Page 24 of Colt

Abigail lived one floor above me. We chose our apartments together to stay close. I liked having her nearby, especially in times like these. I’d messaged her last night and told her what had happened, and she was seething on my behalf.

Before I could knock, an arm flew out, grabbed mine, and pulled me inside. “I’m making margaritas. You can chop the limes.”

I followed her into the kitchen. “It’s ten A.M. A bit early, even for you.”

“It’s wine o’clock somewhere.” She shrugged, pouring some tequila into her smoothie maker. “Anyway. We never get weekends to ourselves. I want to make the most of it.”

She added lime juice and an extra glug of triple sec, switching on the machine. “How are you feeling?” she shouted over the loud whirring noise.

Moving to the counter, I grabbed a lime from the fruit bowl and began chopping it into segments. “I’m okay,” I yelled. “Happy I’ve finally gotten somewhere. A bit confused, though.”

She turned the machine off, removed the lid, and poured the mixture into a big jug. “Go out with somebody else,” she suggested. “No point waiting for a guy who’s treating you like an idiot. There’s nothing like almost jumping your bones then bolting like Usain to make a girl feel like a douche.” She pursed her lips. “Colter Van Der Skeeve is on my shit list.”

I laughed, watching as she reloaded more tequila, triple sec, and lime juice into the smoothie maker. “You throwing a party?” I asked, lips twitching.

She waggled her eyebrows. “Let’s see how drunk we can get before we pass out. We could always ask some hotties to come and party.” She poured the fresh mixture into the jug. “Are those limes done?”

I held up the dish. “Yes, mi’lady.”

She grinned and did a little ass wiggle. “Then it’s margarita time.”

We grabbed some glasses, put everything on a tray, and moved into the lounge.

Abi glanced at me and must’ve seen something in my face because she murmured, “He’ll regret running, babe. Don’t sweat it.” I sat on one side of the couch, watching her place the tray on the coffee table and pour us both a drink. “Maybe, but what if being together was never in the cards for us? Pulling away now would save a lot of heartache and stop me getting over-invested.”

Abigail handed me a glass, and we did a cheers. “You’ve been invested since you were a teenager, Freya Stone. You’re not fooling me.”

“It was going so well, Abi,” I explained. “He was feeling it, I could tell. We were so close to our first kiss that I almost fucking squealed in delight. As soon as the door fitter arrived, the asshole couldn’t get out fast enough. He didn’t even say goodbye, and if I’m honest with myself, it makes me second-guess his intentions.”

“What do you mean?” Abi asked.

“Colt hates authority. It was why he left the army. Being in an MC suits him because he can live free and still use his skills. Except even an MC has a hierarchy. Bikers live free and don’t conform to society's rules, but there are still rules, for example, touching me.”

“Interesting,” Abi said thoughtfully, taking a sip of her margarita. “So maybe being with you is a way to act out and not conform.”

“It could just be a thrill for him.” I shrugged.

“That’s all very well,” Abigail murmured. “But it doesn’t explain his jealousy over Christian being at your place. There has to be some feelings on his part, or else he wouldn’t care.”

I slumped back. “Yeah. I guess so. Colt’s charming, and he looks like a dream, so it’s easy for people to forget how dark his life can get. There’s a side to him he doesn’t let many see. He’s always on the dark web, and we all know what nasty shit goes on there.”

“Jesus,” Abi breathed. “He must see stuff we can’t even begin to imagine. How the hell did he get so deep into that shit? Didn’t you tell me once he’s from a society family?”

I nodded. “I don’t know the details, except Colt’s father fucked him over when he was young. He left and never returned. I think that’s why he doesn’t make easy friendships. He’s an integral part of the club but shies away from getting close to anybody except my dad, brothers, and me. He’s one of the boys, but there’s a distance there too.”

Abi grinned. “The lone wolf hacker. A man of mystery. It’s no wonder you’re so hung up on him.” She took a sip of her margarita and grimaced. “I’m suddenly not feeling this. Wanna go out? I’ll take you to the auto shop to check on your car, and then we can go out for lunch.”

“It beats sitting in all day waiting for Colt to get his head out of his ass,” I said thoughtfully.

“Go out with Christian,” Abi suggested. “He keeps asking you, and it’ll make Colt jealous.”

I worried my lip nervously. “You didn’t see the way Colt threw him out of my apartment. I thought he’d kill him.”

Abi shook her head at me. “The signs are there, Freya. God knows what’s in his head that keeps him away from you. I’m telling you; he’s caught feelings. I could see it last night atBelow Zero. He just hasn’t woken up to it yet—”

She was interrupted by my ringtone.

I grabbed my cell from the table, eyes widening when I saw it was Colt. “It’s him!” I shrieked, nearly dropping the damned thing. “Oh my God. What do I say?”

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