Page 34 of Truth Forever
Cali’s pretty mouth pouted. “Won’t you be too tired?”
“I’ll be fine. I kind of want to talk to you in private when I get back anyway.” Hell, I didn’t just want to talk to her privately I wanted to make it special without it coming across as corny of course.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Privately? Is everything ok?”
We both knew that our time together was coming to an end, although neither of us spoke about it. Cali was spending more and more time on her phone, buying us more time I was guessing but I didn’t actually know what she thought would happen between us in the future. Because I couldn’t bring myself to ask outright.
Tomorrow I would have to.
“Everything is fine Cali.” I smoothed my fingers down her cheek. At least I hoped it would be ok. “I just want to ask you something important.”
“You’ve already asked me to live with you, so it’s not that…” she seemed puzzled. “More important than that?”
I laughed, what else could I do. “Yeah Cali, more important than that.”
***
“Are you sure about this brother?” Wicked’s eyes never left my face over the table and the two half congealing burgers that sat between us.
Our run was almost over. Thank fuck. And for the first time in weeks, it had gone smoothly. I might have been suspicious about it if I hadn’t been in such a rush to get home. To get back to Cali.
A few more hours and I would be back with her and asking her something I had never asked another woman before.
I knew what others thought. I was rushing into something with a woman I didn’t know, and they had a point. I was. But I was still going to do it. It didn’t matter what they thought or anyone else for that matter. All that mattered was how she made me feel. Cali was the only light I could see. A beacon for the darkness of my soul, and the thought of losing her was the most frightening thing I had ever been through. It seemed to gnaw at me the fear that I would not be enough for her. That she would realise the kind of man I really was and leave.
So I could understand my brother’s apprehension, even if I didn’t share it. “Yeah I’m sure.”
“Well.” Wickeds tattoed knuckles cracked. “If you’re sure? Jesus, little brother, it’s a massive step. You barely know each other.”
“I’m sure.” My voice was final. “And stop with the little brother shit. I’m a good inch bigger than you.”
“Not where it matters, you aren’t.” He waggled his eyebrows, and behind the counter, the waitress laughed. Looking over with new interest.
I rolled my eyes. Asshole.
He sobered almost instantly. “All I’m saying is ….” He was cut off as my phone started to vibrate loudly on the table.
“That her?”
I shook my head. Holding my finger up to make him shut up as I scowled down at the email that had just flashed up on the screen.
I had set up alerts on everyone Fender had asked me to, calling in every favour I had. For the most part, everyone had come up smelling like roses, if of course, you ignored the run-ins with the law. Which I did.
I wasn’t interested in who was being a bad boy or girl unless it somehow impacted the club. That wasn’t my job. My job was making sure none of my brothers did serious jail time because someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut.
The email was short. A few words and a link to a newspaper article.
“What is it?” Wicked knew me. He knew my facial expressions, and he most definitely knew when the darkness was taking over.
Calista Drummond.
I frowned. Why would I be sent some article about a random chick called Calista? Seriously who even called their kid that? The fact that she was graduating top of her class and joining her father and brother in the fight to convict dangerous criminals and get them off the streets once and for all. There was something else about her being a rising star. Headhunted by some of the biggest law firms in the country.
But I couldn’t take it in.
All I could do was look at the smiling blonde woman in the photograph looking up at me.
Cali.
