Page 325 of One More Kiss

I relished the feeling of freedom of falling if even for a few seconds. Those moments when I was falling and I couldn’t stop it were the freest moment of my life. Now that I was face-planted into my bed, I groaned.

Having feelings for Miles Hamilton was me looking for trouble.

Almost the dumbest thing I’d ever done in my life.

I’d barely gotten myself ready when there was a banging on our apartment door. Diana had called out that she’d been leaving at least twenty minutes ago and I sure as hell wasn’t expecting anyone.

Whoever was out there thumped harder.

“I’m coming,” I called out as I hurried across our tiny living room.

When I flung open the door, my brother stood on the other side.

“What were you doing?” he asked as he came in without being invited. Scott never waited to be invited into my apartment.

“I was getting dressed.” After shutting my door, I turned to him and crossed my arms over my chest.

“For what? Diana said you weren’t coming to the club tonight.”

I rolled my eyes, which I knew he hated. “I’m going shopping.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t have to clear my activities with you, Scott.”

His jaw tightened at the reminder that his leash only went so far. “You need to take someone with you. A prospect or something. I think the Souls are going to make some trouble soon.”

“Not with me,” I countered a little too quickly. Yikes. I needed to be more careful.

He stomped across the floor until he was towering over me, and I had to look up to see him. I wouldn’t take a step back, though. “Why not you?”

“Because I’m nobody. I’m a club whore. Why would they mess with a club whore? We don’t have any meaning to the club. We don’t have any status.”

The way he pinched the bridge of his nose was the exact same way he’d done so that night. The night that had ensured I would be a club whore for the rest of my life to keep him in the club and me semi-protected when I was there.

“Trinity, you’re not just a club whore now, are you? You’re also my sister. How to fuck with a member? Go after their family.”

“You’d know,” I muttered, which I knew was just going to piss him off more. He opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. “I’m not taking anyone with me.” Standing my ground wasn’t easy when it was just him and me. Even harder when it was the whole club. But lately, I’d been feeling braver.

Time to test that out.

“I swear to God, Trinity. My job as your older brother is to protect you.”

Now I saw red. “By allowing your brothers to pass me around like a fucking party favor? There isn’t another family member that has to do what I do. Do you think Craig or Rob would stand by watching while their sister was degraded on the daily? Or Token, for that matter? I’m pretty sure that old man would gut someone for trying to touch his sister. Why don’t you?”

“There are things you don’t understand, Trinity. I don’t have enough clout with the club for you to matter enough as my sister. You being there with them changes things.”

I snorted. “Club whores are far lower on the hierarchy scale than sisters.”

He clenched his jaw even harder. My brother told me almost nothing when it came to the club. The answer was always that there were things I didn’t understand. He could’ve explained them to me, but he chose not to. Or wasn’t allowed to. That was how the club worked.

“Eventually, one of them is going to get attached and make you an old lady. They wouldn’t do that if you were just my sister or just a club whore. Listen, I don’t have to explain this shit to you.” He stomped away to the other side of the room, though given the size, I still could’ve reached out and touched him if I’d wanted to.

“Why would I want that?” I asked. Becoming an old lady was Diana’s thing, not mine.

Scott’s brows slammed down in confusion. It was like he couldn’t understand how I might possibly want something more.

“Why the fuck wouldn’t you want that? Diana gets wet thinking about it.”

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