for my mother’s instructions, I realize that she must be on a job and is also working on bringing this guy down. “Back room,” she says, but at that moment, I see Uncle Tracker whisper something to her. Fuck me.

As the unit moves to the back, I can’t help but stare at them. I see the surprise, the shock, the anger, but it’s masked quickly, and I know that my mother probably wants to grab me and demand an explanation, but she doesn’t say anything. I have no doubt she’s going to murder me for this later though. No one bother to look for my body, because she knows people. If I’d been honest with her, we could have been working this together, instead of her finding out what I’ve been hiding. But how was I supposed to know the cases she was working on. She’s a lawyer and always has a million things on the go. It’s not like she ever shared things with me before.

Fucking hell.

I’ve blindsided her.

Cons of your mom being a badass.

Felix whispers, “Clover, focus,” and I realize I’m still on the job. Pushing her out of my mind, I concentrate on the task at hand, moving swiftly as we arrest all three men in the room.

When we exit with the three men, I don’t look back at my family. How can I? I’ve just ruined the trust between us, and I know that they aren’t going to look at me the same way from now on.

I don’t think I can look them in the eye right now.

I’d never call myself a coward, but in this moment all I want to do is run.

We’re back at the station, and I can’t stop replaying in my head what just happened. Not only did I just break my family’s heart, but none of the men arrested were Reaper. Apparently he had gotten out of there, almost as if someone had given him a heads-up that we had found his location.

“Who was that woman in there?” I ask the guy who was leading the team.

“She was the informant,” he explains to me. “She’s FBI. I wouldn’t fuck with her if I were you. She’s known for chewing people up and spitting them out.”

Don’t I know it.

I’d turned off my phone, delaying the inevitable, but I know I’m going to have to face the music the second I’m away from here. I’m bracing myself for it when Felix says, “You did well.” He studies me, then lifts my chin with his fingers. “Do you need to go for another swim?”

I force a small smile. “I don’t think anything can save me from this.”

He nods toward the exit. “Come on. I’ll buy you a pizza.”

I follow him, but my mind is elsewhere. When we pull up to what I assume is his house, I arch my brow at him. “Bringing me into your domain?”

“It’s about time, don’t you think?” he murmurs, getting out of the car and opening my door for me before I can move. He’s opening up and letting me in, and he has no idea who I really am. I’m already going to be in so much shit for lying to my family, I don’t need to lie to Felix too.

His place looks brand-new, modern and spacious. He obviously likes black, leather, and isn’t a fan of clutter. He’s also either a clean freak or has a cleaner, because the place is so tidy I could eat off the floors.

“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks, opening the fridge and scanning the contents. “I’ll order some pizza and dessert.”

“A beer would be nice if you have one,” I tell him, picking up a photo of him and what must be his mom. “She’s beautiful.”

“She is. It’s been just me and her since Dad died, but we’ve always been close. She’s a nurse, so she works a lot, just like me.”

He hands me an ice-cold beer, but for himself opens a juice box.

My brows lift.

“What? The juice tastes better when it comes in a box, don’t even try to deny it,” he states with a straight face.

“Are you being serious or is that a dirty joke?” I ask, bursting into laughter.

“I wouldn’t make such a crude joke in front of a lady,” he says, but the mischievous look on his face says otherwise. He runs his thumb along my lower lip. “You amaze me.”

Lifting me up onto the counter, he kisses me, cutting off my laughter with his mouth. The kiss deepens, and as my fingers tangle in his hair and his go exploring, I can tell that we aren’t messing around this time. Wrapping my legs around him, he carries me upstairs to his bedroom. I’m too distracted to look around, especially when he lays me on the bed and starts kissing me until I don’t even know what day it is or where I am. I reach up to help him remove his shirt, then run my fingers down his chest and abs, all while he looks down at me with eyes filled with such heat, and I know that mine mirror his.

“You smell so good,” I whisper as I lean forward and press a kiss against his skin. When you’ve stayed a virgin for this long, there’s a lot of pressure on making it a perfect moment.

But for me, it isn’t the moment, it’s the person.

“So do you,” he replies, arms at my shoulders, holding his bodyweight off me. “I feel really fucking lucky right now.”

“Well, you’re about to get luckier,” I tell him, trying to push him off me and roll on top of him, but he overpowers me with a smirk, takes my wrists, and holds them above my head.

“Think you’re stronger than me, do you?” he teases, kissing my neck slowly, taking his time to seduce me. Little does he know all I want to do is touch him, feel him, and just lose myself in him.

He lets go of my wrists, and this time lets me flip him onto his back, so I can straddle him. Slowly removing my top, I let him have his fill before my black bra comes off next. When he reaches for me I bat his hands away and give him a little show, arching my back and playing with my breasts, running my fingers over my nipples. I can feel how hard he is beneath me, and it makes me feel powerful. He wants me just as much as I want him. I might not have much experience, but I do what feels natural. I lean down and kiss him, until I can feel myself getting wet. He takes control then, rolling me onto my back and looking me in the eye.

“Are you sure?” he asks, studying me. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’m not in any rush, Clo. It’s all up to you.”

“I know,” I reply, flashing my teeth. “And I want you. I’ve waited long enough, Felix.”

He removes the rest of my clothing first, followed by his own, and then lays back on top of me, making sure not to put all his weight on me.

“If you’re sure,” he whispers, a devilish glint in his eyes before he starts to kiss down my body, taking his time kissing and sucking on my neck, then my collarbone. By the time he reaches my breasts, my eyes are basically rolling into the back of my head, and my mouth has fallen open in pleasure. I stay still, lost in the moment, in him. Everything feels so right, and instead of being nervous, I’m excited and exhilarated and I want this to last forever. He gently sucks on my nipples, my toes curling and my spine slightly arching.

And then his mouth is on my pussy, and I see stars.

He makes me come, once, before putting on a condom and sliding inside of me, ever so slowly, too much so, so I lift my hips upward, greedy for more of him. He makes it as painless for me as possible, which is kind of a feat considering the size of him.

And just like that, I’m his and he’s mine, and there’s no going back.

I wouldn’t want to.

“Fuck, you feel so good, Clover,” he whispers against my lips. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “You feel so good too. Don’t stop, Felix.”

Then he starts to move, and I can’t control the sounds that leave my mouth.

He’s perfect with me.

Patient, gentle, observant.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says, and I can see he’s restraining himself by the tightness in his jaw.

“You’re not,” I tell him. “I’m not going to break. Show me what I’ve been missing out on.”

He starts to move a little faster. I bring his lips down to mine, wanting to be connected to him in every way possible. He feels so good, and yeah there’s a little bit of pain, but in a good way.

I like it.

And thank fuck he knows what he’s doing.

Taking a note from him, I let my body follow its natural rhythm, raising my hips to him, scoring my nails down his back, as he buries his face in my neck, sucking and kissing.

He makes me come a second time before he does. While I’ve made myself orgasm before, someone else doing it is a totally different experience.

It’s so much fucking better.

Brushing my hair off my face, he kisses me so sweetly, smiling down at me. “You are so beautiful right now. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.”

“I don’t think I want to see my orgasm face,” I tease, cupping his face with my palms and sitting up a little, pressing a kiss onto his cheeks, then his lips, just adoring him.

“Your orgasm face is hot,” he says. “But I might need to see it again a few times, just to make sure.”

“Not tonight, you won’t,” I reply, wrinkling my nose.

He laughs and shakes his head. “No, not tonight. Or for the next few days, you’re probably going to be sore.”

“Yeah, because you’re huge. Have you seen you?”

“Thank you,” he says, shoulders shaking as he starts to laugh.

“You’re still inside of me, can you not move so much,” I say, laughing with him. “You’re incorrigible, seriously.”

He gently slides out and lies down next to me, pulling me closer to him so I’m basically half on him. He’s right, I do feel a little sore, but nothing too much to handle. It’s a weird feeling, knowing that he’s been inside of me, and the first one to do so.

“Come on, let me clean you up,” he murmurs, trying to get off the bed, but I hold on to him. “I can run you a bath, if you want? Tell me whatever you need.”

“In a minute, I just want to lie here for a little more,” I say, resting my head on his chest.

“Anything for you,” he says, kissing the top of my head.

I close my eyes, and smile.

I fucking love this.

And I know I’m never going to forget this moment.

And then I remember the rest of what happened today, and the world comes crashing once more.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say as we lie in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. I’m about to ruin my very first post-orgasm haze, but I know that I have to tell him now. I’m in deep with him, and if he doesn’t want to be with me after this, I need to accept that. I’d rather know now than before I fall for him even further.

“What is it?” he asks gently.

When I hesitate, he adds, “You know you can trust me, Clo.”

“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” I blurt out, rolling closer to him and looking him in the eye. “I’ve been pretty much lying to everyone.”

“About what?” he asks me, brow furrowing.

I wonder how the hell I’m going to explain this one.

“Pass me your phone,” I tell him, taking it and opening up the internet. I type in Faye Black and Dex Black and hand it back to him. I don’t bother to search my own name, because I know my mom worked hard to make sure there is no trace of me online, other than my social media. “These are my parents.”

He scrolls down, reading the information. “This is the informant,” he whispers, reading a little more before looking up at me. “Faye Black. Everyone knows who Faye Black is.” His expression is blank, not giving anything away, but I don’t miss the flash of hurt and anger in his eyes as he sits up. “Your family are all bikers, and Wind Dragons at that. I’ve heard about them. I don’t really know what to say right now.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you—”

“You know how I feel about bikers after what happened with my dad,” he interrupts, jaw clenching. “I opened up to you, Clover, and told you all about my past, and you didn’t think that was the opportunity to tell me about yours?”

I don’t know whether he has consciously or subconsciously moved away from me, but I feel the distance between us now that he’s at the end of the bed. I sit up, determined to make him understand the situation I was in.

“How could I tell you after you told me how you felt about bikers and what they did to your father? I knew you’d just lump me into the same category as them, even though we had nothing to do with what happened.”

“And how do you know that?” he asks, scrubbing his hand down his face. “You lied, Clover. And you kept lying. How am I supposed to trust you?”

“Felix—”

“I know it’s not something that you’d just go around and tell people,” he says, cutting me off. “But I wasn’t just people, Clover. I’m your person. There’s a difference. I don’t know why you felt like you couldn’t trust me with this.”

“I was going to tell you but then you told me about your dad, and—”

“And you thought I’d blame you for something you had nothing to do with?” he asks, brow furrowing. “Come on, Clover, give me a little more credit. You aren’t who your family is. You said that they didn’t want you to do this, but you went against them because you know that this is who you are meant to be. You aren’t some criminal pretending to be a cop. You are a cop, and you’re a good one; it doesn’t change anything. I just wish you’d told me the truth, especially when I told you I wanted to know everything about you, the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

“And which one is this?” I ask him, now losing my temper a little. He’s acting like I’m not my family, when he’s wrong, I’m exactly like them, but I’m not ashamed of that. In fact, that’s something to be proud of. “The bad or the ugly? I’m not embarrassed of where I came from or who I am, Felix; I just had to hide that because of the career I wanted. Because people would judge me and treat me like a criminal, instead of someone wanting to help. I am who I am today because of my family. It’s why I’m stronger, why I’m a fighter, and why I could take on anyone else in the academy and win. I’m not the sheep, Felix, I’m the fucking wolf, and I’m sick of people acting like I’m not like the Wind Dragons, because I am.” I take a deep breath before continuing. “Yes, I lied to my family about becoming a cop. I didn’t want to let them down, and I didn’t want all the drama that I knew was going to come with it, but I shouldn’t have done that. I should have been smarter, and more honest. With you and with them. I see that now.”

“How did they even let you into the academy?” he asks, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It makes no sense that they’d just let you in, with a family so powerful and with a criminal background.”

I pause when he says that. Why didn’t I ever think of that? I was too excited to be admitted, it never occurred to me.

“I guess I flew under the radar,” I say, my voice not sounding as confident as I’d hoped.

“Fuck, Clover, I knew you had something about you. You’re a fighter, a survivor, and that’s why you’re so perfect for this job.”

“I know.” I duck my head. “And, Felix, I’m so sorry I didn’t open up and tell you all of this earlier, because I know that I should have. I was just pretending everything was fine when it’s not. And for me, it probably never will be.”

“I wish you had,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Clover, what else have you been keeping from me?”

“Nothing,” I promise him. “Everything else between us has been real. I just didn’t tell you much about my family and where I came from.”

“And who you are,” he adds, throwing my words back at me. “You didn’t share with me who you really are, and that means something, to me at least.”

“And what would you have done if I’d told you?” I ask, lifting my chin. “You would have looked at me differently, the way you’re looking at me right now.”

I know that, to an extent, lying about who my family is, who I am, is necessary, but I never should have lied to him. I stand up and look down at him, smiling sadly. “I’m sorry, Felix. I really am. I don’t know what else I can say.”

I swallow hard, then look toward the door.

I told him everything I needed to, and I guess I’ll just have to give him some time to process that.

I start to get dressed. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

He nods.

I leave, feeling terrible.

I’ve really fucked things up this time.

NINE

“WAIT a second, if I crack open this beer in front of you, are you going to arrest me?” Nate asks, brows rising. “If you do, I feel like my parents wouldn’t like that much, so please let me know,” the little shit says, a six-pack of beers in his hand. Nate is all but sixteen, and Uncle Arrow and Aunt Anna’s kid. He’s a menace wrapped up in good looks and a smart mouth and is basically a younger cousin to me. I heard he’s been getting into trouble in school and been a general pain in the ass, and for some reason when I came by to see Mom after she summoned me, he was in their backyard, sitting at our outdoor patio, about to get drunk.

“Why are you here?” I ask him, blinking slowly a few times. “Alone. Where are your parents?”

“They’re all having a group meeting about you going to the dark side,” he lets me know. “And it’s at my house, so they kicked me out and sent me to your parents’ place.”

I came here ready to face the cavalry, but they’re not even here.

“Where’s Tory?” I ask, referring to his sister.

“She’s at one of her friends’ houses.” He shrugs. “So yay or nay for the alcohol?”

“I’m off duty,” I reply, smirking. I hate that this is even an issue. I’m not going to arrest some kid for sneaking a drink in a private residence.

He grins and starts to get busy, pulling out the first bottle.

“Do your parents know you drink?” I ask him, narrowing my eyes. “Are they going to kill me for allowing this?”

“It’s not funny to make killing jokes about Dad when he actually did time for killing someone,” Nate replies.

I have no idea how Uncle Arrow doesn’t kill him.

“Are they really having some meeting about me?” I ask, wishing I could be a fly on the wall right now. Are they going to tell me I have to leave the force?

“Yeah, you know how they like to plan, divide, and conquer. They’ll pool together all their contacts and talents and come up with some epic plan to make sure nothing happens to you and to destroy whoever this month’s enemy is,” he replies casually, taking his first sip.

I have to laugh at his explanation, because it’s true. “Man, you know this family well.”

“I should, they are that far up my ass,” he responds in a dry, sarcastic tone.

My soft laughter turns to cackling. “Ah, Nate. You’re the reason I don’t plan on having any children.”

“Happy to play my part,” he says with a salute, brown eyes amused. “Especially since you’ve taken the heat off me. No one cares about my getting suspended from school now because all anyone can talk about is how the princess has fallen to the dark side.”

You know you grow up with bikers when being a police officer is the “dark side.”

“Happy to help, Nate,” I reply, pursing my lips. “I had hoped Rhett and Cara finally getting together would still be a hot topic, but nope, you’re right. I’m stealing everyone’s thunder right now.”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, maybe one of the girls will get knocked up or something,” he says with a grin. “Or I could knock someone up, if that would help.”

I cringe, shaking my head. “Too far, Nate. You always take it too far. And you better not be having sex, never mind knocking someone up. Don’t ruin your life, kid.”

He lifts his hands up in surrender. “It was a joke. I always use protection; don’t worry. I’m not stupid. I’m going to lead the MC someday, I don’t need anyone holding me back.”

I decide not to even comment on that one.

Fuck it.

“Give me one of those.”

He smiles evilly as I prolong my walk of shame.

“Did you get invited to the ‘bitch about Clover’s decisions’ session?” I ask Rhett when I see him and Cara for dinner later that night. I wanted to eat, have a drink, and gossip, so we all met at my favorite pub. After summoning me, Mom never even showed up at home. That’s not a good sign, because she’s usually a punctual person. Maybe she’s still talking Dad down from disowning me.

“Yeah I did,” he admits, cringing. “I kind of had to. And it wasn’t a ‘bitch about Clover session,’ it was more of a ‘how are we going to bail her out when shit goes south’ type thing.”

“What do you mean ‘goes south’? Now that they know, what could happen?” I ask him, pursing my lips.

“Maybe because there’s no way in hell the cops don’t know who you are? That was the main topic of discussion. They do fucking background checks, Clo. This whole time I thought you’d given some fake name with some expensive-ass fake ID and backstory. You are one of the smartest people I know, but that was fucking stupid.”

This is the second person to mention this to me, and internally I’m starting to panic a bit. I really did not think this through.

“If they’d had a problem with me, they wouldn’t have accepted me,” I suggest, scowling and trying to save face. “Maybe I flew under the radar. Or maybe they just checked Mom’s history and it shows she’s a lawyer and works for the FBI too.”

“With biker ties. That doesn’t go unnoticed. With your mom they allow it because she’s Aunt Faye. She’s one of a kind. You’re a Black. Blacks don’t fly under the radar.”

Shit.

I share a glance with Cara. “Why didn’t I think of this?”

“I don’t know,” she replies, cringing. “I think we were both too busy planning how to get away with it instead of questioning it.”

She’s right, we were.

“I had no idea you were walking around here repping your real name. Clover isn’t a common name. Your beauty isn’t common either. You can’t pretend to be some normal girl. You aren’t normal. You’re Clover Black, and you’re a Wind Dragon, through and through. That blood of yours is as pure as it gets, and as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think the police are that stupid to just let you slide through without knowing exactly who you are.”

My eyes close as my mind races. I’ve been living in some dreamland apparently, my head in the clouds, because everything he’s saying makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I use a fake name? I could have. But then I would have had to have told Mom, who’s the one to go to for fake paperwork.

Fuck.

Not that it matters now, because she knows everything anyway. I should have known better than to think I could ever one-up Faye Black.

“This makes no sense, they should have just rejected my application then,” I say, looking right at him. “What am I supposed to do now, with all of this? I’m finally getting to the place I’ve always wanted to be, and I love what I do.”

“I don’t know, but it fuckin’ worries me. What if the cops are trying to set you up or something? We’ll all have to flee the damn country,” Rhett grumbles, shaking his head.

“How would they set me up?” I ask him, looking to Cara. “What do you think?”

“Who knows what they could be planning,” she replies, a worried look in her eyes. “The truth is you are an asset to the force, and maybe when they see that . . . I don’t know. Maybe they want your insider information? Or someone who thinks like a biker?”

“All I know is that they’re playing with fire,” Rhett adds, scowling and shaking his head. “You have a whole MC at your back, just waiting to jump in and protect you. Unless they want enemies for life, they’d better tread carefully.”

“You’re being dramatic. I’m not going to prison,” I state, eyes narrowing. “I still have too much I want to do with my life. I haven’t appeared in a Drake video yet; I haven’t won a women’s boxing competition. I haven’t adopted and saved a few pit bulls from the pound. And I’ve had sex only once. I’d like to do it again at some point.”

And with Felix.

Cara’s eyes widen to the size of saucers, as she slaps the table. “I knew it! Finally! How was it? What’s been happening with Felix?”

Rhett just rolls his eyes.

“It was amazing, and I told him the truth about everything yesterday, but I haven’t heard from him since. I guess it’s kind of a lot to take in.” I cringe, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Did you ever think that instead of waiting for him to contact you first, you should reach out?” Cara asks, studying me. “You’re the one who fucked up, so you’re the one who has to do the hard work to mend things; that’s how it works, Clo.”

