Page 72 of Keys

Angel Girl wrinkled her nose. “No offense, Keys, but your sister is a bit of a bitch.”

“Aren’t we all?” I asked as I turned to head into the clubhouse. “I need to go find Tash and figure out what all is going on and what she needs from me.” I moved to the backdoor with Quickshot, knowing that it would be easier to bypass our frontline security for now. The sooner I was able to get all the details, the better.

“Go ahead. I’m going to show Sweet the rooms we’re talking about and make sure they’re all set up.”

“We don’t need to know what you’re doing to test the furniture in those rooms.” Quickshot quipped as his nose wrinkled. “Please, don’t tell me.” He turned to follow me as Sweet and Angel just shook their heads and laughed at his expense.

“Your family might want to check into a hotel instead,” Quickshot teased.

“I’m sure she’ll have it all cleaned up before they get here.”

“Maybe you should go show me the rooms too. We can look at a totally different one from them. Maybe on another floor.” He was rambling in such a cute way that I didn’t bother stopping him. “They probably need to be inspected and shit. You know, make sure everything is up to code, bed springs are still springy, tables are sturdy enough to withstand a pounding.”

I giggled over my shoulder at him. “You are too much. Maybe you can help me with that assessment when I go to look at houses soon.”

“You’re going to buy a house?” He seemed a little surprised by that announcement, and immediately tossed the jokes and inuendo aside.

“Been thinking about it. I never minded living in the clubhouse before because it felt like a continuation of the college dorms and there was never anything worth keeping all to myself. You know? I didn’t need privacy before.”

“You do now?”

“Well, if I had my own place, I could put my own family up right now without having to be shaken down by my club or answering questions about why. Plus, if my dad really is running his mouth now, it might be nice to be able to escape this place and everyone’s curiosity for a bit.”

“Most of them are just worried about you,” he reminded.

“Yeah, I know, but we’re talking about something I’ve kept hidden my entire life. The first part, because I had to, the second part because I wanted to. It makes my skin feel like something’s crawling around in there, just beneath the surface. Kind of itchy and not quite right.”

“Sarah.” He said my name so reverently that I stopped in my tracks and turned to give him all of my attention. “What your family did, that’s no reflection on who you are. You know that, right?”

My slumped shoulders probably spoke volumes and despite the contradiction my words made, I said them anyway. “I know. Thanks, for trying to be my cheerleader. I know their actions aren’t on me, but that doesn’t mean it still isn’t going to suck or put undo scrutiny on my club. The minute the press finds out I’m a part of a female motorcycle club, a founding member, then they’re going to go nuts trying to make us the bad guys. If they find out I’m also dating you, that will trickle over to your club and you as well. Full disclosure, because if you need to walk away, then I understand. I just need for you to do it now, not later when shit gets hard.”

“How about doing it never? That’s the only option that works for me.”

BOOM. There goes my heart. I’m gone for this guy, and he doesn’t even realize that he’s just linked us together for exactly that amount of time because I will never willingly give him up if he sticks by me through this.

“I hope you’re ready,” is all I can manage to say though. It makes him chuckle.

“Babe, I’m not the one who needs to worry about whether I’m ready or not.”

I smirked at him as we finally found Tash standing by my upstairs office. “‘Bout time you got here.”

“Fill me in,” was my only response for her.

“June and Jack are on their way in.” She glanced down at the watch that always sat on her left wrist. “Should be another hour or so. We have rooms ready…”

Quickshot and I glanced at one another and dissolved into laughter.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“You might want to have some recheck the rooms in about twenty minutes,” I told her while Quickshot continued to laugh.

“Sweet won’t like that you pegged him for finishing in under thirty minutes,” he insisted.

I shrugged my shoulders and Tash heaved out a heavy sigh. “Please, tell me they aren’t fucking in the guest rooms again.”

“Again?” I asked, brows raised in surprise. She just wrinkled her nose and then tried to shake off a memory.

“Let’s not discuss it.”

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