Page 21 of Cold as Stone
He grins, seeing right through me. “Right. So that’s why you nearly bit Stone’s head off at the suggestion your girl might be bought.”
“She’s not my girl,” I growl.
“If you say so,” he laughs, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Course, if she ain’t yours, then you won’t mind me taking her on a date, right?”
The muscle in my jaw ticks, but I keep my expression carefully neutral. “Knock yourself out.”
“Great,” Bones grins, clearly enjoying himself. “I’ll pick her up Friday night. Take her somewhere nice, show her a good time…”
“Do whatever you want,” I say, but my hands clench into fists. Every instinct is screaming at me to tell Bones to back the fuck off, that Kya is off-limits. The thought of another man’s hands on her makes me want to commit murder.
Instead, I force a shrug. “Just don’t come crying to me when she breaks your heart.”
Bones chuckles and heads for the door, leaving me alone with the very real urge to punch something.
The room empties slowly, brothers breaking off into smaller conversations. I stay seated, lost in thought until I realize Stone hasn’t moved either. He’s watching me with that look—the one that says he’s seeing more than I want him to.
“Something on your mind?” I ask when everyone else has cleared out.
He leans back, crossing his arms. “You tell me.”
I meet his gaze, knowing there’s no point playing dumb. “It’s complicated.”
“Always is with women,” he says with a slight head tilt. “Especially the ones who get under your skin.”
“Kya’s not…” I start, then stop myself. No point lying to a man who taught me how to lie. “She’s not what I expected, coming back. She’s different.”
An image of Kya flashes in my mind. Not just the curves and confidence, but the steel in her eyes, the way she held her ground. The woman she’s become is a far cry from the scared kid who showed up on our doorstep that night in the rain.
Stone studies me for a long moment. “Just remember—club comes first. Always has.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” His eyes search mine. “Because I’ve seen that look before. On Hawk when he met Andi. On Axel with Poppy. It’s the look of a man whose priorities are shifting.”
“My priorities are fine,” I say firmly. “I’ll keep an eye on Kya, but I’m not getting involved. She’s off-limits.”
Stone raises an eyebrow. “Who said anything about getting involved?”
Caught. Damn it.
He stands, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Just be careful, son. Hearts and club business make for messy combinations.”
I don’t have to ask how he knows since I witnessed it firsthand.
“Kya’s not a problem,” I insist, but the words sound hollow even to my ears.
Stone just gives me a look that says he was young once too, and he understands far more than I want him to. “Like I said. Be careful.” He hesitates. “But don’t be afraid to get close if you need to. The club always comes first.”
He leaves me sitting alone in the chapel. Outside, engines roar to life as the brothers head out into the night.
I rub a hand over my face, feeling the weight of the patch on my back. Keeping an eye on Kya is one thing. Keeping my hands to myself might be another problem entirely.
Fuck. This is not what I need right now.
But orders are orders. And Dad’s right—club comes first. Always.
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