“Now you’re a professional on relationships?” I ask her, frowning, even though she does make sense. Dammit, I hate it when I’m in the wrong. “Fine. I’ll send him a message asking if we can talk. I miss the times when you were as useless as me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll only bring you up with me,” she says, grinning.

I type out a message and hit SEND.

“There,” I say out loud, watching the screen. Little dots appear, letting me know that he’s typing, but then nothing ever comes through.

Did he just type something and delete it?

“He started typing, then nothing,” I tell them.

Cara winces. “Well, at least you made the first move.”

“He’s ignoring me.”

“Maybe he’s busy and will reply later,” she offers.

“It takes two seconds to type out a message,” I disagree.

“Maybe he’s thinking about what to say.”

“You two are like an old married couple,” Rhett muses, looking between the two of us.

“And you two are like a recently married couple.” I smirk, looking around for a waitress who will likely bring me alcohol. “Imagine if I show up for work tomorrow hungover? That would be the lowest of lows.”

“Maybe they’ll fire you. It would actually solve all the problems you have right now,” Rhett suggests, looking like he’s really considering making this the new plan.

“It won’t solve the Felix problem.”

“Get rid of him. I’ll set you up with someone much better suited to you.” Rhett rubs his hands together with a half-evil, half-mischievous look on his face.

I roll my eyes. Rhett has no idea, and I know he means well, but he can be such a Neanderthal at times.

“You don’t care about who is suited to me, you just want me with a biker. I’ve been around bikers my whole life. I want something different. Opposites attract for me. I don’t want to be with the male version of myself, we’d kill each other.”

“I think we should trust she knows who is right for her,” Cara inserts, disagreeing with her man. “I like the sound of this guy, and I haven’t even met him. They just need to sort this shit out. It’s not an easy thing that’s happened between them; no one likes being lied to. It’s the trust factor. If you don’t have trust, then there’s going to be huge problems. At the same time, if he can’t see who Clover really is under all that shit she puts out, he’s also an idiot. Because there’s only one you, Clo, and we know how amazing you are.”

“I feel like you’re biased, but thank you anyway,” I say, smiling. “I love you guys, you know that, right? You had my back, even though I was being shady, and yeah, just thank you, both.”

“What are friends for, right?”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to hook you up with Luke? He’s been commenting on how hot you are,” Rhett inserts, a hopeful expression on his face.

“Luke can be plan B,” Cara suggests, flashing me a wide-eyed look that clearly says Luke is no catch. “Plan A is patching things with Felix.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Rhett asks, tone turning angry as he looks at something straight ahead. “Because isn’t that the bastard right over there?”

My head snaps in the direction he’s looking, and he’s right.

Felix is here, having dinner.

With a woman. She’s petite, blond, and dressed in all white, giving her an ethereal vibe. I glance down at my black dress and leather knee-high boots. She’s the complete opposite of me.

I wish I could say that in this moment I can keep my calm and act like a mature adult, but I can’t.

I see red.

I stand up, only to have Cara grab my hand and pull me back down. “Making a scene isn’t going to win him over. We don’t even know who this chick is, so you don’t need to go all Xena: Warrior Princess on him. Oh boy. He’s so fuckin’ hot,” she says, eyes going wide as she covers her cheeks with her hands and I realize that this is the first time she is seeing him and that Rhett got to meet him before she did. “I can see why he has you going crazy.”

“If he’s seriously on a date right now, I don’t want his stupid ass anyway,” I grit out, teeth clenched. I’m more upset than I’d care to admit, the thought of him maybe being done with me is too much to bear.

“Don’t jump to conclusions—”

I’m beyond the point where I’m going to listen to any rational comments. I need to find out what he’s doing here and who he’s with. I slide out of the booth and walk over to his table. Half of me wants to leave it alone, to act like I didn’t see him and to not make a scene. To hold my head up high and pretend that I don’t care, that it’s not affecting me. But you know what? If he actually is on a date right now, then we’re done, so I might as well go out with a bang.

He sees me before I make it over to his table, his blue eyes bulging and his jaw dropping open.

“Clover, what are you doing here?” he asks me as I get closer. He doesn’t sound angry or worried, more confused.

“This is my local hangout when I’m home,” I point out.

He knows this, because I told him all about how my friends and I always come here, and if he plays dumb I’m going to call his ass out on it. I’ve been coming to Riley’s ever since it opened up, using my fake ID when necessary.

“It’s mine too,” the woman he’s with says, smiling at me. Apparently she doesn’t understand the trouble she’s in right now. “I came here last time I was here and loved it, so I asked Felix to come back with me.”

I narrow my eyes on her. “Yes, it’s a great place. I’m Clover.”

“Bella,” she says back with a smile.

The name sounds familiar.

I turn to Felix and wait for him to give me some sort of explanation.

“Oh,” Felix mutters, as if just realizing he has a fucking explanation to give me. “Clover, this is my cousin Bella. Remember I told you she was coming to visit for a week?”

“Oh,” I whisper, feeling a little sheepish but relieved that the woman is his family. I do remember him telling me something along those lines. I was supposed to go with him and meet her.

“You think I’d go on a date with someone else right now?” he asks, hurt and disbelief flashing in his eyes. I can’t even answer him, because he’s right. I handled him and this situation all wrong.

“Do you want to sit down and join us?” Bella asks, obviously feeling a little uncomfortable and trying to ease the situation.

“Oh, no, but thank you. I hope you enjoy your time here, Bella,” I say to her with an apologetic smile. I turn to Felix and add, “Maybe we could have a chat soon?”

He nods.

I say good-bye to them both, then return to my table.

“What happened?” Rhett asks as I sit down, now much calmer. “I thought there was going to be a little more action than that.”

“It’s his cousin,” I tell them, cringing.

When did I become this person?

“Good thing you didn’t punch first, then ask questions later,” Cara mutters, sinking lower in her seat. “I told you not to jump to conclusions.”

“I didn’t; she’s alive, isn’t she?” Internally, I know that I need to figure out a way to make it up to Felix. It’s no wonder I’ve never been in a relationship before.

Rhett chuckles at that, shaking his head. “How I’ve missed you, Clover. I haven’t had drama like this in years.”

“Happy to be of service,” I grumble, then order another round of drinks.

When Mom calls me though, telling me to get my ass back home, fun and games are over. When she uses that tone, there’s only one thing I can do.

I go home.

I feel Felix’s gaze on me as I leave, but I don’t look back.

One problem at a time.

TEN

MY parents are sitting at the dining table when I walk inside, and if I thought facing Mom was bad, it has nothing on looking at my dad.

“I can explain,” I say, sitting down opposite them and taking a deep breath. “Actually I can’t, there’s no excuse. I’ve been a total idiot, and I’ve been selfish and followed my dreams instead of thinking how it would impact my family. I’m sorry, Mom, and I’m sorry, Dad.”

“What you should have done was be honest,” Mom states, pursing her lips. “I have no idea why you lied and tried to hide this, Clover. Why didn’t you feel you could come to me?”

“I just felt like no one would understand,” I try to explain. “And everyone would try to talk me out of it. I did this for me, Mom, not for anyone else. I just felt like I would make a really great cop and I was right. It didn’t have anything to do with anyone else. I realize how selfish that sounds when I say it out loud, but I never wanted to hurt anyone.” I duck my head. “Especially you, Dad. I never wanted to disappoint you or upset you. And now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Would I leave the force for them?

Yes.

Would I want to?

No.

“I can understand why you didn’t want Dad to know, but not me,” Mom carries on, shrugging at Dad when he scowls at her. “You know I have your back in all things, Clover. I’m sure Rhett has told you what we spoke about today at the Wind Dragons meeting. They do extensive background searches on all potential police officers, and if they let you in, it wasn’t by accident. They know who you are, and they obviously want you for a reason. I don’t know what it is yet, but you can’t trust them.”

The reality of the situation I’ve put myself in hits me full force. I behaved like a stubborn child wanting her independence and managed to make a huge fuck up on the way. Maybe it’s because I know I have so many people at my back that I don’t think about consequences when I want something. I know that that’s not a good quality or one that I’m proud of. It’s self-centered, and that’s not something I want to be anymore. Confident is one thing, egotistical is another.

“You want me to walk away?” I surmise, wincing when I picture myself back behind a desk, doing bookkeeping full-time, being bored out of my mind and wishing for a little adventure. “Maybe I should become a criminal then, that sounds like more fun than working a nine-to-five. Are they letting women in the Wind Dragons yet?”

They ignore my rant.

“I don’t think you should walk away at all,” Dad finally speaks, looking at Mom. “What do you think, Faye? I’m thinking they have a plan, and we need to find out what that plan fuckin’ is, because no one, and I mean no one, gets away with trying to use my daughter.”

“We don’t know that they have a plan,” I reply, puffing out a breath. “We don’t know anything; we’re just making assumptions here.”

“We can wait and see what happens,” Mom replies, studying me. “We don’t have to make a move until they do, so we know what we’re dealing with.”

I hate that things have to be like this. “So what if they do have a plan? I just become a spy for the people I originally wanted to work for but are now apparently playing me?”

I don’t know what to think. My parents aren’t stupid, and this sure as hell isn’t their first rodeo, however, maybe not everyone has an ulterior motive.

“You should have come to me,” Mom says again. “Now we have this mess to deal with. The worst part is you lying, Clover. We have always trusted your word, and now that trust is broken.”

I cover my face with my hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that this is what I wanted to do. I’m not cut out for a desk job, Mom. I want to be out in the action, I want to help people, and I want to make a difference. I want to show everyone that women can be strong in the same ways that men are, and in different ways. I don’t know, okay? I knew you weren’t going to like it, but I did it anyway. That’s how badly I wanted it.”

Dad sits next to me and pulls me against him for a hug. He is my safe place, and I close my eyes and allow his strength to sink into me. “I wouldn’t have loved it, you’re right, but I would have respected what you wanted to do. I wish you’d been honest, Clover. We could have told you from the start that there’s no way they’d not know who you are and planned accordingly. But now we are behind.”

“I know,” I whisper, regret filling me. “But I can’t change it now, so I just need to deal with it.”

“Give us a little more credit than that next time,” Mom mutters, winking at me. She sits down on the other side of me and hugs what’s left of me. “We love you, Clover. We’re not here to judge your decisions, just to help guide you. I’m sorry that you felt like you couldn’t come to us with this. There are good cops out there—they aren’t all corrupt—and the world needs more. I know you’d be the best cop this city has ever seen, but when you come from a family like ours, things aren’t as easy as that, and you have to be on your game all the time, watching your back.”

“I feel so stupid,” I admit, sighing. “I put in all this effort and time. I gave everything, Mom. And now it feels like it was all a waste.”

“It wasn’t a waste,” Dad disagrees, making a sound of amusement in his throat. “They taught a Black everything a cop is meant to know. If you weren’t a weapon before, Clover, you are now. And they created that.”

He makes a good point. I was the cream of the crop and had a very bright future ahead of me.

“Is there anything else you want to tell us?” Dad asks, watching me closely.

“I think I’ve fallen in love with a cop,” I blurt out, glancing between the two of them.

Dad scrubs a hand down his face, probably wondering where he went wrong with me, while Mom simply asks, “Which one?”

“Felix Banks,” I mutter, glancing down at my hands.

“The one with the blue eyes and dimples?” she asks, nodding in agreement. “He is one good-looking kid. And talented, from what I’ve heard. They’re going to promote him soon.”

Dad scowls at her, lips tightening to slits. “That’s all you have to say about our daughter dating a fuckin’ cop? That he’s good-fucking-looking? I don’t care if he looks like . . .” He trails off, assumingly thinking of someone good-looking, which makes me laugh, while Mom suggests, “a cleaned-up version of Jason Momoa?”

“Whoever,” he grumbles, blue eyes flashing. “He’s not good enough for our Clover.”

“A good-looking guy with a hero complex isn’t good enough for our daughter? I saw him watching her during that raid. I don’t miss a thing.”

“I can’t believe you’re okay with this, Faye. A fuckin’ cop,” he continues to rant, shaking his head.

Mom casually shrugs, her auburn hair bouncing. “Considering everything, it’s not really the biggest issue, is it? Felix isn’t the enemy here; it’s whoever allowed Clover into the program knowing who she is. Felix is obviously someone she trusts.” She turns to me. “Right? So what does he think about the whole thing?”

I clear my throat. “Well, the thing is . . . you see . . .”

Mom puts her hand up, stopping me. “He doesn’t know? Oh, Clover.”

“No, he knows, as of yesterday. But it’s a little more complicated than that. We haven’t actually spoken since then, so I don’t know where his loyalties lie, and his dad was a cop, who was killed by . . .” I take a deep breath, pausing before I say the word. “Bikers, and—”

“What a clusterfuck,” she interrupts, scrubbing her hand down her face. Mom turns to Dad and winces. “Who killed his cop father?”

“Why are you asking me? I don’t even know who this man is,” Dad grumbles, pulling out his phone and pretending to play on it.

“I don’t know any more information about it,” I tell them, wrapping my arms around myself. “I didn’t want to ask, because I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know. I mean I know the Wind Dragons don’t go around killing people, but I’ve heard some stories from your days, Dad, and well . . . I mean with what happened with Uncle Irish . . .”

“Leave it with me,” Mom assures me, cupping the side of my face. “Let me worry about it. You need to go and speak with Felix though, I mean if you really want to pursue something with him. And I want to officially meet him.”

“I didn’t know if he would ever be welcome among us,” I say sheepishly.

“With me there? Nothing will happen. The men wouldn’t think to do otherwise.” Mom smirks, turning to Dad and narrowing her eyes. “Just because they’re bikers doesn’t mean they have to be rude. Felix hasn’t done anything wrong, and until he does, don’t worry about the men. I’ll handle them too. You just worry about yourself, and this world of lies you’ve created. I have to say, Clo, if a man had lied to me like that, I don’t know if I’d want to trust him again.”

She’s right.

If the roles were reversed I don’t know if I’d give him a second chance either.

All I want is for him to hear me out and give me a second chance to prove to him that I am someone he can trust.

I’m loyal.

And I’m perfect for him.

I just need him to see that.

“We made Officer Black your partner for a reason, Felix. We trust you and know what a great officer you are, just like your father. He was an amazing cop, and he died a hero. I have many fond memories with him, and of you too. I remember you all would come over for barbecues and your mom would make her amazing macaroni and cheese.”

“She does make a good mac and cheese,” Felix says with a laugh.

“We kept in contact with you through the years, and you have proven that you’re someone we can trust and rely on. We aren’t so sure we feel the same way about Officer Black, and we’d like you to keep a close eye on her,” I hear him say.

Gritting my teeth, I step away from the office and head to my locker. I don’t hear what Felix says in return, but whether he speaks to me about what Officer Jones is saying to him is going to be a tell. If he tells me, his loyalty lies with me, and if not? I guess it lies with the force. Which, when you think about it, is understandable. This is his career on the line too, and I’m making it all about me. Still, there is something between us. If I walk away from the force, does that mean I’ll have to walk away from Felix too? Is it an all-or-nothing thing? The thought makes me sad, but after overhearing those words it’s clear that my parents are right. The police know who I am and don’t trust me, yet they clearly need me for something. They’re using me as a tool, without caring what it does to me.

And somehow I’m the bad guy in this situation.

Maybe the line between good and bad is thinner than everyone thinks, because everyone seems to be gray, instead of black or white. All the bikers I know have been nothing but good to me, and that’s my world. I don’t know how the cops justify treating me differently when I haven’t done anything wrong to any of them. I’ve never done anything illegal or committed any crimes other than using a fake ID. I’ve never been in prison. I’ve never hurt anyone. All I did was be born with the last name Black, and I’m deemed already guilty and untrustworthy. I send Mom a quick message telling her what I overheard to keep her in the loop, then get ready for my shift. I need to get my head in the game and act like everything is fine. I’m still here, doing this job, and I need to do it well.

I need to prove them all wrong.

The fucked-up thing is that at this stage, I shouldn’t have to.

Things were annoyingly normal during my first shift with Felix since he’s learned the truth. We were polite and cordial to each other, but it was awkward. After our shift ended, we changed out of our uniforms and headed for a drive.

“I’m happy you’re my partner,” I say, glancing over at him. “But are you still . . . I mean, do you still want me? Or has that changed?”

He reaches over and touches my thigh. “Fuck’s sake, Clo, you know how I feel about you. I’m falling in—I care about you, all right? And I’m not happy you lied to me, but that doesn’t change my feelings. I guess I just needed a little time to process everything, and yeah, wonder if I can handle everything that you come with.”

Was he about to say that he’s falling in love with me?

Why didn’t he say it?

I guess with our current situation, I’d be unsure about it too. Still, I can’t help the emotion that fills me at his almost declaration.

This is huge.

Felix Banks is falling in love with me. As me, Clover Black, biker princess slash outcast, the same Clover who dresses a little goth at times, is as stubborn as they come, and has a mouth that would test anyone’s temper.

Even after knowing where I come from, he’s still here with me.

“That’s fair,” I say with hesitance, since I have no idea what he’s going to say next.

“I’m not going to give up on you so easily, Clover. There’s something about you, I told you that. You have this zest for life that is just addicting, you don’t give a shit what people—other than your family—think, and you can kick a guy’s butt twice your size. Let me tell you right now, there is only one Clover Black, and I’m not letting her get away.”

My eyes start to get a little watery. Someone must be cooking with onions, or something must have gotten into my eye, maybe a dust particle? I don’t know.

“That speech was meant to make you happy,” Felix announces, parking the car and leaning toward me. “Come here.”

He gives me a quick kiss. “We need to work on our communication skills, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you, all right? It will never mean that I don’t want you.”

“I feel the same way, Felix,” I say, grabbing his face with my hands and leaning in for a deeper, longer, hungrier kiss.

“You better,” he whispers against my lips. “Fuck, you drive me crazy, Clo. You have no idea. Actually, it’s a good thing you have no idea, because otherwise you could use it against me.”

I smile and move back.

“You know we have to keep this a secret for now, right? We’re partners, and I outrank you,” he adds.

“I know,” I admit, thinking of how we need to change how we interact with each other in public.

“I’ve known of partners dating, but it creates tension. But with you being a rookie and me possibly up for promotion, there’s an extra layer of pressure. Nobody can know right now,” he says, not looking happy about the fact.

The conversation I overheard with Officer Jones eats at me, but if I want to be with Felix and trust him, I need to let him tell me in his own time.

“Maybe there’s some kind of loophole?” I suggest, sounding hopeful even to my own ears.

“I don’t think so. It’s unprofessional.”

He glances down at his crotch. “This is also unprofessional.”

I look at his bulge, stretching against his pants, my eyes widening.

“Well, that is distracting. How fast can we make it to your place?” I ask, licking my lips.

“Let’s find out,” he replies.

ELEVEN

“SO everything is still normal at work?” Mom asks me when I get to her house for dinner. She invited Cara and Rhett to join us, just like the old days. It was so worth the drive.

“Yeah,” I say, cutting my steak and smothering the piece in mashed potatoes. “Nothing unusual. I’ve just been patrolling, and there has been nothing MC-related that has come up.”

It’s almost like I’ve gotten away with being who I am and a cop, like I have my cake and can eat it too. Maybe everyone else is being a little paranoid about the whole thing. Or maybe they are just biding their time. Either way, I’m going to do this job the best way I know how.

I don’t tell them how much I’m loving the job, because I don’t want to hear about how they know it’s all going to come crumbling down very soon. I don’t want to think about that. I especially don’t want to hear a chorus of “I told you so.”

“And what about this Felix guy? You get rid of him yet?” Dad asks, blue eyes narrowing on me with a hopeful glint in them. “You know I had to stop Arrow from tracking him down and kicking his ass, right?”

