Page 14 of Damascus & The Wildfire
“I don’t know if you’ve met Kenna yet,” Thane said, gesturing to me. “She and Eva need to talk to you about your dad.”
“My dad?”
I offered a smile. “I want to learn more about his role as a co-founder and what it was like for you to grow up with the club. Why you became a prospect.”
“Tyler’s going to be a hot-shot lawyer. Once he passes the bar, he’ll be just as valuable as his dad. Hope you’re studying, boy.”
The set of his jaw was his only show of irritation at Thane’s comment. He brushed his fingers over his prospect patch unconsciously. “Yeah, working on it. This is my dad’s legacy. Wouldn’t want to let him down.”
“It was nice to meet you,” I offered, breaking the tension. “I’ll reach out to set up a time for us to chat.” I extended my hand.
Tyler hesitated, just a heartbeat, before reaching out. His fingers brushed the back of my hand for a split second before his grip firmed up.
Eva and I said our goodbyes and headed outside. The sun cast long shadows across the gravel lot. Eva leaned against her Jeep,crossing her arms with a smirk. “So, inviting Merrick over for dinner, huh?”
I rolled my eyes and dug out my keys. “He’s one of like, three friends I have here in Texas. I can’t have dinner with you and Reaper every night.”
“Sure you can. We love having you over.”
I opened the door and tossed my bag onto the passenger seat. “Sorry, but there’s only so long I can stomach my dinner while you two make suggestive comments. How often do you end up fucking at the dinner table before you finish your meal when I’m not there?”
Eva grinned. “Oh, meals get finished.”
I grimaced. “That is exactly what I’m talking about. I’m glad you found love. But sometimes I’d like to eat a meal without feeling like I’m intruding on your foreplay.”
Eva laughed, tossing her hair back. “Fair. In that case, I need to go buy some whipped cream for dessert.”
I groaned, slamming my car door a little harder than necessary. “You’re the worst.”
She winked and climbed into her Jeep. “You’re just jealous.”
I grinned at her, shaking my head, but my smile fell from my face as soon as she turned away.
Maybe I was a little envious. I wanted that kind of certainty. That sense of belonging. I’d had it before, with Alec, and the pain of losing him nearly killed me. I couldn’t imagine putting myself back through that kind of heartbreak again.
As the clubhouse faded in the rearview mirror, my thoughts drifted to my dinner plans with Merrick. There was something about him—an intensity and foreboding, like standing at the edge of a storm. The promise of electricity raged in the air around him.
Hatchet, though … he was different. Fun, light, full of warmth. When I was with him, for just a moment, I could forget the shadows. He made me laugh, feel seen, and for the first time in a long time, like I could breathe. The way he looked at me made my heart skip, and when he smiled, the sun broke through the clouds.
I sighed, my fingers tightening on the steering wheel. It was a moot point. I wasn’t ready for anything beyond friendship. Not with Hatchet, not with Merrick, not with anyone. For now, I just needed to keep moving forward, one day at a time, and hope that someday, I’d find the courage to let myself love again.
With a few hours to spare before Merrick arrived, I found myself sorting through the barrage of emails that had filled the general inbox for Lioness Communications, the PR and marketing consultancy Eva and I ran.
It was typically filled with cold outreach from vendors we’d never work with and a handful of media inquiries related to our clients. I clicked into an email from an investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle. I skimmed it before picking up the phone to call Thane. It rang twice before he answered.
“Hello? Hey, knock that shit off; I’m on the phone.”
“Thane?” I asked. “I’m sorry to bother you, but?—”
“No bother, darlin’. What’s going on?”
“I have a reporter asking for an interview with you about your relationship with the Riot.”
“No.”
I stifled a laugh at his sharp response. “No, you don’t know what the Riot is? Or, no, you don’t want to talk about your relationship with them?”
“Did they give a source? What makes them think we’re connected to the Riot?”
