Mykel says when we pull up at the large house.
“I’m okay,” I say, unbuckling my seatbelt, pushing the door open and getting out.
The warm air hits my face and I use my hand to shield my eyes from the sun as all the other trucks pull in and come to a stop. The house is tidy, well-manicured, and seemingly lived in, which means I’m right in assuming someone has taken over it. Are they continuing the same thing Bryant was doing, or is it someone completely unaware of the hell this house held for so many years?
I see Bohdi get out of his truck with his wife and children. It hurts—god, no matter how prepared I think I am, it still hurts. The kids, they’re gorgeous and clearly happy he’s around. The younger boy, and the son that is his, takes his hand and clutches it. Bohdi gives him a warm look, and that expression makes everything inside me turn to liquid.
Isla stays by Bohdi’s side, not moving her expression away from me. The look she’s giving me tells me she is more than aware of the relationship between Bohdi and myself. She doesn’t want me anywhere near him, her expression is making that very clear.
When I look to him again, he’s watching me, that intense gaze traveling over my face, eyes scanning every part of it.
He’s trying to see how I’m feeling.
I look away and face Alarick and Briella as they walk over toward me.
“Are you okay?” Briella asks, smiling at me.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Let’s go and see who’s livin’ here and if we can find out where Cova is,” Alarick orders. “You ladies wait here until we check it out.”
Bohdi, Kendric, Mykel, and Alarick all walk toward the house, their jackets on display, their power unmistakable.
It’s odd to not see Samson with them, but he’s spending time with Lilian, and after everything that went down, I’m not even certain he’s part of the club anymore. I see him around the clubhouse, but as for these kinds of things, he hasn’t been part of it.
That breaks my heart.
He was only doing what he had to do to protect his daughter.
Though I do understand that they did what they needed to do, to protect the club and the laws that come with it.
“Do you think anyone lives here?” Waverly asks, leaning against the truck. “It kind of looks like they do.”
“I’m guessing so.” Briella nods. “It’s too clean. Did anyone else live here when you were here, Merleigh?”
I shake my head. “No, just Cova and I. Bryant had people around all the time, people he worked with who ran his companies for him. So, maybe one of them took over. I’m sure he had a will ...”
“Who is this man anyway?” Isla asks, joining the conversation.
“He purchased girls illegally and kept them as slaves,” Zariah answers. “It took us a long time to bring them down.”
“He bought you then?” Isla asks me, her eyes narrowing. “Is that why Bohdi feels so sorry for you?”
I’m not in the mood to argue with her, or get into some sort of fight here in the driveway. So, I ignore the question.
“You can answer me,” Isla mutters. “Or are you ignorant, too?”
I take a deep breath and look to her. “I’m not answering personal questions, I don’t even know you. Now is not the time.”
“When is it time? I have the right to know about the woman my husband is clearly in love with.”
Bohdi is in love with me?
I think she’s got it wrong.
“We’re friends,” I say calmly. “Nothing ever happened between us, we just get along very well.”
That’s the truth, nothing ever did happen between us. Are there feelings there, at least for me? Yes. But we are friends. I’m not a liar, and I’m not fake. I will tell her the truth and that’s exactly what I’m doing.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“It’s the truth,” Briella answers, her voice crisp and straight to the point. “It’s not up to you to come in here and cause problems, Isla. Merleigh is dear to us and we’re not going to have you speak down to her.”
Isla glares at Briella and then mutters, “Of course you’re all going to have her back. Nobody ever has mine.”
“We don’t know you,” Waverly points out. “We literally just met you. We didn’t know he had a wife.”
“And whose fault is that?” Isla snaps.
“It’s his.” Waverly nods. “We get that, but you’re not making a great first impression. If you