“You don’t need Arrow,” Rhett says, smirking. “Say the word, and I’m on it.”

“You had to stop Arrow, or yourself?” Mom asks him, scowling. “Don’t pin that one on Arrow, Dex.” She turns to me. “I found your father speaking to Arrow and Tracker, asking them for advice on whether he should break Felix’s arm or his leg.” She then turns to Rhett, and adds, “And don’t you start either. You’d never do something that would hurt Clover in the end.”

My mouth opens. “Dad! Are you kidding me right now?”

My dad is out of control.

I know that Mom is the one thing holding him back. Without her, Felix would probably be dead, or worse, right now.

“He doesn’t fit in with us, Clo. He will never be accepted here. And he’s going to try to take you away from us, I just know it, and I’ll kill the bastard if he even tries,” he states, then softens his tone. “I’m sure one day you’d forgive me for it. Rhett mentioned that Luke is dying to take you out, why don’t you accept? You might realize that it’s much easier to be with someone like the men you’re used to.”

I purse my lips, anger filling me. I cannot believe that I’ve entered the eighteenth century. What is this, an arranged marriage? I cannot believe my father thinks he has a say over who I date.

“Felix has done nothing wrong, Dad! At least give him a chance before you plan to take off any of his limbs. I wear the same uniform as he does, and I’m sitting right here, so what’s the difference between me and him? You can’t tell me who to like. He means something to me.”

Mom shoots daggers at Dad. “She’s a grown woman, Dex, stop acting overprotective. Clover is old enough to make her own decisions.”

He gestures to me. “No, she’s not. This is what we get when she makes her own decisions. A cop, dating a cop. Nope. From now on, I’m making all the calls in this family. Even Asher wants to come home now because of everything going on here. And if he does, this Felix kid really is dead.”

“As if you’ve never made any mistakes, Dad,” I fire back. “This is why I don’t tell you anything, because you act like this. Can you blame me? Let me make my own mistakes, and stop being so condescending. I know I’ve messed up with the force, okay? You don’t need to rub it in. But, Dad, Felix is not a mistake. He’s the best thing that’s come out of this.”

The truth is, if they were going to hurt Felix, they would have done it by now. Mom won’t let any of the men go near him, and I’m thankful.

“Maybe you should invite him over for dinner,” Mom adds, shrugging when we all give her an Are you insane? look. “What? If you’re serious about him, he should probably know what he’s getting into. Let’s test him. If he can’t handle it, then he’s not the one.”

“This isn’t a game, Mom. This is my damn heart on the line here. I’ve fallen in love with this guy. I don’t want to test him; it’s a little late for that.”

“Do you want everyone to accept him or not? You can’t keep him hidden forever, Clover. If you love him like you claim to, and if he’s going to be with you, he has to accept who you are, and that means accepting your family, scary men and all.”

“It’s not him who isn’t doing the accepting.” I scowl, looking toward my dad. “Just give him a chance, that’s all I want. And I don’t think it’s too much to ask. He’s a good man, Dad. Thank you for not hurting him, but I’m going to need a little bit more from you.”

“I’ve never seen Clover like a guy this much,” Cara adds, always having my back, even if she hasn’t met the guy herself yet. “And I stalked his social media. Easy on the eyes is putting it mildly.”

“Can you stop?” Rhett growls, not liking the idea of Cara finding another man attractive.

I like that Felix isn’t really like that.

While he does have that alpha side, he’s not all growly and bossy like these guys are. I grew up with that; I have to deal with that every day. Felix is more my peaceful place, where I don’t have to fight him at every turn like I do with the men in my family. He treats me as an equal, and I love that about him, even when he is technically my superior. There’s no posturing, no caveman shit, there’s just him. And yes, he can be protective, but he’s not overbearing. He’s a breath of fresh air, but at the same time he can handle his own and then some, and he isn’t a pushover. It’s like he knows when to be dominant and when to let me take the lead. He’s the perfect balance.

He’s . . . mine.

“As if I’d be perving on Clover’s man, Rhett,” Cara argues back, wrinkling her nose. “I’m just stating a fact.”

“Yeah, everyone wanted to see a picture of him, so I found him on social media too,” Mom casually snickers. “I showed all the ladies, the whole lot of them, and they were all really impressed.”

“Mom,” I mutter, putting my fork down and studying her. “Are you serious right now?”

Sometimes I wonder if people ever really grow up.

“Yeah, I posted it in the WDMC women group chat,” she says, flashing me a What are you going to do about it? look. “They all rated him out of ten, and he got a high score. I reckon if we could find a picture of him in his uniform, he might have gotten a hundred percent.”

I look at my dad, who is simply scowling at Mom, but it quickly turns into his usual Why me? expression that’s mixed with annoyance. “Faye, what the fuck?”

Mom is right, if Felix can accept all this crazy, he just may be the one.

“Why aren’t we in the WDMC women’s chat?” Cara asks, brown eyes turning to me.

“Because all they probably do is talk about us,” I grumble, sipping on my soda and feeling sorry for myself. “And rate our men.”

“What score did I get?” Rhett asks, grinning and looking between us all.

Mom cringes, flicking her hair back. “Ew, you’re like a son to me.”

“So she has some boundaries,” I mutter, blinking slowly. “But good to know that I did well for myself.”

Maybe the other women will like Felix then. I haven’t received any messages or scathing looks from them, so safe to say they aren’t all angry with me.

It’s just the men I need to work on, and unfortunately Felix’s good looks aren’t going to cut it for them.

Maybe Mom is right, maybe I should bring him to officially meet them all. I mean, with me and her there, they wouldn’t actually hurt him, and maybe if they got to know him, they’d even like him.

He could be their exception.

He sure is mine.

TWELVE

“I MISS you,” Erin, my old college roommate, says with a sigh. I move the phone into a more comfortable position on my ear, lying back in my childhood bed and getting cozy. Even after college, we never lost contact, calling each other every now and again for catch-ups.

“I miss you too. When can I see you?” I ask her. “And how was your vacation? Man, you’ve missed a lot of drama while you’ve been gone.”

“It was amazing, and whenever you like, I’m less busy than you these days. What drama? What have I missed? Have you shot anyone yet?”

“Not yet,” I tell her, smirking at all the questions she’s been asking about my new job. She was the second person I told, after Cara, and I love how open-minded she was about the whole thing. I mean, she didn’t know the full extent of my decision, because she didn’t know about my being connected to the Wind Dragons, but it was still nice to have her support. “And no high-speed chases either, before you ask again. Let’s see, what have you missed. I’m dating my partner, which isn’t allowed, I don’t think, and oh, Rhett and Cara are also finally dating.”

“Holy shit,” she whispers. “Start from the beginning and tell me everything.”

An hour later, after I’ve given her the rundown, keeping a few details to myself, she says, “I’m never going on vacation without my phone again.”

“I’d like to be on vacation right now,” I grumble.

She laughs. “You’ll be fine. Oh, so before I forget, I actually called for a reason, before I got distracted,” she says, the sound of paper rustling transferring through the connection. “I need your address. I’m sending you my wedding invitation.”

“Not wasting any time, are you?” I tease.

“Need to get him locked in before he sees the real me,” she jokes back, writing down my address as I call it out to her. “Thank you. Should I be adding Felix onto this invitation?”

“You sure you want two cops at your biker wedding?” I ask, feeling a sliver of guilt that, like with Felix, I never told Erin who I really was. It’s obvious I have issues with opening up, and maybe I’m even a little paranoid, but I know that I’ve completely fucked up by lying to the people who mean the most to me and are loyal to me. I need to change this.

“I’m sure. My wedding will be neutral ground. Everyone is there to focus on me, not who they are or who they hate.”

I pause for a few moments. “There’s something I should have told you when we first met.”

Or at least when I found out she was dating Ace, a member of the Cursed Ravens MC.

“What? That you’re the Clover Black? That you’re related to the men and women of the Wind Dragons MC? That to them, you’re the ‘me’? The princess?” she states in a dry tone.

Erin quite literally is the “me” in the Cursed Ravens. Her father is the president of the club; only she didn’t grow up around bikes. She found out about her father only when she was an adult, and boy that did not go over well. We were roommates all throughout college, and she’d tell me stories, all while I didn’t tell her anything about who I was. I’m some shit friend sometimes.

“Ace figured it out, Clover. You aren’t as on-the-down-low as you think you are.”

“Why didn’t you say anything then?”

“It was your business,” she explains. “I guess I was confused why you didn’t say anything, considering we had so much in common. The MCs aren’t at war or anything, and I guess you were just being cautious. I mean, I get it. I don’t go around broadcasting who my dad or fiancé is because that would be kind of stupid. Especially after everything I’ve been through, with people I thought I could trust, and that was in my own MC. It’s really hard to trust people. It sucks you didn’t open up to me about it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t consider you a good friend. I know if I needed you, you’d be there in a heartbeat, and friends like that are hard to find.”

“I think it’s about time I admitted that I have trust issues,” I say to her, covering my face with my hands. “You and Felix, I should have just been honest with you both. I’m sorry, Erin.”

“Ace did warn me that you could kill me at any time if you were in the mood,” she adds, laughing softly to herself. “I told him I was aware of how badass you are, but I also know that you’re a good person.”

“Don’t tell anyone though,” I grumble.

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” She pauses, and then adds, “All of them.”

“Well, now that you know everything, I can let you in on my latest predicament.”

I give her a quick rundown on how I stupidly applied to the force with my own name, and now I know I never should have been let into the force that easily.

“So what, you’re born into a family they don’t approve of and you’re guilty by association?” she asks, unable to hide her annoyance. “I never really thought about that before. Shit. If I had, I would have said something when you first told me you got the job.”

“At least I’m not the only one.”

“Why didn’t Ace say anything when I mentioned it to him?” she asks herself, then calls out, “Ace!”

Amused, I listen to him call out “Yeah?” and I’m intrigued to see how this conversation is going to play out right now.

“Ace, why are you naked?” she asks him, and I think she tries to cover the phone, because their voices suddenly become muted.

Not enough that I can’t hear them though.

“Don’t point that thing at me! I’m on the phone with Clover. Can you give me five minutes, please?” she asks him, and I laugh under my breath, shoulders shaking. I should probably hang up and leave her with her dignity, that’s what a good friend would do. A great friend though would stay on the line and give her shit about whatever she overhears.

“Hang up the phone and come and sit on my face,” Ace demands, while Erin yells out, “Oh my god, Ace, she can hear you! Can you shut up, please? I’m talking to my cop friend. She can arrest your ass!”

“What are you wearing under that dress?” he asks, and then I hear a scuffle of some kind, and I imagine him trying to grab her and her running away.

“Clover, I have to go,” she says, panting. “I’ll call you back later. And pretend you didn’t hear what I know you just heard—”

The line goes dead. And I laugh to myself.

Shortly after, Rhett walks into my room, without knocking, the rude ass.

“Dude, you could knock. I could have been naked, or you know . . .” I say, looking over at my top drawer. “Doing something else you’d much rather not see.”

His face is one of pure disgust. “I don’t know why you feel so comfortable saying this shit to me, but I’d rather you didn’t. Now get in the car, we’re going shopping.”

“Really?” I ask, sitting up. “What kind of alternate universe is this? Is it Cara’s birthday or something?”

“No. And I was just joking: we’re actually going to the clubhouse to spar. I need someone’s ass to kick,” he says, smirking. He bounces on his feet, punching the air. “I’m in the mood to give a beatdown.”

“You could try.”

Damn my competitive nature.

“Come on then, what are you waiting for?” he eggs me on.

“Give me ten,” I say, jumping out of bed.

It’s been a while since I’ve sparred with any of the Wind Dragons, but it used to be a regular occurrence, especially considering we have our own gym in the clubhouse. He closes the door, and I throw on some leggings and a sports crop top, grabbing a pair of socks and sliding them on, knowing I left my sneakers at the front door. I love boxing with Rhett. He acts tough, but he doesn’t hurt me like I know he could, he holds back and makes sure he doesn’t hit me with all his strength. Still, I enjoy fighting with the men, because realistically that’s who I would be fighting if I were put in a position where I had to defend myself. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me on my game.

“Where are you going?” Dad asks as I step outside my bedroom.

“Clubhouse, why?” I ask him, frowning.

“Really? What for?” he asks me, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at me, sounding optimistic.

“Rhett wants to spar, why?” I ask him.

“Nothing, just didn’t know if you’d still be hanging out there with you being a cop and all,” he adds with a shrug.

“I don’t care if they approve or not. The clubhouse is my home.”

It almost feels like because of my choices, I won’t be fully accepted anywhere, in the force or with the bikers, and that hurts.

“That’s true,” Dad murmurs, sounding a little too happy for my liking.

“Can you mask that happiness a little?” I ask, rolling my eyes at him. “I know, Dad. You were right, I was wrong, blah, blah, blah.”

“Does that mean you’re going to listen to my advice on Felix?” he prompts, looking hopeful.

“What was your advice again?”

“Get rid of him.”

“Oh, no. But if you end up being right, I’ll prepare myself for another I told you so,” I say, lifting up on my tiptoes and giving his stubbled cheek a big kiss. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, Clo,” he says, expression softening. “I just wish you were less stubborn than your mother, instead of more.”

“You sure I got this stubbornness from her?” I ask him, arching my brow.

His lip twitches. “You’re right, we’ve doomed you from the start.”

“I’m going to go and fight some grown-ass bikers. Don’t wait up for me.”

His low chuckle follows me to the front door, where I put my shoes on and head outside, where Rhett is waiting for me, standing against his bike.

“Ooohh, am I allowed to ride on the back of your bike? I feel like Cara never actually gave me an answer,” I say, lifting the phone in my hand and hitting her name on my recent-call list. I know it was fine before, but they weren’t together then. I don’t think she will care, but I don’t feel right not saying something. It’s her man, and his bike, and in our world, that means something.

“Hey, Clover,” she says sweetly. “I was just eating an ice cream and thinking about you.”

I share a look with Rhett. “That’s kind of creepy, but okay. Just wanted to call and ask if I’m allowed to ride on the back of Rhett’s bike or if you’re going to turn into the standard crazy, jealous biker chick?”

Her laughter is musical. “Any other woman? I’d cut them. For you? Bitch, ride away. What’s mine is yours. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.”

I blink slowly a few times. “I hope the cops haven’t tapped my phone.”

“No wonder you have trust issues.” She sighs. “Go have fun. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

“Okay, ’bye.”

I run back inside and return with my leather jacket, ready for a ride and a fight, more excited than any sane person probably would be.

Ah, well.

Sanity is overrated.

THIRTEEN

“SCARED you’re going to lose to a girl, Nate?” I ask, holding my fists up in front of me.

“Yes, actually I am,” he admits, trademark cheeky smirk on his face. “You’re not just a girl, Clover. I’ve been watching you fight my whole life, and frankly, I’m not that stupid.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s training. I’m not going to just kick your ass in front of everyone. You haven’t pissed me off enough for me to do that. Also, you shared your booze with me.”

What Rhett failed to mention when he brought me here was that today was his turn to give the younger crew a boxing and self-defense lesson, not that it would have made me change my mind about coming. I love the fact that we make sure the younger generations can protect themselves; it gives us all peace of mind, and is great for fitness and discipline, too.

“Clover, let’s show them how to block,” Rhett calls, pulling me away from annoying our president’s son and back to work.

He tells me to come at him and blocks every punch and hit I throw at him.

“When did you get so good?” I ask him, grinning.

“While you were doing cop stuff,” he replies with a smirk. Trying to catch him off guard, I land a kick in his gut, but then he turns me around and puts me in a choke hold. A few elbows and another kick, a little too close to his nuts, has him letting go and stepping back.

“Low blow, Clover.” He cringes, cupping himself. “Cara might kill you if you render me unable to perform.”

“Ew,” I say, doing a handstand on the mat, and walking on my hands. “Who wants to race me like this?”

“I do!” calls out Natalie, Cara’s younger sister, who happens to be a gymnast.

“You’re on, Natty,” I call out, just as Arrow walks into the gym, eyes on me.

Shit.

What have I done now?

“Clover,” he calls as I stand back up and step toward him.

“Yes, Uncle Arrow?” I ask in my sweetest tone, one I know he sees right through because his frown deepens.

“Come and have a chat with me.”

Fuck.

I give Rhett a Save me look, but he just shrugs. No one can save me from the president. Following him, I grab my phone and jacket before he leads me to the kitchen, where he opens two beers and slides me one. Not how I thought this moment was going to go.

I can’t help but stare at his big, bushy beard as he talks. “Hand me your phone.”

“Why?” I ask, brow furrowing.

He holds out his hand.

I give it to him.

He turns the tap on, fills up the sink, and drops my phone into it.

My mouth opens and closes, like a fucking fish. “I had some really nice photos on there.”

Luckily I have a backup.

“We found a tracking device on your car, so just being careful,” he says, studying me with those wise brown eyes of his. “We have a big problem here, Clover. And your dad tells me you’re carrying on about your life, pretending nothing is happening.”

“That’s not true. I’m well aware something is going on, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be doing my job while I have it. People rely on me,” I say, taking a sip of the ice-cold beer. “Do you think they’re trying to find something on the club and are using me to spy? It seems like a lot of effort to go to, don’t you think? Especially when we don’t actually have some huge secret to hide from them.” I lower my voice. “Wait, do we?”

“They probably think we do,” he replies in his raspy voice. “Be careful what you say, because they’re just waiting for something they can use against us. And you. If they can get you for being corrupt, trust me, they’re going to do that.”

“Looks stupid on them though, doesn’t it? For letting me become a cop in the first place.”

“Maybe.”

“I should just quit,” I say, looking him in the eye to see what he honestly thinks I should do about the situation. “I need your opinion, Uncle Arrow, because I’m at a loss here. I love the job, and it sucks that I won’t be able to keep it, but I can’t keep going on like this forever knowing that my own employers are out to get me. If I wanted that, I’d go work for a crime boss or something. And it’s their loss, because I’m an amazing officer, and no matter how they feel about me or my family, they can’t deny that.”

He reaches out and touches my shoulder. “I have no doubt you’d have done amazing things for this city, but you still will, Clover. If you want to make a difference, there are other ways.”

“So you think I should quit.”

The thought saddens me, but I try to hide it. I love my patrols with Felix, and I can’t imagine doing anything else now.

“No, actually, I don’t,” he murmurs, an evil glint in his eyes. “You went into this with your eyes closed and your heart open, Clover, and it fucking pisses me off that the men who are meant to protect the city are the ones taking advantage of you.”

“I’m a big girl, Uncle Arrow,” I reply, but give him a quick hug. “But thank you for your kind words. I should have known better though, and I also should have known I can’t hide anything from Mom.”

He chuckles at that, just as his wife, my aunt Anna, walks in, smiling as she lays her eyes on the two of us. “Sorry to interrupt your moment, guys. But, Clover, your mom is here. And she’s brought your hot cop boyfriend with her.”

Wait, what?

Felix is at the Wind Dragons clubhouse?

“This must be the most cops you guys have ever had here without having guns pointed at you,” I say, looking between the two of them.

Anna looks at her husband. “Behave, okay? He’s just a kid. And I have a feeling he’s going to prove to everyone that he’s perfect for Clover.”

Anna looks and sounds confident.

I, on the other hand, am not so sure.

“Hi, Felix,” I say, forcing a smile. “Mom, what is my partner doing here?”

“Well, he came by the house to see you,” she starts to explain, shrugging. “And I told him I was about to meet you and he’s welcome to come along.”

“Did you tell him you were coming to the clubhouse? Because I’m pretty sure he’s not meant to be here right now,” I state, moving by his side in almost a protective motion. He’s on Wind Dragons soil now, and I need to make sure he’s okay, because I can only imagine how everyone here is going to react.

“No, I didn’t,” she says, sounding unapologetic. “I told him we were going to meet you out for ice cream.”

