Page 20 of One Night with the Biker

My door opened. I didn’t have to turn. I already knew who it was.

“You could’ve fucking told me, Louisiana.”

Sighing, he closed the door. “I’m sorry, okay? I thought you’d get a kick out of it, too.”

“That stunt left me fucking vulnerable to attack from the Scorpions, asshole. Suppose one of them had seen us together? Then what? You want to put your fucking life at risk, be my fucking guest. I resent you gambling with mine.”

His boots pounded toward me. “Ainsley’s a cool chick,” he whispered. “A little too trusting. Shocking, considering she’s Nova’s bestie and Roman’s sister.”

Spinning, I narrowed my eyes. “If you’re thinking about playing some type of game with her, I will fucking kill you. You already did enough fucking damage. Ainsley’s cool for now, until you’re done with Nova.” He talked about her constantly. I knew so much about her, I’d pick her out from a crowd, though we’d never met. “Who I honestly believed you liked.”

He winced, leaned in closer. “I do. Kind of.” He blew out a breath. “You outed me to Bolt. What the fuck did you expect me to say? It started off the way I said. I want to avenge Kenneth. But fuck, I really care about her now. I was hoping you’d hit it off with her best friend, so we could double date sometimes. Nova thinks I’m hiding her.”

“You are, fuckhead.”

“If she got to know my best friend, she wouldn’t feel so fucking isolated.”

“She’ll just push for more. By the way, you never answered my fucking question. What did Ainsley do that made you want to involve her in your game?”

“She didn’t do anything, Reese. She didn’t want strings attached and you just needed a pick me up.”

“Are you stupid or are you dumb? That contradicts every goddamn thing you just spouted.”

“It’s complicated. Okay? I have my own fucking guilt where Trinity is concerned. If you hadn’t been with me and she was with you instead—”

“It doesn’t matter. Give me a straight answer about Ainsley.”

“Since she said she didn’t want anything serious, it made the date an easy sell to you. I was hoping…I don’t know, Reese.” He sighed. “As I said, I was hoping you hit it off and ran interference for me with Nova because they’re best friends. That’s it.”

I believed he hid his true motives. “There’s something called free will, fucker. I didn’t have that because you didn’t give me all the fucking facts.”

“I thought she’d tell you herself. Ainsley can hold a conversation with a rock. She fucking loves to talk. And ask questions. Andtalk. It was up to her to confess.”

“Spoken like a true asshole.”

Shame crossed his face before he rallied. “You feel the same way since you’re so pissed with her, you don’t want to ever talk to her again, but you haven’t thrown me out the fucking window.”

“Don’t tempt me,” I grumbled, and faced the window again. “Why the hell would you have Nova report to you about Ainsley and me?”

“I didn’t. She called me because she punched Ainsley.”

“That bitch didwhat?” I roared, spinning to face him again.

“She told Nova I was married.” He folded his arms. “I assume you told Ainsley.”

“She asked. I told her to figure it out. That still didn’t give Nova the right to lay her hands on Ainsley. If she’s too fucking blind to face the truth, that’s her business. That bitch definitely shouldn’t blab Ainsley’s private life out of spite.”

Louisiana jammed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it before continuing. “It isn’t out of spite. Ainsley spent the fucking weekend crying and not eating because she woke up and found you gone.”

A stone dropped in my gut. I was agitated over the situation, not because I’d walked out on her. I didn’t even know her. Yet, just as I didn’t want her to throw her fucking life away on her brother’s behalf, I hated the thought she cried over me. It didn’t matter that I never wanted to see her again or hear her voice.

The smell of burning tobacco floated to me on a wisp of smoke from Louisiana’s cigarette. “Before the argument, Nova prepared a nice bubble bath for her. To help with the soreness.”

“I still might break your fucking face. You sound too goddamn amused.”

He huffed and smoke whooshed my way. “Why the fuck are you so angry? You got easy pussy for the cost of a dinner. She wanted to fuck. A warm, wet home to stick your cock in was almost guaranteed.”

I snatched a handful of his shirt and yanked him to me. I was three inches taller than Louisiana with more muscles and a faithful workout routine. “If you want to disrespect Nova that way, that’s up to you. Don’t ever do it to Ainsley.Ever.” I had one better. “As a matter of fact, don’t talk about her to me ever again. I don’t want to hear her fucking name. Am I clear?”

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