Page 4 of Bullet

I shake my head. “No.”

“Right. That’s good. It means that we can hold off until the rain stops. The weather is supposed to clear up overnight.” Bullet goes to the door and looks up at the sky. “Rain clouds are moving off. The rain is slowing down. Crush and I will be back first thing in the morning. We’ll go up on the roof and get you a quote before we do anything. Not going to lie, I think you need a new roof. We might be able to do a patch job, but eventually, you’re going to have to invest in getting it replaced.”

My face drops. I was expecting to have to pay something, but I was hoping not to dish out that kind of money right away. I’ve already used up much of my savings on the house and moving expenses. I had to make car repairs last month that took a chunk of my paycheck.

“Hey,” he says, interrupting my thoughts, “we’ll work it out. We can do a payment plan or something. Let’s see what we’re dealing with first.” It makes me feel a little better, and I manage a small smile. “Are you okay if we’re here early? Does eight work?”

“Oh, sure. I’m an early riser.”

Bullet gives me another brilliant smile, and I swear I’m finding it hard to catch my breath. I’ve dated a little, and the guys I dated were good-looking, but none of them had the appeal that Bullet has. There’s something about the way he looks at me that makes me feel special. It’s so incredibly stupid. I feel like a sixteen-year-old girl having her first crush, which makes me feel even more dorky.

“Lock the door behind me,” he says. As he makes his move to leave, Puss and Boots, who must have a crush on Bullet too, race to the door to block his exit. He picks them up and nuzzles them close to his chest, kissing the tops of their heads before giving them back to me. “See you tomorrow, boss lady.”

And he’s gone. Like a fool, I’m still standing at the door, trying to catch my breath. Puss meows her displeasure at Bullet leaving.

“I hear ya,” I whisper into her fur. “What are you complaining about? At least he snuggled with the two of you.”

I force myself to go back to my bedroom and get back into bed. The drip, drip, drip continues for a while longer, but I eventually fall asleep.

Three

Blueberry Muffins

Bullet

Amelia wasn’t what I expected. I got a quick rundown from Izzy about her boss. She’s the new school principal, and from what Izzy tells me, she’s fair, kind, and extremely intelligent. She’s found more creative ways to allocate funds within the budget to accommodate growing class sizes while still funding the sports teams. Izzy has a lot of respect for her.

What she didn’t tell me was that Amelia Ralleigh is incredibly beautiful and, despite her position, a little shy. From the way she takes care of her girls, you can see that her heart is huge. Before I left, I took a look around the living room, with furniture pushed to one side to accommodate the bucket to catch the water leaking, and she has fluffy cat beds with more toys than I’ve ever seen for a pet. Her kitchen is neat and clean, and it’s apparent that she likes order in her life.

But there was a look in her eyes that told me there’s a fire burning deep inside her, ready to come out. I’m not immune to the fact that Amelia is attracted to me. Her cheeks flushed pink, and even though she was doing her best to hide it, I felt the electricity sparking between us.

My phone rings as I sit in my car outside Amelia’s place. Guard’s name appears on the screen. I pick up immediately. You never know when the club might need me.

“Hey, Guard. Is everything all right?”

“Where are you?” He seems put out.

“Checking on a job for tomorrow. Amelia Ralleigh, a friend of Izzy’s.”

Guard sighs heavily on the other side of the line. “You went alone.”

“Yeah—”

“Yeah, nothing. You ignored my orders,” Guard barks.

“Crush has been working nonstop. He needed a night to unwind. The rest of the guys were having a good time. Since Izzy knows Amelia, I thought it would be rude to ignore her situation,” I explain.

“The rule is in place for a reason. We have enemies, Bullet. They got their hands on you once, and I’ll be damned if that happens again. We go out in pairs, day or night, no matter the situation. Do I need to remind you of how gutted Crush was when he saw you that night when you were beat to shit? It wasn’t good, brother,” Guard reminds me.

It didn’t feel good either. Took me fucking months to get my strength and mobility back. It was Saint’s constant care that got me back on my feet. My brothers didn’t leave me alone for a minute. And Crush was a complete mess. On the other hand, I need to feel normal. I can’t be smothered all the time. The fear of what happened that night has made me sharper. I tune in to my gut instinct more, and I don’t take unnecessary risks. I checked the street and didn’t see any vehicles that didn’t belong there. I looked through the window and saw Amelia in the chair, holding her kitties and watching the drips from the ceiling land in her bucket. I made sure to check my surroundings before stepping out of my Bronco.

I could say all this to Guard, but it would mean diddly-squat, because when the president of Satan’s Pride gives an order, it’s not something you ignore. I fucked up.

I sigh. “I fucked up. Last thing I want is for anyone to worry. I’m on my way back. What can I do to make it up to you, Prez?”

“Get back safe and never do that shit again. Any one of us would have come with you,” he replies. “Crush is out cold in his room, but he’s going to tear you a new asshole in the morning. Be warned.”

He hangs up, and I head back to the club. The rain has stopped and the streets are quiet, but that doesn’t mean danger doesn’t lurk in the darkness. I found that out the hard way. I’m loyal to the Pride and have been from the minute they took Crush and me in. When I was approached by a new club, I told them I wasn’t interested. They tried to get me to turn on my Pride brothers, but that wasn’t going to happen. At first, they tried to bribe me with gifts, which I didn’t accept. The next approach was a bloody beating. The Deviant Soldiers were a new club coming into the territory and wanting to establish themselves on Satan’s Pride land. Their leader, Jaws, is the one who called for me to be singled out and beaten, as a warning to the Pride. I refused to turn on my club. I would have died first.