“And you fell for that?” I ask him, pursing my lips. “Oldest trick in the book.”

“Well, it was your mom, so I didn’t realize I had to have my guard up, nor did I realize she was going to kidnap me and bring me here,” he murmurs, but doesn’t sound bothered in the least. “So what are we doing here anyway? I’m not going to have to fight someone to the death, am I? To prove I’m a man or some shit. Because do you know what they do to cops in prison?”

“I know what I did to a cop in prison,” Arrow states.

Fuck.

Why does he love to mention his time in prison any time one of us brings a guy around? He can be so intimidating, especially if you don’t know him. Hell, I’ve known him my whole life and I’m still intimidated by him.

“Felix, this is Uncle Arrow, the president of the Wind Dragons MC. Uncle Arrow, this is Felix,” I introduce, begging him with my eyes to play nice. When Anna steps in and offers her hand to Felix, I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing she won’t let him do anything too bad to Felix.

“I’m Anna, it’s nice to meet you, Felix. And that over there is our son, Nate,” she says, pointing to Nate, who is currently teaching Natalie how to floss.

And there’s our future leader, everyone.

“Lovely to meet you both,” Felix says politely. “I have to say, this is one place I never thought I’d be visiting.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve hidden all our drugs and illegal weapons,” Arrow tells him, flashing his teeth in a scary smile. “Even if you went snooping, you wouldn’t find anything.”

Anna clears her throat. “He’s kidding. We hope you’ll stay for dinner, Felix. Everyone is coming around for one of our famous family cookouts, and I know people are dying to meet the guy who managed to catch our beautiful Clover’s eye.”

“I’d love to,” he says, smiling warmly at Anna. “Thank you.”

“Since when are we having a cookout?” I ask, blinking slowly. “Was this planned, or some spontaneous thing because Mom tricked Felix into coming here?”

Anna shrugs, typing something into her phone. “Does it matter? Oh, good. Lana is on her way.”

“Did you just put a message in your Wind Dragons women chat group?”

She looks at me with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I know all about that.”

“Maybe,” she replies, wrapping her arm around Felix. “Come on, let me give you a tour. Man, you’re tall, aren’t you? And muscled.”

Felix flashes me an amused smile, then disappears inside with Aunt Anna and my mom, leaving me and Uncle Arrow standing in the parking lot, watching them.

“This is the worst idea any of you have ever had,” I announce.

“Best we find out now what he’s made of,” Arrow mutters, and heads back inside.

I message Cara and tell her to get her ass here now.

I’m going to need all the backup I can get.

“I like him,” Aunt Lana announces, pushing her glasses up on her cute little nose. “He’s polite, good-looking, and has that whole boy-next-door vibe going on, mixed with a hell of a lot of badass.”

“Yeah, and he’s a cop, so you know he has a whole different side to him,” Mom says, adding the avocado into her salad. “And on the way here I could tell he loved hearing all my stories about Clo, like he just wants to know everything about her, and that’s a good sign. It’s hard to find men who are good listeners. I think he’s been raised really well; he’s a total gentleman. Even opened the door for me.”

“I like that,” Anna says from the kitchen countertop, where she’s having a beer and supervising Lana and Mom making a huge-ass salad for the barbecue. “I feel like the younger guys these days aren’t really like that anymore. Chivalry is slowly dying, then you meet a man like Felix and it just gives you hope again. I know I make sure Nate opens doors for women, especially me.”

I’d have to agree with that comment, actually.

Well, not the Nate part. Last time he was at our house he slammed the door in my face on purpose, but then again it might be different for a girl he’s actually interested in instead of one who is more like the older sister he never wanted.

“Asher does too,” Mom adds, beaming.

Is this what parents do? Sit around bragging about their children? No one has bragged about me yet—I’m still waiting, sitting here listening—and all the women are just pretending like I’m not even here, staring out the window, watching Felix and Uncle Tracker standing at the grill having some kind of chat. Uncle Tracker is normally quite easygoing, and even funny, so I hope he’s sticking with that theme and not trying to intimidate poor Felix, but I have a feeling Dad would have sent that memo out to all the men, probably in their WDMC men’s chat group, which I’m sure they also have. I want to go out there and save Felix, but I know for him to win the respect of the MC, he needs to handle this one alone. It’s so hard though, because if the situation were reversed I can only imagine how much I’d want Felix to help me out. It’s like my going to a cop barbecue and having all of them judge me because of who I am. It’s not very fair, but if I want him in my life permanently I need to bridge this gap. They all don’t have to love one another, but if they all got along and respected one another, I’d really love that.

As if Mom just realizes I’m in the kitchen with them, she says, “Clo, stop watching him like a stalker. He’s fine. Tracker’s not going to do anything to him.”

Felix can stand his own ground. I’m not worried about the MC men doing anything to him per se, I know it’s a lot to deal with. Not just for him, but for anyone. There’s so many of them, and they are all really in your face. Felix is also much younger than them, although I know he could hold his own in a fight. Not that I’d ever admit that out loud, because I have no doubt someone would challenge him.

“Don’t worry, I lectured Tracker on the way over,” Aunt Lana assures me, shaking her head at Mom. “Can you believe this shit, Faye? Clover has brought a cop home to meet the family. This needs to be in a book, it basically writes itself.”

“My daughter never likes to choose the easy path,” Mom says, washing her hands in the sink and turning to me. “But you know what? Risks have the greatest rewards. I have a good feeling about Felix, and it might not be what your dad would want, but at the end of the day it’s your life, Clo. I brought him here, and now it’s up to him to make it work, and if he loves you, he’s going to put in effort with the men today.”

“He already is,” Anna pipes up, smiling at me. “Most men would have run by now.”

“No, most boys would have run by now,” Mom says with a grin. “It’s only the men who stick around.”

Aunt Anna lifts up her beer. “Truer words were never spoken.”

Uncle Rake sticks his head into the kitchen, a gun in his hand. “I got Sin’s message, who are we threatening? I thought this might be a good time to clean my gun. You know, very slowly.”

“Why does that sound sexual?” Aunt Lana asks, frowning.

And this is my cue to leave the kitchen.

“Where’s Bailey? We told her not to let you come here without her,” Mom says to Rake. I love the relationship Mom has with all the WDMC men. There are no boundaries, and all of them put up with her shit for some reason. It’s probably because she was the first woman to live at the clubhouse and break through all the badass bikers’ walls. She’s been their queen even after my father stepped down as president. They really are just one big, dysfunctional yet happy family, and I was brought up with so much love, it’s crazy.

“She went to see Natalie in the gym,” he says, looking down at me when I try to slide past him. “Where’s our victim?”

“I feel like I’m the victim in this whole thing, so I’m standing right here,” I reply in a dry tone, raising my hand.

“You are so like your mother,” he grumbles, making it out to be a bad thing. I don’t bother to tell him to put the gun away, because these men will do whatever the hell they want, and there is no point putting my two cents in.

“Where’s Cara?” I ask him before I head outside to see if Felix is still alive, or if he’s decided I’m not worth it and made a run for it.

“Gym,” he replies.

She went looking for Rhett before me? So that’s how it is now.

As I walk toward Felix and Tracker, I’m able to overhear what Tracker is saying.

“So that’s why, even if you’re on a break or you have a fight and think things might be over with a woman, you shouldn’t try to distract yourself by letting another one suck y—”

“Oh my god,” I interrupt, not needing to hear what he was about to say.

“Just bonding with your man, Clover,” Tracker says with a wide smile. He has a leather strap wrapped around his man bun, the same one that all the men give him shit over, but he claims he started a whole trend, and it’s not his fault the hipsters have tried to copy him.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I ask Felix, trying to steal him away from Tracker, who sounds like he’s trying to tell Felix about his womanizing days.

“I’ll have another beer,” Tracker replies, then turns back to Felix, who I can tell is trying hard not to laugh.

“Would you like a beer too?” I ask him, even though it was him I was asking in the first place. “You look like you might need one.”

“I’d love one,” he says, grinning and bending to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Clover.”

I head back into the kitchen to grab two beers, only to bump into Cara.

“There you are,” she says, looking behind me. “Where’s Felix? I told Rhett to go and talk to him and make him feel welcome. Dude, how did today turn into this?”

“I have no idea.” I blink slowly a few times, wondering how this is my life. “I literally just came here to spar with Rhett, and it’s somehow turned into this shit show. I’d like to blame my mother.”

“Your mom is making jalapeño poppers, so I’m kind of glad it did happen,” she states, laughing when I turn my narrowed gaze onto her.

“Great, now she’s going to test his chili tolerance in front of everyone too.”

“Hey, imagine dating a guy and then finding out he can’t even eat peppers. I feel like that would be a deal breaker for me.”

I rub my palm down my face. “Okay, I need to get some beers for the men.”

“Since when are you domestic goddess of the year?” she asks, following me into the kitchen.

“Since never.”

I come to a standstill, completely scarred for life at the sight in front of me.

My mom has tied a balloon around her waist, so it’s sitting on top of her ass, and is bending over the sink while Aunt Lana tries to pop it by thrusting her hips in a humping movement. Aunt Anna is losing her shit, laughing and carrying on as she watches the show, Aunt Bailey and Aunt Tina beside her.

“I need your phone.”

“I’ll get the beers,” Cara says, handing me her phone, shoulders shaking as she laughs at their crazy old-woman antics.

“I left you guys alone for like ten minutes,” I say, shaking my head and hitting RECORD. This is one for their group chat.

“It’s a new party game we heard of,” Aunt Anna explains to me. “We thought we could get into teams and see who wins, what do you think?”

“You want to see who the best thruster is?” I clarify, my eye twitching. “In front of the whole family and my new boyfriend?”

They all nod.

Cara hands me the beers, and I’m out of there, returning to Felix and Tracker, except Felix has now disappeared.

“Where did he go?” I ask Tracker as I give him his bottle.

“Rhett took him to the gym,” he replies, chuckling softly under his breath. “Who do you think would win between them in a fight?”

“I don’t know, they’re both pretty damn strong, but I’ve been training with Felix for a while now . . . ,” I say, sighing. “I should just let them kill each other.”

I open Felix’s beer and take a sip.

“It will be fine, Clover,” Tracker assures me. “If everyone really hated him or didn’t trust him, do you think Faye would have brought him here? Think about it. This is us giving him a chance. And we have nothing to hide here anyway, even if things did go south, plus that gun Rake brought in is registered. So you don’t need to stress so much. He’s young but can handle himself. Now, these chicken wings are ready, if you want first dibs.”

“I do,” I say, picking up a plastic plate and holding it out. “And thanks, Uncle Tracker, you’re right. I’m sure it will be fine.”

I take my chicken and find a seat at the outdoor setting. I’m about to take the first bite when Nate walks over and says to me, “I think Rhett’s nose is broken.”

Fuck.

“Stop being a stubborn asshole and let me take you to the hospital so they can fix your nose!” I yell at Rhett, who is sitting there, blood everywhere, with a painful-looking crooked bump on his nose.

“It’s fine,” he states, when it clearly isn’t.

“Okay, he is your problem now,” I say to Cara, grabbing Felix and exiting the gym with him. “Did you have to break his nose, really?”

“I didn’t mean to,” he grumbles. “He wanted to see what I had, so I showed him. Can’t really hold that against me, Clo.”

I knew someone would challenge him, goddammit.

He starts to massage my shoulders. “You should relax, you’re so tense.”

“Trust me, I know.”

He kisses me. “Nothing is going to scare me away from you, okay? You have nothing to worry about. You can trust me.”

“You never told me about what Officer Jones said to you.” I blurt out what I’ve been holding inside, what I’ve been waiting for him to bring up ever since I overheard the conversation.

“You heard that?” he asks me, frowning. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?” I fire back, jaw tightening. “You should have let me know what I’m working against, but you didn’t say a word.”

“I was going to tell you,” he admits, tucking my hair back behind my ear. “But I didn’t want to upset you, Clover. I put myself in your shoes, and I know I’d hate working and giving my all for people who don’t even trust me. I did tell your mom though, on the way here.”

“You told my mother and not me?” I ask, shaking my head at him in anger. And Mom never even mentioned anything to me. I don’t like being kept in the dark. “Are you kidding me right now, Felix? You should have been honest and just told me. I’m a big girl, and this is my life, no one else’s. I can handle everything that is thrown at me. You don’t speak to anyone else regarding my business.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he says, looking me dead in the eye. “I guess . . .” He ducks his head. “I don’t know, I was giving the force the benefit of the doubt. I thought maybe they let you in because they saw how promising you were—I mean, you’re already trained; you’re smart. You’re a damn good police officer. But when Jones said all that stuff to me, it meant that they knew exactly who you were and that they didn’t trust you. So why let you in then? And when they mentioned my dad . . .” He takes a deep breath, collecting himself. “My dad was a hero. He was a good man, and an honest one. I don’t like that they brought up his name as they were telling me to keep an eye on an officer that the department let graduate. This isn’t the police officer I signed up to be.”

“What they do isn’t on you,” I tell him, resting my palm on his chest. “They definitely want something from me. It’s a bold move though. They think they have me where they want me, but they’ve underestimated me.”

“Big mistake,” he mutters.

“They probably shouldn’t have let me graduate the academy, if I’m being honest, because I’m not a person you want as your enemy. I come with an entire MC behind me. This whole thing has taught me so much, and I know now that I made many mistakes. The club never told me what I could or couldn’t do, but I knew they wouldn’t like this, and now I understand why. They weren’t trying to control me, but that’s what it felt like, like they had put rules and boundaries on me. They were just trying to protect me and the club, but no, I just had to get my way. I was selfish. And now I’m paying for it.”

“I’m with you every step of the way, Clover,” he says, leaning forward to kiss me again. “I don’t know where we’re going to end up, but as long as I’m with you, I don’t actually give a fuck.”

I smile against his lips. “I’ve corrupted you, haven’t I?”

“As corrupt as the police department is turning out to be,” he jokes, in poor taste, I might add. “You could have done amazing things for them. I bet you would have become a detective trainee only a few years after being sworn in.”

That actually hurts to hear, because I know he’s right.

“I guess we’ll never know, because it looks like my time is coming to an end.”

“Next time, if you have something you want to say, can you just say it? Instead of bottling it up, waiting, and testing me to see if I say something and then throwing it in my face at a random time?” he states, lifting his brow.

“Why? Because you’re always going to fail the test?” I joke, pushing him off me and continuing down the hallway. “Come on, let me get you that beer. I drank yours.”

He catches up to me and takes my hand.

I glance down at it and smile.

FOURTEEN

WITH all the drama going on in my life, work has also gone into overdrive. While finding the drug dealers hit a dead end for a bit, we finally have another credible tip.

In our unmarked car, I make sure to keep my body as relaxed as possible. This is the first time that I’ve gone undercover, and we need to look like the sort of people who buy drugs without looking suspicious at all. Now, I’m not a person who has even tried anything other than weed—drugs have just never appealed to me—and now I have to pretend like I know all about them. We want to find out who has been distributing in our city, the man who Charmaine spoke of, and so far all our leads have brought us here. To a nightclub I’ve personally never heard of called Radar, which I find quite amusing.

“Do you think the drug deals are done inside, or around the corner? If they don’t care about the age of the person they’re selling to, it wouldn’t be actually inside the club, because people under twenty-one can’t go in there,” I point out, looking down at my jeans and hoodie. “And I don’t think they’re going to let me in dressed like this anyway.”

I can’t imagine people looking for a fix are going to dress up to go out and find it.

“I’m not sure,” Felix murmurs, scanning the street. “That guy we busted yesterday said to ask the bouncer, and he will point us in the right direction, but I’m sure as hell not doing that. I think we should walk around there until we can find someone who looks shadier than us, then ask him where we can find some ice.”

“Find someone shadier, noted,” I say, tone laced with amusement. I turn to him. “Do I look like a woman looking for her next fix?”

I glance down at his crotch and lift up my brows.

He chuckles under his breath. “I’ll give you your fix any time you need it, Clo.”

I open the door, smirking, and glance around, on alert. If we want to catch this guy we need to be smart. I’m sure we aren’t the first cops who have tried, so we need to think outside the box. We walk around the nightclub, but the few who are around disappear as soon as they see us.

“I’m going to go and try talking to the bouncer,” I tell him, feeling tonight has been a waste of time. It can’t be that easy though, maybe there’s a password or something. There’s a whole network that we aren’t a part of, but we need to find a way to infiltrate.

“I’ll come with you,” Felix states, but I shake my head. “If you’re there he’s going to feel intimidated.”

“If you aren’t back in the car in three minutes I’m coming in after you,” he warns, which I agree to.

I walk up the steps, wishing I had worn something else, but now I have to make do with what I have. I guess if I were a drug addict, I wouldn’t care too much that I’m showing up here in something I would most likely wear to bed.

The bouncer studies me, a little too carefully.

“Hey, I was wondering if you could help me,” I say to him, flashing him an expectant look. I throw in a little nose rub, trying to act shady and in need of a little substance. Damn, maybe I should have become an actress.

“Have you got cash?” he asks, and excitement starts to fill me.

“Clover?” I hear a female voice call out from behind me.

Fuck.

You have to be kidding me right now.

I’m undercover, about to purchase drugs, and I’m dressed like I’m homeless, and someone has to recognize me and call me by my name in front of the man who was just about to hook me up?

Why me?

I turn to see Vanessa, a girl I know, looking at me with narrowed eyes. She’s dressed to the nines, in a little black dress, high-ass stiletto heels, and red lips looking at me like she is seeing a ghost.

“Girl, what the hell are you wearing?” she asks me, closing the space between us. “Is this some dare? Someone dared you to wear this shit, right? I know you’re fond of black, that whole mysterious borderline gothic chic look you have going on, but this is next level.”

“Vanessa,” I say, forcing a smile and stepping away from the bouncer. “How have you been?”

“Not too bad,” she replies, shrugging. “Just needed a night out, life has been too adulty recently. I’m also trying to get over someone, and you know what they say, right? Best way to get over someone is to get under someone new.”

I smirk. “Well, yes. I believe that is a proven fact.”

Vanessa is a socialite in our city. She also has a badass side though, and a mouth to match. She’s a little on the crazy and eccentric side, but she’s a good chick to know. If I tell her I’m chasing drugs though, trust me when I say that tomorrow the whole city will know, and I don’t think that will be a good thing if my name gets out there any further than it has. As I’ve been told a million times recently, Clover isn’t a popular name.

I turn back to check on the bouncer, but he’s gone inside.

Fuck.

“I was just here to pick up my friend, but looks like she has already left,” I lie, shaking my head. “Back to bed for me.”

“I’m going to go in and dance my ass off.” She beams, doing a little booty shake. “Have a good night. We need to catch up!”

“Sounds good,” I say, waving good-bye and getting the hell out of there.

I get back into the car and tell Felix what just happened, which for some reason he seems to find very amusing.

“This city is way too small,” he says, shoulders silently shaking.

“You’re telling me.”

If Vanessa hadn’t shown up, I don’t know how tonight would have gone, but I know that that bouncer is obviously a shady character. He asked if I had cash, then maybe if I’d proven that I did, he would have let me in to some secret room, or sent me to a different address, who knows. Instead, we’re stuck back in the car, trying to think of a plan B and coming up short.

After we walk around for another half an hour and find nothing, I come up with another idea, but it’s a terrible one.

“What if we had someone with us? Like Charmaine?” I suggest. “He would trust her and just assume we’re her friends, looking for a freebie like what he gave her. Maybe I should go with her alone, actually. Two females won’t look threatening. You do.”

“You want me to send you to find a drug dealer with a young girl as your only backup?” he asks me, eyes going wide. “And how exactly are you going to get Charmaine on board with this? You’re essentially using her as bait, and she has a young child to think of.”

