Page 8 of Spinner's Luck

I didn’t answer, just pulled away, the headlights cutting through the darkness. My hands gripped the wheel tighter than necessary as I drove off, heart pounding. They’d bought it—for now. But I knew this wasn’t the last I’d see of them.

My gut said not a chance in hell.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE CLUBHOUSE WASalive with its usual chaos,booming laughter, the snap of pool balls colliding, voices clashing over the steady rumble of classic rock vibrating through the walls. It all blurred into the background. My head was somewhere else, lost in the fog, while my fingers worked the spinner like it was the only damn thing tethering me to the here and now.

Six weeks.

That’s how long it had been since Lucy dragged me out of the fire—literally—and then vanished without a trace. No explanation. No follow-up. Just… gone.

I’d spent more time than I cared to admit wondering if she was okay. Where she’d gone. Why she’d risked herself to save me. Every time her face crept into my mind, I tried to shove it out again. I didn’t have the bandwidth for it, not with the shit in my head and the Dragon Fire mess hanging over the club. Obsessing over someone who clearly didn’t want to stick around? That wasn’t me. At least, it wasn’t supposed to be.

“Spinner! There’s a woman at the gate askin’ for you!”

The prospect’s voice yanked me out of my thoughts. He was standing in the doorway of the common room, looking irritated.

I frowned, grabbing my beer off the table. “Who is it?” I asked, taking a slow swig.

“She didn’t give a name,” he said. “Just said she’s here for you.”

I set the bottle down, wondering who the hell it could be. Unannounced visitors were rare, and women asking for me? Even rarer. Everyone knew I wasn’t like my brothers when it came to women. I was selective with who I fucked, maybe too much for my own good.

“What’s she look like?”

“Dark hair, leather jacket,” the prospect said, shrugging. “Kinda mouthy.”

Lucy.

I was on my feet before my brain caught up with my body. My pulse kicked up as I headed toward the gate, the prospect trailing behind.

When I stepped outside and saw her standing there, I froze.

She looked just like the last time I’d seen her, sharp, confident, and so damn pretty it made my chest ache. But there was something new in her stance now. A tension in her shoulders. A guarded look in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Lucy,” I said, stepping closer. “What the hell are you doin’ here?”

Her lips curved into a dry, humorless smile. “Nice to see you too, Spinner.”

“Didn’t expect to see you again,” I said, crossing my arms. “Figured disappearin’ was your thing.”

Her smile faltered for a second. She glanced past me, her gaze sweeping over the clubhouse like she was cataloging every detail. Then she looked back at me, something guarded flickering in her eyes.

“I’m not here for you,” she said finally. “I’m here for my friend.”

She hesitated, then let out a breath. “But… it’s good to see you, Spinner. I’m glad you made it out of that crash in one piece.”

That threw me.

I blinked, caught off guard by the shift in her tone, something softer, almost reluctant, like she hadn’t meant to let it slip. But thenher friendsank in, yanking me right back. I straightened. “Your friend?”

“You saved her,” she said, her voice calm but carrying an edge I couldn’t quite place. “Didn’t you?”

I stared at her, trying to piece it all together. “How do you know about that?”

Her jaw tightened, and she met my gaze head-on. “She was staying with me. I’ve been looking for her for weeks. I know you rescued her from those Dragon Fire bastards.”

The air between us turned heavy. My mind spun with questions. How the hell did she know about the woman we rescued?

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