Page 70 of Dagger

My jaw tightens like a vice. I drop my gaze back to my glass, rolling it slowly between my fingers. “You really had to go there, didn’t you?”

“Figured I’d save us the trouble of pretending it’s not hanging in the air,” Sledge says, setting his beer down with a loud clink. “You’re sitting here looking like a dog that got kicked one too many times. And we both know why.”

I grip the glass tighter, the whiskey catching the light as I swirl it. “Yeah, well,” I mutter, “I didn’t think it’d play out this way. But that’s on me. She was never mine to begin with.”

Sledge nods slowly, his grin softening just a little. “You’re right. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting like a bitch, though.”

The weight on my chest presses down a little harder, but I shrug it off, forcing a slow breath. “I’ll live. Chloe’s happy. Dagger’s good for her. Always has been. But sticking around here, watching them? It’s like getting sucker-punched every damn day. I need to get the hell out for a while. Clear my head.”

Sledge shifts in his chair, leaning forward on his elbows. “What, you thinking a weekend out? A couple of weeks?”

I shake my head, staring at the whiskey like it holds some kind of answer. “Don’t know. Just need space. This place—it’s her. Everywhere I go, every corner, every run. It’s all her. I can’t keep doing this.”

Sledge tilts his head, his face thoughtful now. “If you’re looking to get out, might as well make it worth something. Mason was talking earlier. He needs a couple of guys to scope out some new delivery routes. Club’s looking to expand, but we gotta know what’s what before we make a move.”

I lift a brow, finally meeting his gaze. “And what? You think I’m volunteering for that?”

Sledge shrugs, smirking again. “Sounds like it’d kill two birds with one stone. You get out of town, keep your mind busy, and we get some intel while you’re at it. Besides…” He leans back, stretching his legs out under the table. “I’ll come with. You’re not the only one who could use a change of scenery.”

I sit back, crossing my arms over my chest. “You volunteering yourself now?”

“Damn right,” he says without missing a beat. “You’re not going solo. You get yourself into shit out there, you’ll need someone to drag your sorry ass out of it.”

A faint smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. I snort, shaking my head. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”

Sledge grins wide, raising his beer like it’s a toast. “Yeah, but I’m your pain in the ass.”

I chuckle, the sound low and rough. “Fine. We’ll talk to Mason. But if you drag me into some half-assed bullshit, I’m leaving you there.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sledge fires back.

I drain the last of my whiskey and set the glass down with a clink. Maybe hitting the road won’t fix everything, but it’s a start.

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