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” I promise. “I just need her there; it won’t look as suspicious, and she knows this guy, what he looks like, everything. She’s our biggest lead. Even if we just get more information out of her.”

“You think she’s that good of an actress to bring a cop to her dealer and keep her cool? What if she turns on you? What then?”

“If she has enough incentive I think she can turn into an Oscar-winning actress for an hour or so, yes,” I reply, facing his profile. “It will save us a lot of time scouring the streets hoping to run into this guy.”

“So, what, you want to do this off the record?” he asks.

Well, if his phone is also being listened to, I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be off the record for much longer.

I point to his phone. “No, of course not. I’ll ask Jones for permission,” I lie.

If they’re going to treat me like I’m untrustworthy, I may as well act like it. I’ll do whatever I need to catch this guy, and if I have to do things a little differently, then so be it. They might not agree with my methods, but I can assure you that I’m not one who backs down or gives up, and I’ve got my mind on getting this dealer behind bars.

“My phone wasn’t bugged,” he says, chuckling. “I made sure. Tracker checked my whole house too, and car. It’s all safe. They’re only after you, it seems. Apparently, I’m not badass enough to warrant any snooping.”

“When did he do that?” I ask him, brow furrowing. After the cookout at the clubhouse, which wasn’t so bad other than Rhett’s broken nose, I’ve been busy at work and haven’t really seen anyone aside from Mom and Dad. I’ve also been going to Felix’s place most nights after work. It’s really nice to have that little bit of private time with him.

“He dropped by yesterday,” he mentions casually. “Remember I told you right before I hung up with you on the phone.”

“Oh, is that what you said?” I whisper. “All I heard was mumbling, something about a trucker, and good-bye, and . . .”

“And what?” he prompts.

I thought I heard him say I love you, but now I don’t want to mention it in case I heard that wrong as well.

“Nothing.”

“I said I love you,” he states, looking me in the eye.

My eyes widen. “I thought you might have said that.”

“You didn’t say it back.”

I smile, ducking my head, before bringing my gaze back to him. “I love you, Felix.”

He cups my cheek, but we both know now is not the time for this. “You better.”

I roll my eyes, then try to focus back on the task at hand.

Right, my uncle.

This makes much more sense. “So my uncles are just dropping by your place now? How did he even know where you live? He’s such a stalker.”

“He mentioned he’d come by and have a look for me when I was at the clubhouse, so we exchanged numbers. Then yesterday he messaged asking me for my address,” he explains. “First we checked out my house, but all was clear. He’s actually a cool guy. He’s pretty funny too, and he really knows his shit about security. Must be handy having someone like that around.”

“Yeah he’s a crafty one, that’s for sure. So everything of yours was untouched? That’s interesting,” I muse, index finger tapping my cheek. “All eyes are just on me. You’re like the golden child, and I’m the dark horse that they’re just waiting to fuck up.”

“Maybe I’ll bring you to the light.”

“Or I’ll drag you to the dark side.”

We share a smile.

“Either way, we’re going to be together,” he says, which I find really sweet.

“Let’s see which side wins out.”

Unfortunately for me, I never lose.

Kissing down his body, I take my time, slowly teasing him, driving him crazy. And what a body it is. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of watching him, touching him; to me, he truly is a sexy man, and I can’t seem to keep my hands off him. I can feel his eyes on me, as my tongue licks down his abs. He’s holding his breath as he watches me explore. His hard cock presses against me, waiting not so patiently for attention, but he keeps his body still, silently watching me. When I reach his cock, I kiss around it, licking and teasing but ignoring the rock-hard length in front of me, making him squirm a little. When I think I’ve tortured him enough, I lick the head, sucking on it, just like I saw in the video I watched this morning because I wanted to know what the hell I was doing. I want to blow him away, literally. Using my fist I stroke the shaft while still sucking, and the moans he makes deep in his throat let me know I must be doing a pretty decent job. Then I move my hand away and try to take all of him into my mouth. I end up gagging because he’s too big, but is it just me or did he like that?

“Fucking hell, Clo,” he grits out, head still lifted up to get a good view as I put on my show.

I ignore him, needing to focus, and continue to use all the different techniques I recently learned, twisting my hand and even venturing further down, which makes him squirm a little, and not in a good way.

Okay, won’t try that one again.

Continuing to suck and lick, I put my all into pleasuring him, and when he moans loudly and comes in my mouth, I can’t help but feel satisfied.

And a little smug.

Not thinking that far ahead, I don’t know if I should swallow or spit, and in a last-minute decision, I just decide to swallow it. I mean, it’s already in my mouth, right? Spitting it out will still leave the taste there, and swallowing seems like less of a mess.

Felix watches the expressions play on my face, then starts losing it laughing.

“It’s not too bad,” I admit afterward, rating my first taste of cum and not feeling embarrassed about it. I love that I can say anything and be myself around him. It makes every day exciting and relaxing at the same time.

“I’m glad,” he muses, lip twitching.

He then rolls me over on my bed and spreads my thighs. “Now, it’s my turn.”

“I’m not complaining,” I say, spreading my legs farther apart, making him laugh harder. “What? I have time to make up for, remember?”

“Be careful what you wish for,” he says, flashing his teeth before lowering his face down to my pussy.

I brace myself, but he doesn’t dive straight in, he takes his time. I guess payback is a bitch, but I enjoy every second of it, especially when he slides a finger into me as he sucks on my clit.

Fireworks.

“I’ve been thinking. I think we should just come clean about our relationship,” Felix says to me in bed later that night. “Reporting it to human resources must be the right policy, and then they can’t use it against us. I’ll look into it. Besides, we can’t get into any more trouble than we are already, can we?”

“I’m in trouble, not you,” I tell him, running my fingers over his chest. “You’re the golden child; I don’t want to drag you down with me.”

“If we’re together, I’m in this with you, Clo. There’s no you and me, there’s us,” he corrects, kissing my temple.

“It’s a lot to take on,” I whisper.

“You’re worth it,” he replies back instantly.

“I love you,” I say to him.

“Good reply.” He grins, rubbing his nose against mine. “You are mine, Clover Black.”

“No, Felix Banks, you are mine.” I roll him over onto his back and straddle him. “And don’t you forget it.”

I slam my lips down on his and show him who is boss.

Of course, he lets me have control for a little while before he takes over, and secretly, I like that about him.

Not that I’d ever tell him that.

When Officer Jones calls me into his office, I keep my cool, but the bad feeling in my gut tells me that this is not going to end well. I sit down opposite his desk and wait for him to speak.

“We’ve had a few calls about you and Banks,” he starts, studying me with his beady brown eyes. “It seems you’re off to a good start, or at least a few members of the community think so anyway. He’s a good influence on you after all. You never got any calls complimenting your work when you were with Jenks.”

Did he bring me in here to brag about Felix? Because yeah, I kind of already know how great he is.

When I stay quiet, he continues. “I want to ask your help on something, and this is to stay between the two of us, all right?”

I nod.

“If you want a long career working for the department, we’re going to need you to give your all to us, do you know what I’m saying?” he asks, leaning back in his chair.

“Yes,” I reply, lifting my chin.

Here it is, folks, the moment I’ve been waiting for ever since I found out that they knew I’m from the WDMC. He asks for loyalty, and he would have gotten it before all of this, but they are not honest people, and I owe them nothing.

He slides a picture in front of me, and I stare at it for a few moments.

I know who the picture is of, but my expression stays blank. I don’t give anything away. “Who is this?” I ask, brow furrowing. “And how do you want me to help?”

Spit it out, Jones, and stop pretending like you haven’t been planning this for longer than your small brain can comprehend.

“This is Gage Liam Parker, and right now we’re working to put him behind bars for all the illegal activity he’s participated in over the years. You might not know him, but I do believe you know his daughter, Erin,” he says, keeping his eyes on me, watching me for any movements or body posture that might give me away.

I’ve met Erin’s dad, once, when he came to college to surprise her. I know he’s the president of the Cursed Ravens MC, and I know he’s nothing short of a good man. Surprise fills me that what the police want from me has nothing to do with the Wind Dragons. I guess they’re not as dumb as they seem, I might not go against my own family, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t use what I know to help bring down another.

“I do know Erin,” I agree, knowing there is no point lying. “She was my roommate at college.”

“What else can you tell me about her?” he pushes.

“She’s studying to be a nurse,” I start, speaking very matter of fact. “She’s smart. Good head on her shoulders. I know that her parents are teachers—”

“Her mother and stepfather are teachers, yes, but her biological father is a criminal,” he interrupts. “And we want to prove that.”

“Where do I come in?” I ask, just daring him to admit why they think they can use me, that they know who I am and who my family is.

My eyes tell him that I know, and that if he has any balls he will just admit the truth.

Instead, like the coward he is, he skirts around it. “You could use your experience and connection with Erin to find out some details. Ideally, we’d want to listen to their conversations in their clubhouse, maybe even sneak in some surveillance. We heard a rumor that Reaper, the infamous dealer you’ve been looking for, also has ties to the Cursed Ravens MC. We aren’t sure if he’s a member or not, but we intend to find out.”

Holy shit.

Could this be true?

I didn’t picture the Cursed Ravens as dealing with drugs, but I don’t know anything about what goes on behind closed doors there.

“So you want me to visit her and bug the place for you?” I gather, knowing that this isn’t even legal. We’d need a warrant for surveillance like that. I have to wonder how high up these orders came from, or whether they just want me to be shady for them on the sly. I’m sure if they ever get caught, it’s just me they will throw under the bus.

And then even if I did this, which there’s no way in hell that I would, he’d ask more and more of me, using me as a weapon against my own kind. The department would never, ever trust me, they’d just get what they could out of me, and if I didn’t do it, well . . . I’m sure they’d love to air my dirty laundry, let everyone know who I am and turn everyone against me.

“That would be ideal,” he continues, unaware of my inner thoughts, acting like he has this in the bag. “Do you think you could maybe meet up with her, try to get a little closer so that she invites you back there? I know it might take some time, but we can be patient. We’ve been wanting to bring these motorcycle clubs down for so long, Clover, and now with you on our side, we can start doing just that.”

And there we have it. They see me as a traitor to the bikers, yet not trustworthy enough to be a normal officer either.

I wanted to help people, but now I can see that for me, it’s never going to come about. This way, anyway.

“I’m sure I can manage that,” I tell him, pretending to be excited about the prospect. Instead, I feel sick inside. But Arrow was right when he made that comment about teaching them a lesson. I’m not going to betray a friend of mine. That’s not who I am, and if they took a second to get to know me instead of judging me, they’d have known that.

“Perfect.” He grins, rubbing his palms together. “I think you are going to do great things, Clover. I can see you climbing the ranks faster than any of the other new recruits. And if you work with me, I can make sure that continues to happen. Check in with me every few days and let me know the progress.”

“Yes, sir,” I say, standing and leaving the room, suddenly feeling dirtier than I felt before I walked in.

Oh, I’m going to talk to Erin, all right.

And I’m going to make sure Gage will be untouchable, especially from the idiots in this department.

The weapon they think they have?

It’s only going to be used against them.

When Erin is in the city next, I call her and ask her to meet up with me for lunch and tell her that Ace is also invited. I choose a small, quiet café that is usually empty, which works in my favor, because I don’t need anyone overhearing what I’m about to tell her today. When I arrive there first, I order a coffee, only lifting my head when I see them both step inside.

Erin glances around, blue eyes widening. “Well, this is different. I almost expect a bunch of cats to come out, like in one of those cat cafés.”

I can see how she gets that vibe, from all the floral, old-lady-type decor.

I smile and stand up, giving them both a hug. “The cats are kept in the back.”

She laughs and removes her denim jacket, placing it on the back of the chair and then sitting down. “How are you, Clo? You look good.”

“So do you, and I’m doing pretty well,” I tell her, turning to Ace. “You looking after my girl?”

“You know it,” he says, running a hand through his light hair. “I’m surprised I got invited today; it almost feels like I’m the third wheel instead of the other way around.”

I laugh at that, then sober as I tell him, “Actually, I wanted you to be here.”

His eyes instantly narrow like he knows something is up. I pull out a pad of paper from my purse and write down that we can’t speak openly anywhere. I know I’m being paranoid, but I need this to remain between us.

I don’t know if we’re being watched or listened to, but we need to go somewhere else, just in case.

Fuck.

This job has made me paranoid. Even though Tracker said I’m safe and is always keeping an eye on that, I still don’t want to talk out in the open like this.

Ace gives me one stern nod and says, “I’ll get some coffee and then how about we go to the beach, or something?”

“Sounds good to me,” I say as Erin sees the note, mouth opening and concern hitting her eyes.

They get their coffees, and we make small talk even though all we want to do is talk about why I’ve brought them here today. With them on Ace’s bike and me in my car, we drive to the local beach and sit on the sand, just before where the water touches it.

“So my supervising officer called me in,” I tell them both in a hushed tone. “And basically told me that they want me to use my friendship with you, Erin, to find some dirt on your dad, so they can bring him and the rest of the MC down.”

“What?” Ace grits out, turning to me. “What do they think they have on us?”

“He didn’t say what he has on Gage, but he thinks that you have ties to Reaper, who is the drug dealer we’re trying to pin down right now,” I reply, wishing I had more information to offer. “The part they want me to play is to get an invitation to the clubhouse and bug the place. They basically told me to get as close to you all as I can.” I take a deep breath. “This whole cop career thing was a huge mistake, as you can see. They think they can use me and make me spy for them, but that’s not what I’m about, and I’m not going to do anything I will be losing sleep over. So I wanted to tell you and let you know that they’re looking for a way to bring Gage down.”

“What are you going to do?” Erin asks, touching my shoulder, looking concerned. “You wanted to be a cop so bad, and now what? You’re going to have to just quit?”

I nod. “It’s looking that way. I want Reaper behind bars, but after that, yeah, I’m going to have to quit. It was fun while it lasted, I guess.”

“Reaper isn’t a member of the Cursed Ravens, but I’ve heard of him,” Ace says, but he doesn’t mention any more, and I don’t push. Being a member and being tied to the club could be two very different things.

“I just can’t quit yet knowing he’s still out there. I need to use my badge to get away with whatever I need to do to get him behind bars.”

Ace laughs darkly. “Spoken like a true cop.”

“Indeed.” I smirk, glancing up and letting the sunlight hit my face. “It’s messed up, I know. But I’m just working with the hand I’ve been dealt, and his being behind bars is going to have a positive effect on the city and its drug problem. It’s going to suck not being Felix’s partner anymore. It’s so good having him at my back and patrolling together, you know?”

“You think he’ll stay on the force?” Erin asks me.

“Yeah, that’s been his dream since forever,” I explain to them. “His dad was a cop, so he followed in his footsteps.”

I don’t mention how he was killed. Felix seems to have let that go and isn’t holding it against me or my family, so I think I should let it lie as well.

“I’m really upset for you, Clo,” Erin admits, ducking her head and running her fingers through the white sand. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”

“It is what it is,” Ace inserts, lips tightening. “Cops are never going to like bikers. We make our own rules, and they don’t like it. They want us to be like everyone else so we’re not a threat to them. They need to feel like they are the top dogs and in control of everyone and everything, or they don’t like it. Even if we’ve done nothing, they will look for something. I’m not going to sit here and say we are complete saints, but we haven’t done anything that warrants being targeted by them. We are our own law, I guess that’s the issue.”

“What are you going to do when they ask for progress on us?” Erin asks, looking between Ace and me. “I mean, they’re going to push this, right? So they’re going to want to know when you’ll be invited over and when they can get the ball rolling?”

“I’m going to push it back until I catch Reaper, and then I’ll quit,” I decide. “Unfortunately for them, I’m going to leave them high and fucking dry.”

“I sent you that wedding invitation, I hope they don’t think they can come there,” she jokes, then sighs. “And thank you for giving us the heads-up, Clover. I know this isn’t an easy situation for you.”

“Look, I can’t tell you much, but if I hear anything about Reaper’s movements or get any information on him that will help, I’ll have Erin contact you,” Ace says.

I have a feeling Ace may know more about Reaper than he’s letting on, but I recognize his olive branch, and I’ll take what I can get.

“You don’t need to thank me. I’ve got this; I don’t want you guys involved, but if you hear anything that could help, just let me know,” I tell them both. “Now that today has been ruined by all this gloomy shit, maybe we should go for a swim to cheer ourselves up,” I say, standing up and moving forward to dip my toe in the water.

“Never mind,” I say loudly. “It’s fucking cold. Do you want to go and get a drink instead?”

“Totally,” Erin agrees, threading her arm through mine.

Ace mutters something about being a third wheel.

And more than ever, I’m thankful for the people in my life who support me no matter what, even when I start to drag them into my situation.

FIFTEEN

GUN cocked in my hand, Felix at my back, I turn the corner and listen for any movement. When Felix and I got a call from Charmaine saying she knew Reaper’s location, I probably should have done a few things differently. I should have called my mom and let her know what was going on. I should have had more backup than just Felix, and I probably should have thought things through a little more instead of running in, gun blazing, but I just couldn’t let this opportunity get past me. We called for police backup, and they should be here any moment now, so at least that’s something. Charmaine had the address of a house he was selling the drugs from, and knowing how fast he moves, I knew if I had waited I might not get this same opportunity a second time. I expected Felix to tell me to wait, but he wants this guy as much as I do.

We stop at the front door and look at each other. It’s now or never. And when Felix kicks down the door, I bust inside and point my gun at the three people in the room.

“Put your hands up!” I yell at all of them. I keep my gun trained on the person I deem the biggest threat in the room, a man who has a glint in his eyes that I don’t like. Before I know what is happening, the two other men have their guns on me, and one takes a shot. Deciding in that second that I’m not going down for no damn reason, I take my shot too, aiming for who I think is Reaper, and shoot him in the leg. I don’t want to kill him, I need him alive. I then shoot at the others; one goes down. When no bullets hit me, I look over, only to see Felix on the floor.

“No!” I cry out, keeping my gun on the first guy I shot, but also glancing down at Felix, making sure he’s still alive. If I lose him, I don’t know what I’ll do, especially when this was my terrible idea, and when I only just found him.

Backup arrives, and four men come running into the house with their guns. Knowing they now have it under control, I bend down and check on Felix, and when I see his eyes on me, I breathe a sigh of relief. “Come on, we have to get you out of here and into an ambulance.”

We call for an ambulance, which arrives within a few minutes. That’s one good thing about being a cop, I guess. I jump in with him, crying when I see the blood on his shirt but thankful that he didn’t lose consciousness.

“You took a bullet for me,” I whisper, fingers trembling as I cup his face. “This is all my fault, Felix. I’m so sorry.”

Maybe I was never meant to be a policewoman.

“Rather me than you,” he replies, closing his eyes. He says one more thing before passing out.

Fuck.

I start crying harder, almost frantic, and in a way I don’t think I’ve ever cried before in my life. I’m not even thinking about what he just said, and the fact that he is right, even before losing consciousness he’s right. I’m just thinking about him and making sure that he’s going to be okay. The paramedics do what they need to do to stabilize him, so I step aside, and I pray that he won’t be taken from me. Not now, not like this.

I call my mom and tell her what happened. She says she is on her way and will be there shortly. I call his mom next. I’ve met her only once, and even though I’m dreading telling her what happened, she too needs to know. I’m sitting in the waiting room when everyone arrives, looking a mess, completely distraught over what happened.

When I see my dad, I run into his arms, sobbing onto his chest. When his arms wrap around me, I feel safe, like I always do, but this time I know that he isn’t going to be able to fix this for me. “This is all my fault. He got shot because of me.”

“It’s not your fault,” Dad whispers, rubbing my back, trying to soothe me.

“He took the bullet for me, Dad! It’s supposed to be me in that emergency room, not him,” I whisper, whole body shaking.

Mom holds on to me from behind, telling me it’s going to be okay, over and over again.

I don’t know if it is.

