Page 52 of Sold to the Bikers

"Huh?" He looks up, then pulls it out of his pocket, unlocks it and tosses it over to me. "Yeah, sure. Here."

"You trust me with your phone, just like that? It must be love." I stop suddenly, realizing what I just said. Love? Oh God, what the heck am I saying? I mean, we have the arrangement, and we're having fun, but… love? "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

His grin disarms me. "Must be. I know a bunch of things I love doing together anyway."

Why does his response make me a little disappointed? Like, what did I expect? For him to fall head over heels in just a couple of days? Most people wouldn't call any of this love. Just wild sex coupled with a serious dose of Stockholm syndrome. Of course it's not love.

"I trust you with my phone. Why shouldn't I? You planning on doing something to it?"

"No, of course not. But you didn't even ask what I wanted it for. That's a pretty big deal. But I didn't mean anything by—"

"Don’t got anything to hide, I guess. I figured you wanted to try your sister again, right? Why, you want to go steady?"

God, that smile. My whole life, I thought bikers were big, bad and nasty people. Ugly faces do ugly deeds, and the Unwanted definitely didn't do anything to change my mind. So how is it that the three bikers I've ended up with are the most gorgeous men I've met in my life, no matter how scarred or broken they are?

I know he’s just teasing, and there isn’t anything mean about it, but it’s a little too close to the truth for comfort. “Stop making fun."

He stops a moment to think, then nods. "All right." And goes back to eating his eggs and beans.

The phone rings and rings until I'm sure I dialed wrong, but it eventually kicks over to voicemail. “If it’s important, text me.”

God, Gen Z. Not that I check my voicemail either, but come on.

The beep is sharp in my ear. What do I say? "Hey sis. It's Natalie. I just wanted to call and see if you're alright." I consider hanging up there, but there's too much I want to say. "I know you're mad, and I hope that's not why you're not picking up. Maybe I deserve it for taking off like this, but trust me when I tell you that I’m safe and just have some stuff to work through. I know you’re worried about Eric and his friends, but they’d never let anything happen to me. Sandra, are you sure you're not there? Please pick up if you are. I think… I think some bad people might be looking for you. Be careful, and please call me. I love you." Then I hang up.

"Not there?" Animal pushes his empty plate aside and is watching me from the other side of the table.

I shake my head, trying to not let it worry me. Sandra never goes anywhere without her phone, and I don't think she’s ever not taken my calls when she could. Phones were so strictly monitored when she was in rehab that she’s nearly obsessive about having it with her all the time.

"I think she's still mad at me."

"Why? For trying to protect her?"

"She doesn't see it that way. To her I'm just lying. Like she used to do when she didn't want me to know she was in trouble. God, I've screwed this up, but there's no right answer." Frustration wells up inside me, making lips tremble and the corners of my eyes sting. "Some big sister I am."

"Come here."

"I'm not in the mood for—"

"Get your ass the fuck over here." He's got his arms open for me and glares expectantly.

"I—"

"Now."

It doesn't matter if he loves me or not—he's a friend, one of the very few I've got, so I obey, crawling into his lap and wrapping my arms around his strong neck. He holds me close.

"What did we talk about before? You're doing the best you fucking know how, baby girl. Life is fucking hard. Sometimes there's no right answer."

Pressing my face against his chest, I nod into it. "I know. I know, but… it just feels like I should've done better. Somehow." Not that I have any idea how, but it definitely seems that way.

”She’s just like you,” he says.

"Huh?" I look up to find Animal looking across the room at where his brother just walked in.

Badass blinks at the two of us. “What?”

“She’s fucking beating herself up because her sister might be in trouble.”

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