Page 39 of Ghost

“Then why don’tyoudo something?”

I think about the party. How he cornered me against the wall. How our lips almost brushed. So close I could taste the whiskey he’d been drinking.

I leaned in, and he pulled back.

“I’ve tried.”

“Then try again.” Tempe swats at my arm. “These men are stubborn and difficult, and it makes it hard as hell to get them to see what’s right in front of them. But if he waswilling to lie to his club—hispresident— for you, then that means something.”

“I guess.”

“Girl, I have seen you take a punch from a drunk local who was getting too rowdy. You have no fear. Don’t start being scared now.” Tempe smiles, picking up her coffee and watching the guys.

Austin tags Bea, and she stops in her tracks. Turning, she starts to run after him, but her foot catches on the ground, and she stumbles, landing on her hands and knees.

Tears immediately stain her cheeks as she stands up, clutching her hand.

Legacy turns, but he can’t get a good look with the large stack of planks he’s holding, so Ghost drops to a knee in front of her to look at it.

Whatever he says makes her smile through her tears. She wipes them away with the back of her hand while he picks her up. Legacy moves to set down the planks, but Ghost shakes his head, carrying Bea toward the clubhouse.

“You okay, Honey Bea?” Tempe asks when they reach us.

“I fell.” Bea frowns. “Uncle Marcus is going to fix it.”

Uncle Marcus.

Being a mom isn’t something I’ve spent much time thinking about. The concept of building something permanent is terrifying, especially when I know what happens when it all falls apart. But when Ghost looks down at me as he holds Bea in his arms, I can’t deny that myheartbeat kicks up a notch. Or that I dare to picture a different world, where we’re different people, and we could have something resembling this.

Ghost sets Bea down on the picnic table facing me. “You good with Luna and Tempe while I grab you something to wrap that up?”

She nods, and he wipes a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

Ghost is a man with blood on his hands, but when he leans down to kiss Bea on the top of the head, all I see is a man who cares. I see someone who found a family with Legacy when he lost his own. Someone who treats Bea like his own flesh-and-blood niece. Someone who makes me think love is possible, even if I know better than to think he’d ever hand his to me.

Ghost’s eyes meet mine, and my spine tingles. One glance and my entire body is on alert for him. But like always, the moment I feel anything is the moment he pulls away.

Ghost turns, walking into the clubhouse.

Maybe Tempe is right, and he brought me here for a reason. Maybe this isn’t one-sided. I need an answer, and I’m going to get it.

12

Ghost

Half of Sapphire Riseis under renovation, but luckily, it hasn’t affected our profits. Chaos is picky when it comes to the strip club—from the location to the girls who dance here. He’s selective, and right now, it’s paying off. Because even if half the club is being renovated, our doors are open, and we’re as busy as we’ve ever been.

The song changes as I make a final adjustment to one of the camera angles, giving a clear view of the VIP hallway.

Once it’s installed and in focus, I start recording, setting a sensor so I know if it goes offline.

Unlike Chaos, who is currently auditioning a new stripper by having her ride him topless, I’d rather finish up what I’m doing here as fast as possible so I can get back to the clubhouse. I prefer where it’s quiet so I can focus. In my office, I’m in my domain, and I’m in control.

Music throbs through the club. It’s packed, making the room feel ten degrees hotter than it is from the bodiesalone. Seats around the main stage are starting to fill the later it gets, and the walls start closing in around me.

Twelve years ago, when I patched in at eighteen, I would have been right there with them. Celebrating the start of a new life, trying to convince a stripper to come back to the club with me when her shift ended.

Back then, it all seemed so fucking simple.

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