When I’ve calmed down a little more, I look around and notice the other people in the room. Rhett, who still has a bandage on his nose; Cara; Uncle Tracker and Aunt Lana; and Uncle Rake and Aunt Bailey are all here, silently supporting me. Felix’s mom comes in, and she is my undoing once more, except this time I let her cry in my arms, being the strength she so needs right now.

Once I let go, Uncle Tracker walks over and gives me a quick hug. “Sin,” he says to my dad behind me, softly, but I can still hear. “If you didn’t like him before, you have to now. He may be a cop, but he has the loyalty of a biker.”

Dad’s arms come around me and tighten. “I owe him everything,” he agrees after a few seconds. “I’m in his debt. If I lost my daughter . . .” His voice suddenly turns to stone. “I’d have set this whole fucking city on fire.”

“Exactly,” Uncle Tracker murmurs, slapping his shoulder.

We all sit down, playing the waiting game, hoping that Felix pulls through.

Finally, when the doctor comes in, we all stand up, holding our breath.

“The bullet hit his lung. But he’s going to pull through,” the doctor announces, and the relief that fills me is indescribable. “You can go in and see him, but maybe one or two at a time. We don’t want to overwhelm him. He will have to stay here for observation for up to a week, depending on how he does.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, breathing easy for the first time in hours.

Felix is going to be okay, and that’s the only thing that matters to me right now. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life, and I’m usually a person who isn’t easily shaken.

This destroyed me.

I take too many risks, and usually it’s just me on the line, but this time I almost lost my partner in all things. The man I’m fucking in love with. All because I needed to be the one to take down the bad guy.

When my phone rings and I see Charmaine’s name pop up, I quickly answer it. “Thank you for tonight, Charmaine,” I say, pausing when all I hear is her sobbing and yelling. I try to make out what she’s saying, eventually resorting to telling her to calm down.

“What did you say?” I ask her.

“They knew it was me who told you where he was,” she cries. “Amelia. They took Amelia.”

“Stay there, I’m coming,” I tell her, hanging up the phone.

Felix’s mom went in first to see him, and now it looks like I might not be able to.

“Mom,” I call out, rushing to her, back in cop mode. “I need your help.”

“Tell me,” she demands, strictly business.

I tell her everything. About Amelia, and about everything that happened tonight.

There is no way in hell I’m going to let anything happen to that little girl.

No fucking way.

I rush into Felix’s room, needing to see him with my own eyes while Mom makes a few phone calls. He has his eyes closed as I enter, but I press a soft kiss against his forehead. When blue eyes hit me, I smile, but tears fall at the same time.

“I love you,” I whisper, kissing his cheeks, his nose, his lips. “I was so scared, Felix.”

“I’m fine,” he assures me, reaching his fingers up to wipe away my tears. His movement must’ve made his stomach hurt, because he can’t hide the wince that appears on his face. “Or at least I’ll be fine. And they got Reaper, so I’m going to take tonight as a win.”

“You got shot protecting me. That’s not a win in my books,” I murmur, looking down at his hands.

“Don’t worry about me; I’m going to be fine,” he repeats, smiling up at me. “I love you, Clover. If we did it all again, I’d still be jumping in front of that bullet for you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, ever, all right?”

I rest my forehead against his.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky,” I whisper.

Felix is a hero, just like I always knew he would be.

At least one good thing came out of this whole cop mess. If I’d never gone against everything and taken the plunge to enroll in the academy, I never would have met him. It’s crazy how things work out like that. I don’t know if it’s fate or just chance, but I’m so happy and feel so lucky to have this man in my life.

“I feel the exact same way,” he replies, and we sit there just watching each other.

“Charmaine called, I need to go and help her,” I tell him, giving him another kiss. “I don’t want to leave, but this is my mess, and I need to go and fix it.”

“What’s happened?” he asks, trying to sit up.

I stop him with my hand. “Don’t move, Felix. You need to rest. They found out that she helped us, and someone has kidnapped Amelia.”

“What?” he yells, trying to move. “I’m coming. I can’t just sit here while this is going on. Is Amelia okay? No one better have hurt her!”

“And this is why I didn’t want to tell you, but Mom suggested I be honest,” I grumble, standing up and leaning over him. “I have it under control. I’m not going anywhere alone; Mom and Dad have my back and are going to help me get Amelia. You are going to rest and get better, okay? And just in case you try anything, your mom and Uncle Tracker are sticking around to guard you. I love you.”

One more kiss, and then I leave his room, hating the fact that he’s injured and I can’t stay, but I have a little girl to save.

After stopping at the station to speak to Jones and tell him what the hell has happened, I jump back in the car with Mom and Dad inside. Apparently we’ve turned into some vigilante family, working together to save Amelia.

“What happened?” Mom asks as soon as I close the door.

“I filed a missing-children’s report, but it’s early, so no one was taking it seriously. Charmaine already called and notified the police, so they’re aware. One of the men at the house with Reaper wasn’t held, so it has to be him,” I explain, scowling. “Why the hell did they let one man go? They were all clearly involved in the drug deal in some way or form; it’s bullshit. It’s like if you want something done right, you have to do it your damn self, or breathe down everyone’s neck.”

“Welcome to life,” Dad mutters from the passenger seat. “At least you’ve covered all your bases. The cops know she’s missing and can do what they do from their end, meanwhile we can try to find her ourselves, since they don’t seem like they’re in a rush to do anything.”

“That’s true. So what’s the plan?” I ask, looking between them both from the backseat.

“Pick up Charmaine first, I think,” Mom suggests, tapping her fingernails on the steering wheel. “We need to work fast. The timing right now is pivotal in saving this kid. You mentioned there was a guy who wasn’t arrested—did you get his name? Maybe we could speak to him and find out something. We need to find out where he is.”

“Yeah, Niall Gregory,” I tell them. “He’s Reaper’s right-hand man. He could be anywhere by now though. I wrote down his address, but if he’s just sitting at home, he’s not very smart.”

Dad immediately pulls out his phone. “We can go there and see if we can find any clues. I’m calling in the Wind Dragons. The more of us there are looking, the better our odds are going to be.”

He has a point.

Between us all, I’m confident we can track down this guy and save this poor little girl who has done nothing wrong.

When we pick up Charmaine, she’s a mess but tries to hold it together as we drive to Niall’s house, which is about ten minutes away.

“Stay in the car,” Dad tells me and Charmaine, like I’m a kid instead of a police officer. I guess some things will never change.

“We will find her,” I promise her, reaching out and taking her hand. “All right?”

She nods. “She’s all I have. I can’t believe he did this, just because I gave up their location. This is why I didn’t want to be involved in the first place; these people are evil. I can’t believe I ever associated with them. Amelia deserves so much better than all of this.”

She starts to cry, and I get it, but now isn’t the time. “Don’t cry, I need you to be strong right now, okay?”

I get out of the car and listen, because if I hear a gunshot or something from the house, I know that they will need me. When I’m standing there for five minutes with nothing, I decide to go in and investigate myself, telling Charmaine to lock the car. I head around the back, and seeing the door already open, assume Mom and Dad must be in there. It’s dark inside, and I instantly don’t like the vibe. I follow Mom’s voice, which leads to a room covered in photos and paperwork.

“Mom,” I whisper, not wanting to alarm them. “What the hell is taking you guys so long?”

She points to the wall. “He’s been investigating something. What are the chances that this guy is an undercover cop? And that’s why he didn’t get arrested?”

“Why would he kidnap Amelia then?” I ask them, frowning.

And why didn’t anyone at the station tell me? I guess if it’s above them, they wouldn’t have even known. At the end of the day, we’re at the bottom of the food chain, and all the detectives know much more about cases like these.

“Because you ruined the case for him?” Dad suggests, leading me back outside. “He might have been on the verge of getting what he wanted when you stormed in.”

“If he’s a cop, then Amelia is safe though, right?”

Neither of them answer me.

None of this makes sense. “Maybe he had to prove that he was on their side,” I think out loud. “Kidnapping Amelia shows he’s getting revenge for the men who did get arrested and now will potentially spend time behind bars. Maybe he needs to redeem himself somehow? They might blame him for leaking the location if he was the one they trusted the least.”

I’m just speculating at this point, trying to make sense of things. Who knows what is really going on, but we need to find Amelia tonight. I’m not resting until she’s back in Charmaine’s arms.

“But if Reaper was the one running the show, with him taken out, what now?” I mutter to myself, tapping on the window for Charmaine to unlock the door. We all get back into the car, and I don’t even know where the hell we’re going to go next when my phone rings.

“Hello,” I say distractedly.

“Hey, Clover, it’s Johanna.”

I sit up straighter. Johanna is a police officer and my Uncle Ranger’s wife. Uncle Ranger was a member of the Wind Dragons but stepped aside. He’s still family to us though, and that never changed, even if we see him less often than everyone else.

“Aunt Johanna?” I ask, confused. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. I have some information I thought might help you. Niall is one of ours, however he hasn’t checked back in with us and seems to be off the grid. We don’t know where his loyalties lie anymore. Luckily for us, our superior sensed this and we’re able to track his location. I’m sending you the address right now.”

“Thank you,” I tell her. “I really appreciate this.”

“No worries. We’ve been keeping our eyes on this, and when I heard you were involved I knew I had to help. Just go and save that little girl,” she says, hanging up.

Her message comes through, and I rattle the address off to my parents.

I don’t know what we would have done if Aunt Johanna didn’t decide to step in and help.

Loyalty.

I have that in tenfold.

Mom steps on the gas, and we rush to the address.

Charmaine sobs, clutching my arm, silently putting all her faith in me.

I’ve got this.

When we get there, Dad tells me to stay in the car again, but I don’t listen. “Dad, I’m coming in,” I tell him, quietly exiting the vehicle. “This is my mess, so I need to fix it. I can’t always have you guys saving me.”

He grumbles but doesn’t say anything else as I follow behind them. We check all the doors, but they’re locked, so Dad kicks down the door and then we all enter, guns pointed and ready for war. We check each room until we find Amelia in a bedroom, sitting on the bed, crying. She has a doll clutched in her arms, and when she sees me she all but jumps into my arms.

“I knew you’d come,” she says to me after she calms herself down.

With my parents on each side of me, we search every other room, but come up short.

He got away.

I carry Amelia to the car and hand her to Charmaine, their reunion is so emotional that I have to look away.

I send Aunt Johanna a quick message, saying that we saved the girl but Niall had already left.

Her reply makes me grin, evilly.

Don’t worry about him, he’s mine.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

Amelia is safe, Felix is going to be okay, and Johanna is handling my only loose end.

Fuck, what a day today has been.

I wanted excitement, adrenaline, and emotion, and I got them.

I also nearly lost the man I love, and that’s something that I don’t want to experience ever again.

Before I return to the hospital, I head back to the station and hand in my badge and my gun. Once Amelia was safe, I knew it was time for me to hand in my resignation. Too much has happened, everything about this job is tainted.

This is the end of my career as a policewoman, but at least I’ll still have Felix.

And I’m okay with that.

SIXTEEN

“I JUST wanted to say thank you for protecting my daughter,” I hear Dad say in his gravelly voice. “It’s no secret that I wasn’t exactly over the moon about her wanting to be a cop, and dating one, but . . .” He trails off, composing himself. “I owe you my life, Felix. And I can see why Clover loves you. You’re a good man.”

“Thank you, sir,” Felix replies from his hospital bed. “I really do love her, and I’d never do anything to hurt her.” He pauses, and then adds, “And if I did, she could probably kick my ass anyway.”

Dad chuckles under his breath. “She’s a strong woman. Stubborn. But she has a heart of gold.”

“I know,” Felix says. “I want to ask her to move in with me. If it’s okay with you, of course.”

“Clover can make her own decisions,” he replies, surprising me. “Trying to control her and be too overprotective made her run away to business school, then join the police force without her feeling like she could even talk to us about it. That’s not the relationship I want to have with her, so from now on, I’m just going to love her and be there when she needs me. But if she wants to live with you, that’s her choice. She will always have a home with me, and I will always protect her, but I think I can step away a little now. If you fuck up I won’t hesitate to kill you though.”

Felix is silent for a few seconds, then laughs uncomfortably. “It won’t come to that, sir. I can assure you. I’m crazy about her. We’ve been through so much together in such a short time, and she has become not just my girl but my best friend.”

“Save the speech for Clover,” Dad grumbles, but I peek my head in to see him offer Felix his hand. “Welcome to the family, Felix. And good luck, because you’re going to need it.”

“Takes a special kind of man to handle a strong woman like us,” Mom says from behind me, scaring the shit out of me. She wraps me in a big hug and kisses the top of my head. “We aren’t for everyone. We’re proud, strong-willed, and our self-respect and dignity can sometimes mix in with our ego, but we are rare, Clover. You are rare. I’m so proud to have raised a young woman like you. When I was pregnant I would think about what I wanted my child to be like, and you’re everything I could have dreamed of, and more.”

“Mom,” I whisper, emotion hitting me. I hug her back tighter. “Thank you for loving and supporting me even though I’ve made some dodgy decisions, recently.”

“You have to make mistakes to learn,” she replies, stroking my hair. “Trust me, I’ve made more than a few in my lifetime.”

“Hopefully none for me for a while. I quit my job, and now I can just focus on Felix getting better until I plan my next move.”

“Lucky you have a shitload of money in your bank to hold you down until then, right?” she teases, gently nudging me with her hip.

“I know, I’m spoiled. And grateful.”

Not many children have what I do, and I know how blessed I am to have a family who will look after me and have my back no matter what. Still, I’d rather be out making my own money than using my savings Mom set up for me, and she knows that. I’m not one to sit idle. I might wait a week and then decide if I want to find a new job, or go back to college and finish another degree.

Or both.

And now that Felix wants me to move into his apartment with him . . .

I duck my head, smiling widely. “Felix wants me to move in with him.”

“That’s a big move,” Mom murmurs, studying me. “You sure that’s what you want? There’s no need to rush into anything.”

“It feels right,” I reply, glancing up at her. “I don’t think I’m rushing into anything with him. I think that’s where I’m meant to be. And if I’m wrong, lucky I have a room at your house that will never be converted into something else.”

“Yes, you are. And he’s a good kid. You chose well,” she says, hazel eyes happy.

“I’m glad I did something right.” I grin, nodding toward Felix. “I’m going to save him from Dad and pretend I’m surprised when he asks me to move in.”

Mom laughs and shakes her head, auburn hair framing her face like a curtain. She’s such a beautiful woman, my mother.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Clover,” she says.

I step inside the room, letting myself be known.

Dad stands, kissing my hair as he passes, and then exits with Mom, leaving me and Felix alone.

“Are you okay?” I ask him, sitting down and taking his hand. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“I’m fine,” he says, rubbing his thumb along my knuckles. “All I had to do was take a bullet for you to get your family’s approval, who knew it would be so easy?”

“Can you not joke about that?” I deadpan, lips tightening. “They would have come around eventually anyway.”

“Well, this sped up the process,” he says with a wolfish grin, pulling me onto the bed next to him. He moves over and lifts up the blanket. “Come and spoon me, Nurse Clover.”

I roll my eyes but slide onto the bed and rest my head carefully on his shoulder. He’s been in here for a few days now and is doing much better. The doctor said he might be able to go home soon.

“Are you doing that thing where you overheard another conversation but aren’t going to say anything about it?” he asks, making me chuckle.

“You knew I was listening? I’m just waiting for you to officially ask me to move in. I’m not going to ruin this moment; it’s going to be a first for me,” I tell him, kissing his cheek. “What if I’m a difficult person to live with?”

“What if I’m a difficult person to live with?” he fires back. “I could be messy. Or lazy. I guess we’re both just going to have to find out the hard way.”

“You’re not messy. Your house is spotless. You sure as hell aren’t lazy. You’re always doing something—exercising, cooking, cleaning . . . I don’t think I’ve ever seen you just sit there and do nothing. So what else have you got?” I ask, arching my brow and waiting to see what comes out of his mouth next.

“Okay, you got me. I’m perfectly house-trained.” He smirks, rolling me over onto my back and looming over me. “And I’m decent in the kitchen. I make a mean cob loaf.”

“You’ve been holding out on me. I love cob loaf.”

He brushes my hair off my face. “We just haven’t had much time to do stuff like that, but we will. I can’t wait to wake up to you every morning.”

“I haven’t said yes.”

“You haven’t said no either,” he replies, softly kissing my lips. He cups my face with his hands and looks me in the eye. “Move in with me. I’ll wake you up with my mouth on you and then feed you. You’ll never be bored. And I’ll love you like no other man ever will.”

My eyes flare at his declaration. “I can’t really say no to that, can I?”

I kiss him.

Deeply.

The nurse walks in, and gasps. “That is not going to help his recovery.”

I slide out of bed—a little red-faced—clear my throat, and sit back down on the chair.

“On the contrary, I think that’s going to help me very much,” Felix says to her with a straight face.

She makes a tsk-tsk sound, checking his vitals and the wound. When she leaves, he holds out his hand to me, like he just needs to touch me.

The feeling is mutual.

SEVENTEEN

“HOLY hell!” I yell, covering my eyes with my hands. “Fuck! I can’t unsee that! My eyes! They burn!”

I run out of the room and sit down on the couch, completely scarred for life.

“You could have knocked,” Rhett says as he walks into the room, after having slid on some black sweatpants.

“Nate told me Cara was here alone!” I explain, wincing. “Future leader or not, I’m going to kill that little shit. Seeing my best friend’s penis is not how I wanted to start this morning.”

“What? You don’t care that you saw Cara naked, just me?” he asks, scowling. “Why am I taking the heat for this? Next time, you should knock, Clo.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve learned my lesson,” I grumble.

Cara walks out fully dressed. “Is everything okay?” she asks me.

“No,” I tell her, frowning. “I saw my two best friends naked; I feel violated.” I pause, then add, “Well, I’ve already seen Cara naked various times, so it’s mainly just seeing Rhett’s junk.”

Cara sits down next to me and smiles, amusement all over her expression. “He doesn’t have anything to hide, so it’s okay.”

I make a face of disgust. “You don’t get it. That’s my bro. And now I will never be the same. I just came here to share some news with you. Nate let me in, then bailed, and now I know why.”

“What’s the news?” she asks, snuggling back into Rhett. He makes her so happy, and vice versa; I soften, letting go of the scene I just witnessed.

“I’m moving in with Felix,” I blurt out, watching for their reactions.

“We know. Your mom told us,” Cara admits, sharing a look with Rhett. “Sorry she stole your thunder.”

“Are you sure it’s not too soon?” Rhett asks, frowning.

“I don’t think so. I’m hopeful,” I say, glancing between the two of them. “Can you believe it? Me? Clover Black? The girl who blew off almost every guy who has ever asked her out, is moving in . . . with a cop.”

“He may be a cop, but he’s now the Wind Dragons golden child after taking that bullet for you,” Rhett says, running his fingers up and down Cara’s arm. “Everyone is talking about it. Tell Nate to watch out, they’re probably going to crown Felix the next president,” he teases, then laughs at his own joke.

“Don’t even say that,” I groan, scrubbing my hand down my face. “Although Nate would deserve it.”

If Nate doesn’t want to become president, my brother most likely would be the next one they would consider. Nothing is set in stone though, it depends on who wants to move up the ranks and who has the skills to lead. The president must be someone who is easily respected and someone no one wants to cross. Like Uncle Arrow? He’s the last person I want to piss off, after my dad of course.

“Who knows, maybe I’ll take over one day,” Rhett adds, shrugging.

“You definitely have the loyalty for it,” I tell him, smiling. If he wanted to be in the running, I know he would be a contender. He seems the most serious about the prospect, with Asher overseas traveling the world and Nate being so young and immature. “I’m sorry I interrupted you guys. If Nate had said you were in there, Rhett, I would have gone home and sent a damn text.”

“It’s all right,” Rhett murmurs, avoiding eye contact.

