Page 43 of Surrender
I didn’t blame him.
Any other boyfriend would have just had a jealous rant and demanded I explain, and if I’d thought that’s all it would be, I would have told Parker the depth of how I knew Nate.
But I’d trusted my gut, like Nate had said, and thank God I did.
Because the things I was learning about the man I’d been dating were making me feel seriously ill.
“Guess we’ll call it even,” I murmured with a tight smile. “I’ve gotta see him in the morning. We’re meeting at 6thStreet Bistro.”
Nate nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket and typing out a quick message. “Be cautious,” he ordered, and quickly slipped it away again. “If you’re getting bad vibes, walk away.”
I frowned. “We’ll be in public, though. You think he’ll try something?”
“And we’ve both underestimated him once.”
There were a couple of soft knocks on the door, and we both looked up as it eased open. A young guy with short, blond spiked hair stepped just inside, his hand still on the door handle.
“Darcy, this is Rafe,” Nate announced, nodding to the kid who was wearing a leather cut like Nate’s, only it looked a lot newer. “You look for him if I’m not around.”
I forced a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He nodded, though his grin was a little wider. “Darcy.TheDarcy.”
I opened my mouth to question why the people around here seemed to know so much about me, but Nate got in first.
“Yes, that Darcy,” he confirmed.“And the reason I’m gonna kick your ass later if you don’t wipe that smirk off your face.”
“Veto,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Both of them turned to stare at me, wearing completely different expressions. While Rafe was clearly amused, I hit Nate’s frown with one of my own. “You just asked him to watch out for me. There’s gonna be no ass kicking.”
Rafe chuckled, pointing at me across the room. “Darcy, I’ve got your back.”
“Get out, kid,” Nate ordered, rolling his eyes.
Rafe’s laughter echoed down the hall as the door clicked shut behind him.
“Jesus Christ, Tiny Dancer. It’s good to know some things never change.” Only then did Nate let the stern expression slip, letting out a gentle chuckle of his own. “You were never really good about putting yourself first, but you were always fighting tooth and nail for everyone else.”
“Not everyone,” I protested, fighting a smile.
Nate sat back against the desk, crossing his feet at his ankles and folding his arms. “How’s things with the house going?”
I scrunched up my nose. “They’re okay. The job with Lucy’s aunt is only a maternity position, so they’re kind of hesitant. They said they’d prefer if I had something more stable lined up, but my broker is trying to work with them.”
“Well, my offer still stands,” he said, shrugging like it was no big deal. “I’ve got some work available if you need it.”
I could have said no.
Found something else myself.
But at this stage, it could be the difference between me getting the house and being able to stay in Detroit, or having to head back to New York and figure out my life from there.
And right now, the pull to Detroit was feeling really strong.
A six-foot, good-looking, tattooed biker kind of strong.
“It would just be until things start to get busier at the studio, and you know I’m a fast learner, so I can pick up any kind of skills. Pouring beer, mixing drinks, serving customers. Though I reserve the right to break their nose if they grab me.”
He huffed out something between a laugh and a sigh, shaking his head. “Is there some time free at the studio Monday morning?”