Cara and I share a look and then burst into laughter.

Rhett sighs and stands. “Guess I’ll make you both some breakfast then.”

“Bacon pancakes, please!” I call out as he heads into the kitchen. I glance around the house. “Man, you guys are having sex in Uncle Rake’s house? You have some balls.”

“I knew no one was here,” she assures me. “Mom and Dad left this morning and won’t be home until later. Nate must have used the spare key to let himself in,” she grumbles, covering her face with her hands. “Do you think he heard? Oh shit, I’ve scarred him for life. He said he was going to drop by to do some gaming with Rhett, but that wasn’t meant to be for another two hours.”

“Uh, he heard.” I laugh. When I see the mortification on her face, I try to make her feel better. “It’s not like he hasn’t had sex,” I say, remembering the conversation I had with him. “Don’t stress. He shouldn’t be lurking around the house. Probably trying to see if Uncle Rake has some alcohol.”

“We need our own place,” she announces. “Rhett normally lives at the clubhouse, but I can’t go there and spend the night, that’s so awkward! It’s like living in a house with all your overprotective uncles and their knowing you’re having sex every night. It’s my own version of hell.”

“You really do.”

“I can’t believe you’re moving in with Felix. I’m so happy for you, Clover. You have no idea.”

“I’m happy too,” I tell her, moving to sit with my legs folded under me.

“At least we’re both taken at the same time. It makes things easier, doesn’t it?”

I nod. “It really does, not that you wouldn’t be a priority even if you weren’t with someone. Bros before hos.”

She holds out her fist, and I bump it. “Always.”

Rhett sticks his head in. “Did you just call me a ho?”

Charmaine and Amelia come to visit me at my apartment to say good-bye. After everything that happened, Charmaine has decided to move away. They have family out east, so they’re going there for a fresh start.

Amelia jumps into my arms and gives me the tightest hug. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” I tell her, hugging her back. “But you know what? You’re going to be so happy in your new house, with your family and friends, that soon you won’t even remember me.”

“You saved me,” she says, cupping my cheeks. “I won’t forget you.”

Her words hit me in my stomach, because they are the reason I walked through those academy doors that day. I wanted to give something back after having been given so much in life, and even though I never got to stick it out, I did save this little girl, and if that was the reason everything happened, then so be it. I’ll take that. Charmaine is stepping away from her past to give her daughter a safe life away from drugs and bad influences.

“I won’t forget you either, Amelia,” I promise her, putting her back down on the floor. “You know where I am if you ever need me.”

“Thank you for everything,” Charmaine says, tears welling in her eyes. “If you hadn’t come across me in the mall that day, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”

“You should be proud of yourself,” I tell her, touching her shoulder.

It’s easy to judge other people’s situations, especially when you’ve never been close to being in them. But Charmaine really turned hers around from when I first found her, and I know how hard that must have been for her.

We say our final good-byes, and I wish them all the best.

After moving all my stuff into Felix’s . . . I mean our house, with help from Dad, Rhett, and Felix, I rearrange the place, giving it a woman’s touch, making it feel more homey.

“Everything you own is black,” Felix points out. “Or red.”

“I know,” I tell him. “But doesn’t it look so good? Black is just classic, and the place looks awesome.”

“It looks ten times better after you revamped it,” he agrees, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “I can’t believe we’re actually living together.”

“Me either,” I reply, spinning around to face him and threading my fingers around his neck. “And my dad actually approved and helped me move in, instead of killing you and hiding your body.”

“Always a positive,” he says in a dry tone, lip twitching. “A cop got a blessing from a biker, who would have thought?”

It’s been a whirlwind of a year. I made some terrible choices, didn’t think a lot of things through, but everything led me to this moment, and so I can’t really complain. They say everything happens for a reason, and if you asked me before this, I would have told you that that was utter bullshit, that you make your own fate. I still think that you do; life is more than just old-fashioned luck, but sometimes mistakes are a blessing in disguise.

“Not me.” I tilt my head to the side with a smirk. “I thought I was going to have to go on a date with this Luke guy everyone keeps trying to set me up with.”

“Do I need to take this Luke guy out?” he teases, dipping me backward and kissing me.

I lift my leg up, just like in the movies.

“No one is a threat to you, Felix. You stepped into the dragon’s lair, willingly, and came out alive. You got the approval of an entire motorcycle club, proving your loyalty by saving my life, and I think you made them realize that I don’t always make reckless decisions.” I pause, and add, “Just sometimes.”

“I like you just as you are, Clover. Wild, reckless, intelligent, and a little bit dark,” he says against my lips, then lifts me up and carries me to our bedroom, kissing me hungrily, tasting all of me and wanting more.

I love this man.

And I’m right about this one—I’d bet my life on it.

He’s had my back as my partner, and now as my boyfriend.

I never thought I’d find someone I could trust outside of the MC world, but the truth is, I don’t think I really let anyone who isn’t a Wind Dragon in until now.

Felix managed to burrow his way into my ice-cold heart.

And now he’s here to stay.

EIGHTEEN

“YOU’RE back,” I say, running toward Uncle Vinnie and giving him a big hug, jumping into his arms. “I’ve missed you. And you’ve missed so much!”

“Sin has been keeping me up-to-date, don’t you worry,” he grumbles, putting me back down on the floor. “I have a shitload of photos for you from every country I visited, as you requested.”

“Perfect.” I beam. “Maybe I should take this time to travel, since I’m unemployed with nothing else going on.”

“Still dramatic, I see, Clover,” he replies, plopping down on my parents’ couch and getting comfortable. “I bet you already have a new plan of action, so tell me what it is.”

I sit down next to him, feeling amused. Uncle Vinnie is among the youngest of the WDMC men from my dad’s generation, and I’ve always been close to him for as long as I can remember. When he went away on an extended vacation it felt weird not having him around.

“I have an idea,” I tell him, excitement filling me. “I was thinking maybe I could start up some sort of charity to help women and kids get back on their feet after leaving bad situations like domestic violence and drugs,” I say, inspired by Amelia. “I have money I could use for the start-up, and I wouldn’t be making any money, but I’d be giving back to the community and helping people less fortunate than me.”

“That’s amazing, Clo,” he says with pride in his eyes.

“But I was also thinking of hitting Mom up and asking her if I can get involved with the FBI, like she is. The Black name was used against me when I tried to do things the normal way, so now I might as well use it, milk it for all it’s worth and use the connections that come with it. Mom manages to balance two worlds, so why can’t I, right?”

That’s actually why I dropped by Mom’s today, to speak to her about all of this, but instead of them being home Uncle Vinnie is here.

“If that’s what you want to do, you should definitely talk to her about it,” he says to me, shaking his head. “You should have just done that from the start.”

But then I wouldn’t have met Felix.

“Probably, but I never do things the easy way, as Mom always says,” I grumble, then start to ask him about his travels and Aunt Shayla, catching each other up on our lives.

“So when do I get to meet Felix?” he asks, and he sounds genuine about it, not like he’s dreading it, which is really nice to hear.

“He’s back at work today for the first time after being shot, otherwise he would have come with me,” I explain. “But soon hopefully. Maybe we should organize a big meet-up so you can see everyone all together. We’ve all missed you. It hasn’t been the same without our uncle Vinnie.”

His eyes soften in front of me. “You know I love you, right?”

I nod. “I do.”

“Good,” he says, pulling me in for a quick hug. “Tell your parents I dropped by to see them. I literally just got back a few hours ago, Shayla went straight to sleep, jet lag is killing her, but I thought I’d come see them quickly before I join her.”

“That’s dedication,” I tease. “I’ll tell them, don’t worry.”

He heads home, and I wait for Mom to get back, eager to talk to her about my new idea. If anyone can make something happen, it’s her. When they aren’t home after an hour, I fall asleep on the couch watching Grease 2.

Safe, warm, and happy.

But when I wake up, it’s to something heavy on my face, my nose blocked, and my legs held down. I fight as hard as I can, but everything soon turns black.

Forcing my eyes open, a soft groan escapes my lips at the pain in my head. I try to move to rub the back of my head, but my arms won’t move. I shake my head, trying to get rid of the grogginess and work out where the hell I am. I’m sitting on a chair, my arms cable-tied behind my back, in some sort of warehouse.

Fuck.

Wriggling my wrists, I test out how tight the ties are. My mom actually showed me a technique on how to break through these by leaning forward and using the pressure, but I need to wait for the right moment.

Glancing around the unfamiliar, dark, empty room, I have to wonder who has the balls to break into my parents’ house and kidnap me. It doesn’t make any sense. Niall was arrested by Aunt Johanna, and I can’t think of anyone else who would have a reason to want me.

I do know one thing, whoever chloroformed me is going to pay.

My parents’ house has surveillance cameras, and it’s only a matter of time until they have figured out that I’m missing. And Felix. When he gets home and I’m not there, he is also going to wonder where I am. When I see who walks into the room, surprise, anger, and betrayal fill me. Officer fucking Jones.

“Clover Black,” he murmurs, smug look in his beady eyes. “Didn’t think you’d be getting away so easily did you? I didn’t train you, put up with you, and let a criminal into my academy so you could just quit before doing what you were meant to do. You’re going to infiltrate the Cursed Ravens. You might have already brought down Reaper, but you fucked it up by not bringing the MC down with him, so now you’re going to have to finish the job. And if you don’t? You’re going to die, because you’re of no other use to me.”

So Reaper was just a tool to bring down the Cursed Ravens? Does he not care that we got the drug dealer off the streets? I don’t know how involved Reaper was with the MC, or if he was at all, but I doubt we’re going to find out now.

“You’re calling me a criminal? Pretty sure it’s you who has me tied up against my will,” I grit through clenched teeth. “It’s you who gives cops a bad name—dirty, power-hungry men like you. Let me go, and maybe, just maybe, I won’t kill you.”

He’s clearly pissed that I quit before he could get what he wanted out of me. Instead of me putting up with him and his demands to keep my job, I stepped away. I guess he’s a little bitter now and thought he could intimidate me, pull me right from a Wind Dragons household—which is a very bold move—and then manipulate me into doing what he wanted from the start. I don’t know if he sees nothing wrong with this, or if he just doesn’t care.

He barks out a deep, evil laugh. “You aren’t in a position to negotiate, I’m afraid.”

“So how is this going to play out then?” I ask him, still trying to get my hands free without making too much movement. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to do as I requested. I want Gage Parker’s head on a platter. I want the Cursed Ravens all in prison. And I want you to make that happen. I haven’t been able to get anyone undercover with them, they are too tight-knit and don’t trust anyone. Erin trusts you, and I’m going to use that. The deal I’m offering you is I’ll let you live if you bring me Gage, and then I’ll let you go. You will be free.”

“You won’t kill me,” I state, knowing that even he’s not that stupid. “You’d be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, and being a cop won’t help you. My family has done time behind bars before, and I have no doubt they wouldn’t mind doing some more to avenge me. You’re old and ugly, yes, but you’re not stupid. If you wanted me dead, you’d have killed me by now.”

Not to mention Felix: he wouldn’t rest until he found out what happened to me.

Jones’s thin lips tighten. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. You wasted my time. And made me look stupid to my superiors, who didn’t want to allow this plan in the first place. Cops are cops for life; you don’t get to just walk away like that. No one does. And I brought you in, so you know what? If I want to take you out, I will.”

Great, I’m his loose end.

Now what?

Think, Clover, think.

“So what? I say I’ll help you and you just let me go? Give me my badge back and wait until I infiltrate the Cursed Ravens?” I ask, wanting him to keep talking, the ties almost free.

He laughs again, and it seriously pisses me off. “No, it doesn’t work like that. You’re going to have to make it all happen as a criminal biker, not a cop. You’re going to be my criminal informant.”

He’s like a bratty child having a tantrum because things didn’t go his way. He also obviously hasn’t thought this plan out very well. What’s to stop me from saying yes then changing my mind? He might have been able to get to me once, but I can assure you that that won’t happen a second time.

I have two options right now.

I agree to help him and he lets me go, and then I make him pay for what he’s done today.

Or, I make him pay right now.

I go with the latter.

NINETEEN

AS soon as he has his back to me, I lean forward and pull hard in a quick motion. I break free from the cable ties, but I don’t just jump up and give that fact away. I remain seated and try to look worried. I want him to feel like he’s winning before I teach him a lesson.

You don’t fuck with the WDMC, or anyone in it.

And you especially don’t fuck with me.

I don’t know how powerful he thinks he is, but he probably should have brought backup with him if he wanted to intimidate me.

I must really suck at letting Jones think he has the upper hand because he pulls out his gun and turns the safety off, pointing it right at me. One slight movement and I’ll be dead.

Again, I think this is a bluff, but I’m not going to call him on that. He clearly has a few screws loose, and now wouldn’t be the time to push him.

“Are you in, or are you out?” he asks me, insinuating that out means death.

“Well, you aren’t giving me much of a choice, are you?” I grumble, staying deathly still.

“Joseph Banks would be rolling in his grave if he knew his son was dating a biker bitch,” he scoffs, shaking his head in disgust. “You’ve somehow got him blinded. What a waste.”

I grit my teeth together, his bringing Felix into this is not working for me. Also, I’d be lying if his comment didn’t hit its mark, because that is a thought that has crossed my mind before.

Would his dad have ever approved of me?

His dad’s not here though. “Felix has nothing to do with this. You wanted me to be your personal little weapon, and I know you’d never ask that of him.”

“It’s called doing your job,” he fires back, clutching the gun harder. “It’s bringing down criminals, which is what you’re meant to be doing. If those criminals are your friends, perhaps you need to reassess your views. You could never be a good policewoman because you don’t see that, and that is why we usually block anyone who has any ties to people like that. I took a chance with you, and this is what I got in return.”

“You never gave me a real chance, you brought me here to use me and that’s it. Don’t act like some hero,” I reply, scowling. “And don’t act like you didn’t just commit a crime and become like me, or so you say. You are no better than me, or my family, so get off your high horse, Jones.”

So much for not provoking him.

Fuck.

You can’t fight with stupid. There’s nothing left to say here; I just need to get out.

“I still have my badge,” he says calmly. “And with or without one, I’m still a good man. Without yours, you’re just another criminal fucking up this city.”

Stepping closer, he brings the gun and holds it against my temple, standing close to me.

Mistake.

With a swift move I lift my hands up, knock the gun to the floor, and stand, head-butting him with all my might, then land in a few punches. When he goes down I slide onto the floor, my feet still tied, shuffling to the other side of the room. With my eyes on him, I untie my feet, then stand and pick up the gun, pointing it back at him.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” I ask him, feeling angry, and yeah, a little damn smug.

“You can’t kill an officer. You’ll be spending the rest of your life behind bars,” he states, huffing. I don’t miss the look of fear in his eyes though, and with how he sees me, I don’t blame him. He thinks I’m a criminal who has no morals or heart, and maybe he’s right in some aspects. I’m not a bad person though, and I know this. However, if you back me into a corner, I’m not going to sit there and take that. I’m a fighter, and yeah, I have been brought up differently than most people. I know that there are certain things I can get away with, and I know that I have connections that can help me in and out of pretty much any situation. Even with all of that, I’m not a bully, nor have I ever been, and I haven’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.

I’m not who he thinks I am.

And I am more than worthy of Felix.

“That’s if they catch me,” I reply, smirking. I pat myself down, wondering what the bastard did with my phone.

“I threw it away. Knew they’d try to track you on it,” he admits, staring at the gun in my fingers. “You should just put that down, we know you aren’t going to use it. Agree to my terms and walk away. We’re in the city, so it will be easy for you to get home, and we can pretend none of this ever happened. I’ll be waiting for you to tell me when you get invited to the Cursed Ravens MC, and then we will go from there. You agree to this deal, and I’ll make sure the Wind Dragons are left alone. How about that? I’m sure that must entice you.”

Anything to protect my family entices me, but not by betraying someone else. I also would never make a deal with this man; he’s a liar and as corrupt as they come. I don’t want to have anything to do with him. The thought makes my finger move, up and down on the trigger, not enough to pull it, but enough that he can see I’m considering it.

“Don’t make a stupid decision, Clover. Unless you want to end up like some of your MC members.” He sneers, standing up with his arms out. “Put the gun down, now.”

Fuck.

I feel like if I walk out of here, he’ll think he’s won. He won’t leave me alone and will have some kind of vendetta against me. I can see it in his eyes. But what’s the alternative? I can’t kill him. I mean, I could, but he’s right, I’d likely end up in prison, and that’s not where I want to be right now, or ever.

My fingers start to shake. He did this, he brought me here and threatened me, and now I have to back away? I’ve never understood how the MC got into so much trouble over the years, but now I’m beginning to see.

What am I going to do?

My head snaps to the right when I hear a bang. Oh fuck, who else does he have here?

“Who is that?” I demand of Jones. “Tell me.”

“I don’t know,” he replies, looking as confused as me. He presses himself back against the wall, which lets me know he really doesn’t, or he would be putting himself in a place where he doesn’t have to guard his back.

“Clover?” I hear Felix yell, and the relief I feel is immediate.

“In here!” I yell back, making sure the gun is still on Jones in case he tries anything else.

The door slams open and he rushes in, taking in the scene. “Thank God you’re okay,” he tells me, taking the gun from me and pulling me into his arms.

“How did you find me?” I ask him.

“I’ll explain later,” he says, looking toward Jones. “You’re a disgrace to the police force. How dare you take her?” He pulls out his phone and makes a call to the police, giving the address we’re at.

“Why are you calling them? They’re just going to let him go, or blame it all on me,” I tell him, starting to panic a little.

“Not if I have evidence,” he replies, hanging up and pointing the gun back at Jones. “He thought he damaged all the surveillance cameras, but he missed one, and we saw the whole thing. He used the spare key he saw Vinnie use, because he’d been watching the house, saw his moment, then broke in and kidnapped you. He can’t talk his way out of this one, because it’s all there. And they’re really cracking down on dirty cops at the moment, so they’re going to have a field day with this one.”

“Your father wouldn’t want you to do this to me,” he says to Felix. “He would have protected me. I was a close friend of his. She has blinded you, Felix, she’s turning you into one of them. Don’t act like they don’t do things like this every day and get away with it. You’re associating yourself with criminals. Is that what you want to be known as? Your career in law enforcement is going to last almost as long as hers did, is that what you want? To give up your dreams for this woman?”

He’s really laying it on thick there. I’d hate to think that because of Felix’s ties to me, and now the MC, he could ever lose his job. Could it affect his career? I’d never, ever want that, I’m not that selfish, and it would kill me.

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” Felix replies, staying strong. “My father was an honest man, and he’d have never done or approved of what you have done here today. He wouldn’t stoop to that level, and he would have looked down on you. He always did what was right. He would have loved Clover, because he always supported me, and he would have seen how happy she makes me. None of this is your business. You started this by trying to mold Clover into your own weapon, and by being manipulative and resorting to kidnapping and blackmail. I have no respect for you, and I know my dad wouldn’t either.”

His speech leaves me breathless.

He has my back, always.

I’m not a woman who has ever needed to be saved before all of this, but he saved me.

Again.

Because if I’m being honest, a little more time here and I’m not sure which decision I would have made.

And that terrifies me.

TWENTY

THE police arrive and arrest one of their own.

Except in this case, it was the wrong one.

When the officers who arrive know Jones, and not Felix, they listen to what Jones says when they tell him he is a dirty cop. They handcuff Felix and put him in the car for questioning, and I see red. What’s worse is Jones stands next to me during the whole thing, then he has the nerve to say to me, “You know, I’m surprised Felix is involved with someone who grew up with bikers. Even if it wasn’t a biker who killed his father.”

He walks off before I can ask more.

With Felix’s phone in my hand and Jones’s words in my head, I call Mom, who is frantic. She arrives within ten minutes and intimidates the shit out of the officers to get them to release Felix.

“I’m going to make sure they don’t try to sweep this under the rug,” Mom promises, pacing in front of me. “I’m motherfucking fuming! No one comes into my house and threatens my daughter. No one.”

“Wait until I get my hands on him,” Dad says, a little too calmly. “I can serve him my own taste of judgment, and trust me, that will be much sweeter. For me, anyway.”

They’ve both been raging ever since they picked me up, making promises, threats, and once again thanking Felix for saving me. They’ve called everyone in the MC, letting them know what happened, including Aunt Johanna, who said she’s going to personally see that Jones is held accountable for this. As for me, all I can think about is what Jones said about Felix’s dad, and whether he was being honest or just trying to hurt Felix further.

“I’m okay, guys,” I tell them from where I’m wrapped up in Felix’s arms on their couch, the very spot that I was kidnapped from.

No one listens to me.

“Every time it gets quiet and we think we have no one coming after us, some bullshit happens,” Dad continues his rant. “And we’ve been staying out of trouble, keeping our heads down and just living our lives, riding our bikes and being with family, and then someone targets my family and it makes me want to dive right back into the deep end again.”

“We can go about this the right way, Dex,” Mom says to him. “We have the evidence. If they even try to do anything, I will take this to the media. I’ll take it to Jaxon Bentley, and we’ll build the biggest case against the police department that they’ve ever seen. I’m not going to let this go, and we can do this in a way where none of us go to prison for it. We need to be smart. You think I don’t want to go and kick some ass? No one hurts any of my babies. No one. And Clover shouldn’t have been put in that position where she’s backed into a wall, literally, not sure if this guy is ever going to leave her alone! A dead cop is always a big deal, and you know it. It’s why Irish did time.”

We all go quiet. Uncle Irish served time, albeit minimal time thanks to my mother, for killing his now wife’s ex-husband, who happened to be a dirty cop.

“I don’t want you to do anything, Dad,” I tell him, frowning. “It’s over, and Mom will make sure he spends time behind bars for this. I think she’s right. The media would eat this up. I’m just glad to be home, and I want to lay low for a while.”

“Of course, Clo,” Mom says, studying me with her eyes, identical to my own. “Whatever you need, we’re here for you. And, Felix, you’ve saved her twice now. We don’t know how we can ever repay you, but thank you. It feels so good to know she’s in safe hands and has someone who will always be there for her. It’s all we could have ever asked.”

“No need to thank me,” he says, kissing my temple. “I’m just happy she’s okay, and I’m really angry that Jones did this. I always looked up to all the police officers and idolized them, and now I’m finding out what the reality of it is. I never want to turn into what Jones is.”

“You won’t,” I assure him, snuggling into him. “You’ve got me to make sure you don’t.”

Plus, his heart is pure gold.

And I truly believe that.

“Let’s go home,” I say to him, feeling drained after everything that happened today. “I need to have a hot shower and sleep.”

And have some sleepy sex, but I’m not going to say that one out loud.

He stands up and offers me his hand. “Come on, let’s get you to bed then.”

“I hate what happened to you today. I know I’ve kept it calm, but I’m so angry, Clover. I’m so bitter and resentful and . . . I don’t know if I can keep doing this. Maybe I wasn’t meant to be a cop, either. How can I work for someone who did this? Or go back to work tomorrow and pretend like everything is okay?”

“Not everyone is like him,” I point out. “He was working alone, so you can’t blame the rest of the department.”

“We don’t know that,” he replies, sounding deflated.

“You stand for everything good, Felix. You’re everything that a cop is meant to be,” I say to him, meaning every word. Quitting isn’t going to help the situation. I know that he’s angry on my behalf, and being loyal, but we need people like him so the corrupt don’t win. Felix will do great things. I know that in my gut, and not just because he’s my boyfriend.

“And so are you, and look what they did to you,” he tells me in a harsh tone.

I decide to let this conversation go, because we’re both still overcome with emotions after everything we’ve both been through. Felix held a gun to one of his last connections to his dad, and although he’s not saying something, I know that has to hurt. The words Jones said, some of them did hurt, even though neither of us will admit that out loud. Still, I think we both know what we have here, and we always knew it was never going to be easy. We’re like a modern Romeo and Juliet, and if we want each other, we’re going to have to fight for it, let a lot of things go, and remember that what we have together is worth all of it.

“Let’s talk about this later. I just want to be clean and in bed with you, naked,” I say, laughing when he presses on the gas.

I don’t know how I can laugh after the day I’ve had, but I do.

The second I’m home, Felix turns on the shower and I jump inside, letting the hot water wash away the day. I don’t complain when he joins me, even when his large build blocks most of the water. I normally don’t like sharing the shower, but with him, I allow it.

I even enjoy it.

I don’t know what he’s done to me.

Bending down and picking up my passion fruit bodywash, he pours some onto my loofa and gently starts to scrub my body. I close my eyes and let him pamper me. When he presses his front to my back and starts rubbing my body back and forth, my eyes quickly open.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask him bluntly.

“Being your loofa,” he says, continuing to rub his body with mine, twisting my hips with his hands.

More laughter spills out of me as I let him maneuver my body. “Are you done now, you weirdo?”

He spins my slippery body around so we’re facing each other and pushes me back against the tiles. “I almost lost you today.”

Glancing up at his lips, I raise my eyes back up to his, water dripping down both of our faces. “You aren’t going to lose me that easily, Felix.”

He rests his forehead against mine. “I don’t know what I would have done. I’ve only had you for such a short time; it would have been the cruelest punishment. I love you so much, Clover. You’re the one; I know it. I love you just as you are; I don’t want to change anything about you. I love how you’re just real and say it how it is, but at the same time, when I make you laugh, you get all giggly and girly and it’s fucking adorable. I love how I can make you roll your eyes then smile, and that smile. Fuck. You speak with your eyes. You would do anything for the people you love. When you’re working out with your headphones on you sing along to the songs and don’t give a shit who’s listening. . . .”

I smile at that one because it’s true, even if I’m at the gym.

“I love how sexy you are, how confident, how you just own everything about you—”

I kiss him, cutting off his speech. I tell him how I feel about him in this kiss; I guess that’s me: I’m better with actions than with saying things out loud. I pour my emotion, my love, my soul into this kiss.

And when his fingers tighten around me, I know that he can feel it.

He got the message, loud and clear.

He understands me, even in my silence.

If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say the next morning, as I roll over to face him, the sunlight hitting my face. “I don’t know if it’s true or not though.”

“What is it?” he asks me, voice thick with sleep.

I tell him what Jones said. “I don’t know why he’d say that. Either it’s the truth, and he knows something but has kept quiet all this time, or he’s just talking shit, trying to upset us and get us curious.”

“Us,” he whispers, grinning. “I like that this is an ‘us’ situation.”

“Everything is an ‘us’ situation,” I reply, watching as his grin fades.

“I don’t know what to make of that, but I’m glad you told me,” he says, tucking my hair back behind my ear. “If it’s true, I want to know who did it.”

I nod in agreement.

The truth always comes out.

TWENTY-ONE

THE next few days are a media circus, with my mom leaking the footage of Jones breaking into my house, chloroforming me, and carrying my body out the door. You can easily tell that it’s him on the screen, which is a good thing, and now everyone is calling for harsher penalties for cops who seem to think they are exempt from the law because they enforce it. He’s been arrested, and more and more of his dirty shenanigans are starting to come out.

The good part is that you can’t actually see my face on the video surveillance, which makes it better for me, because I wouldn’t want everyone to see me in my weakest moment. My name is never mentioned, and Mom has threatened to sue anyone who even thinks about bringing it to the media. I get to remain anonymous, at least for now, while Jones’s name is being discussed all over the news and country. He’s definitely regretting fucking with me right now, I have no doubt. His hate for me will probably carry on for the rest of his life, and I need to be aware of that.

I tell Mom about what Jones said about Felix’s father, and she says she will do what she can to look into it. I finally have the chat with Mom that I went to her house to have, and she thinks it’s a great idea.

“I love the idea of you working with the FBI. You’d be amazing at it.” She beams, flashing me a look I see sometimes. It says, Yes, I knew I raised her right and is a mix of pride and smugness. Does every parent relate their children’s successes back to them? Or is it just mine? Either way, it amuses me when she takes my win as her own.

“I know they’d be interested. I can reach out to my contact and see what they say. But only if that’s what you want to do,” she says, studying me. “I think you’d make a great agent. I know it’s not common practice for women like us to work on the other side of the law, as you’ve just found out the hard way, but if you find the right people to work with, you can make it work.”

“I hate that I have to use the fact that you’re my mom to get into what I want to do,” I admit. “I wanted to do it all on my own, and my own way.”

And look how that turned out.

“But, Clover, you did do this on your own. Sure, my contacts will help speed up the process, but they’ve had you on their radar since you graduated the academy. They’ve noticed your skills and talent. Not just your name,” she says, brow furrowing. “If anything, your name made it harder for you, not easier. You will make your own reputation for yourself. Trust me, after you show them what you can do everyone is going to forget my name. You’re going to shine, Clo. It’s just what you do. I’m so proud of you, and never think you can’t ask me for help. You can come to me about anything, okay?”

“Okay,” I reply, breathing a sigh of relief knowing that it’s not just my name they are after. “Thanks, Mom. You’ve always had my back, and I really appreciate that.”

“What are mothers for?” she says, nudging me playfully with her shoulder. “Now come on, I’ve got a special day planned for us. Spa, shopping, lunch, and a movie. Let’s just relax and forget about all the drama that’s happened recently.”

“Sounds perfect.”

I went through hell this year, but things are finally starting to go smoothly.

Whatever else life wants to throw at me though, you know what?

I’ll handle it.

Knock me down and I’ll just get right back up.

It’s in my blood.

TWENTY-TWO

Two months later

“ ‘OFFICER Jones Arrested for Death of Police Officer, Friend, Joseph Banks,’ ” Mom reads out loud to me, sliding the newspaper in front of me.

“How did you get him to admit to this?” I ask her, frowning and looking over at Felix to see if he’s doing okay.

“I told him if he told the truth about Felix’s dad, I would help get him a lighter sentence,” she says. “Never did I think he’d admit that he was the one who killed him. I thought that he simply knew the truth.”

The article goes on to say that Banks had found out that Jones had turned dirty, and Banks wasn’t having any part of it. Banks was going to turn Jones in, so in return, Jones killed a man he once called his friend and blamed it on a shootout that happened with local bikers.

“I’m still in shock,” Felix murmurs, reading the headline over once more. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Your father was a good man,” I whisper.

“The best,” he replies, smiling sadly.

Mom walks over and gives Felix a big hug. “He would have been so proud of you, I just know it.”

Dad walks toward Felix and offers him his hand, and Felix takes it.

This is it.

Felix may be a cop, but he also has the Wind Dragons as his new family. I don’t know how that’s going to pan out for the future, but we will make it work. We always do.

“You are a good man,” Dad says, “just like your father was. I never thought I’d think anyone was good enough for my daughter, but you’ve proved yourself, over and over again.”

“Thank you, sir,” Felix replies, sounding more humble than I’ve ever heard. “Your approval means the world to me. I know how close of a family you all are.”

“Call me Dex,” Dad says with a wolfish smile. “And welcome to the madhouse.”

“Feel like I belong here already,” Felix chuckles. “Or anywhere Clover is.”

My mom puts her hand over her heart. Man, he has the women wrapped around his finger, but I can’t complain, because it makes my life a hell of a lot easier.

“I’d better go home and see how Mom is taking all of this,” he says to us, glancing back at the newspaper.

“Do you want me to come with you?” I ask him, and he nods.

“We’ll see you guys soon,” I tell Mom and Dad, smiling at Dad, feeling so proud in this moment.

“I love you,” he mouths to me.

“I love you too, Dad,” I call out to him.

I will always be Daddy’s little girl, and that will never change.

Three months later

“This wedding cracks me up. Cops, other motorcycle club members, and family members no one really likes: it has something for everyone,” Knuckles, one of Ace’s biker brothers, says to me, chuckling to himself. “Seriously, only Erin could bring people like this together. And no one is even giving each other the side-eye.”

“I’m side-eyeing that cake,” I reply back to him, making him and Felix laugh. “I’m serious. Erin has epic taste—that cake looks like I need a double serving.”

“Girl, just wait until you taste it,” Celina, Knuckles’s woman, adds. “It’s amazing.”

After a beautiful garden ceremony, we’ve all come to the Cursed Ravens clubhouse for the reception. The place looks amazing; they’ve really put in the time and effort to decorate, with a white-and-gold theme. I’m right where Jones wanted me to be, except I’m here to celebrate the marriage of my good friend and her now husband, Ace, not making any moves against them.

I turn to Felix. “Another day, another MC clubhouse. It’s good to know that you will go anywhere with me.”

He smirks, lifting his hand to touch the yellow sunflower in my hair. “I’d follow you to hell, Clover.”

Lip twitching, I move closer to my man and rest my head on his shoulder. “I hope it never comes to that, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

“I like Erin,” he says to me, smiling. “And I’m happy to be here to watch her tie the knot. Hell, I like everyone here. You have a great network of people surrounding you, and I love being a part of it all with you, by your side. I might not be a biker, but I can still look after you, protect you, and worship you in the bedroom.”

Celina sticks her head over to us, fanning herself. “That was hot.”

Knuckles pulls her back toward him. “Let them have their moment.”

Felix and I share an amused look. He stayed with the police force, and they promoted him to sergeant and he’s opted to go into internal affairs. He never showed an interest before—I thought he would become a detective—but after everything that happened with his father and Jones, he wants to be the one investigating dirty cops. I think it’s the only way he could’ve stayed a police officer. I’m glad he did though, and I think he is too. He was meant to be a police officer, like his father before him, and the world needs more men like Felix Banks.

It’s a shame I don’t get to be his partner anymore, but I still see him at home at the end of every shift. We live together, work out together, and just enjoy each other’s company so much. I’ve started working with Mom on a few of her cases, and eventually I’ll be working for the FBI solo, on my own. I’m loving every second of working with my mother, and seeing how brilliant she is makes me so proud to be her daughter. I’m supposed to head to Quantico in a few weeks to train to be a special agent and once that is completed, I’m hoping to be assigned to the local office.

“You look so incredibly beautiful,” I tell Erin when she comes over to our table, pulling up a chair and sitting down with us.

“Thank you, Clover, and thank you so much for coming. I wish I could spend more time with you, but, man, it’s hard being the host and having to talk with everyone,” she says, glancing down at her wedding band. “I can’t believe I’m finally married to Ace. Today is the best day ever.”

“Don’t worry about us, we’re having fun chatting with Knuckles and Celina,” I assure her, softening as I watch her. She can’t stop beaming, and it’s beautiful to share this moment with her.

I’ve never really been a wedding person before; I usually just looked forward to the food. I wasn’t one of those children who dreamed of being a bride or a mother. I never carried around doll toys or imagined what my wedding day would be or what dress I would wear.

I’ve never even considered marriage.

I dreamed of fighting bad guys and saving the world instead, but in this moment I can appreciate the beauty of it all.

Especially with this man next to me.

Most people think falling in love with someone is a weakness, because you lower your guard and let that person inside. You grow to want them all the time, to rely on them, to need them. But I know that this can also be a strength. Just look at all the couples in the MC. Alone, they are dangerous; together, they are unbeatable.

And if the time comes that I have to let Felix go, I’m strong enough to be okay after that too. Yes it would hurt like a bitch, and I feel physically sick thinking about it, but if I need to survive alone, I know I can.

I want Felix; I love him, but I don’t need him.

But, boy, do I love him.

How did we get here? I went from him being my new partner, to him taking a bullet for me, all in the span of a year.

And you know what?

I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

EPILOGUE

Two years later

FELIX walks through the doors, and the sight of him still turns me on.

“I love coming home every day to have you looking at me like that,” he murmurs, eyeing me in my black silk robe. Today is my only day off, so I decided to stay inside, clean, read, and watch some TV. Every now and again I just need a day to chill and have some me time. Today, though, is a little different, and it’s about to be for Felix too.

He hugs me tightly, gives me a kiss, then steps back and lets my robe fall open. I’m naked underneath, and his eyes darken as he takes me in.

“I’m pregnant,” I tell him, smirking as the heat fades away before my eyes. I twirl the engagement ring on my finger, knowing that this might be a surprise, but I know we’re both in this together.

When Felix proposed to me a few months ago, I said yes. Obviously.

The woman who never really considered marriage and children suddenly has a new perspective on it, and with him, it just felt right. We spoke about children and decided we’d wait a little longer, but after the engagement, we also started being a little less strict with using protection.

“What?” he whispers, glancing down at my stomach, like there would instantly be a bump there. “You’re pregnant?”

I nod, and fuck it, I smile.

This child wasn’t planned, but you know what, neither was I.

Yeah, I’ve heard that story. Everyone at the clubhouse loves to tell it. Especially since my father was my mother’s ex-boyfriend’s older brother. Yes, my parents were crazier than I am.

He lowers himself to his knees and kisses my stomach. “I hope you’re not a girl,” is the first thing he says, making me laugh.

I’ve never laughed so much in my life as I have being with Felix.

He stands back up and kisses me, dipping me backward and smiling against my lips. “We’re going to be parents?”

I nod.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t make me any happier.”

He lifts me up and carries me back into the bedroom, except instead of ravaging me, he asks me how I’m feeling and if he can do anything for me. He even starts doing research on his phone, wanting to know everything about the little bean inside of me.

I think it’s cute.

But then I push him back and remove his clothes.

I’m still me, and he’s still him, and nothing will ever change that.

Now we’re just going to have an extra person to love, half of me and half of him.

He’s right about one thing though, if it’s a girl—good luck.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A BIG thank you to my editor, Marla Daniels and Gallery books.

Kimberly Brower, I’m so lucky to have you as my agent! Thank you for everything you do—we make such a great team and you truly go above and beyond.

Natalie Ram—Thank you for being the most versatile best friend ever, from helping me proofread to making me swag. I appreciate everything that is you. I know I can always count on you to have my back, or help me when I need you. I kind of adore you, and I don’t know how I survived before I had you by my side. You’re my one woman army, and I love you heaps.

Rose Tawil—I really don’t know what I’d do without you. I can’t say “thank you” enough for all the work you put in to support my dreams, and you never ask for anything in return. You truly are one of the best people I’ve ever met. You also kick my ass whenever I need it. Love you infinity.

Brenda Travers—Thank you so much for all that you do to help promote me. I am so grateful.

Amo Jones—Thank you for always being there when I need someone to talk to, for the badass writing sprints, and for encouraging me to be the best writer I can be. I love you wifey.

Ari—You are one of the best souls I have ever met. You are kind, generous, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for always caring about me.

C—Thank you for always being there for me, for helping me in any way I need it, and loving me when I’m not always lovable.

To my three sons, my biggest supporters, thank you for being so understanding, loving, and helpful. I’m so proud of the men you are all slowly becoming, and I love you all so very much. Nothing makes me happier than being your Mama.

More from this Series

Dragon's Lair

Arrow's Hell

Book 2

Tracker's End

Book 3

Dirty Ride

Book 4

More from the Author

Going Rogue

Knuckle Down

The Cursed Ravens Series

Ace of Hearts*

Knuckle Down*

Going Rogue*

The Conflict of Interest Series

Breaching the Contract*

Seducing the Defendant

Approaching the Bench*

Leading the Witness

The Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club Series

Dragon’s Lair

Arrow’s Hell

Tracker’s End

Dirty Ride*

Rake’s Redemption

Wild Ride*

Wolf’s Mate

Last Ride*

Crossroads

*ebook only

We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.

Gallery Books

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2019 by Chantal Fernando

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Gallery Books ebook edition April 2019

GALLERY BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

Cover design by Patrick Kang

Cover photography © Getty Images

ISBN 978-1-9821-1249-3