Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,269

in design and location, preferably close to the club.

“C’mon, mate. Catholic boys are far from innocent.”

Brax frowns at me. “You were wrecked. Drunk and it was obvious you’d taken something else. What will you do if ASADA officials rock up today for random drug testing?”

“I’d be fine,” I growl. “I’m not that stupid.” I’m familiar with what drugs are out of your system quickly and not detected.

“After last night, that’s debatable.”

He’s right. Knowledgeable maybe, but it doesn’t excuse my behaviour. I pull my bag from his reach and toss it over my shoulder. “Are we going in?”

Brax has to look up at me. He’s scowling, and I don’t blame him. As the captain of the club, he has a job to do, and he has no idea how the date fucks me up every year. My phone vibrates in my pocket and although I have no intention of answering it, I pull it out for the distraction.

Mum lights up the screen, and the emotion I’m trying to smother hits me hard.

“Do you want to get that?” Brax folds his arms over his wide chest.

“Nope.” I go to step around him, and he grips my arm. “It was one night, okay. I just need to get through today.”

The revving of a motorcycle approaches, only it’s deafening, and we both turn to see who the player is riding the machine. The closer it comes, I realise it’s no player. Shapely legs in tiny cut-off denim shorts and a black leather jacket in this weather, has me shaking my head. Brakes squeal in a skid as she pulls in beside us. Long dark hair settles over shoulders and before the helmet is off, I read the inscription of words on the back of her jacket—SILVER HELL MC.

“Hey,” Star says and smiles.

God, she is even more beautiful in the daylight.

“Missing something?” She holds out my wallet. “The security guy didn’t want to let me in. When I showed him your wallet, he changed his mind.”

“One night, eh?” Brax shakes his head. “See you inside, Dusty. I’m not making excuses if you’re late.” He grabs his bag, and the car beeps when he points his keys over his shoulder as he strides off without me.

“Thanks.” I open my wallet and check the cards and notes—five hundred bucks and every card—my gut sickens thinking I should cancel my bank accounts.

“It’s all there,” Star says dryly. “I don’t need your money.”

“Right.” I assess her. “You could have kept it, and no one would have been the wiser. I could have misplaced it anywhere, even on the ride home. I’m oblivious to where I was last night.”

“Cade knows.”

“Yeah, and I know nothing about Cade. Met him at a bar before we arrived at the party.”

She sticks her hands on her hips. “Because you were trying to forget the anniversary of your dad’s death?”

“I told you that?” I ask in disbelief.

“Yeah, like you had training this morning, but you did slur most of it. What about us? Do you remember us?”

Her beautiful, whisky eyes search mine. Right now, I want to drown in those eyes, lose myself to her like I did last night rather than go into the club and face the damn music.

“I remember.” The vision of her lying before me with cocaine between her tits before we fucked. “Thank you…” I hold up the wallet and tilt it in an appreciative gesture, “… for everything.”

“You say it like it’s goodbye.” She grins at me. “I checked your driver’s license. I know where you live, Dustin Williams.”

“Is that some sort of threat?”

“Someone has to keep you safe…”

“Safe from what?”

Star smiles and pulls her helmet over her head, then climbs on the bike. “You better go in before you screw up your future.”

“Well, aren’t you wise and full of tips today? Here’s one… you should wear pants on a motorcycle. If you fall—”

Star laughs loudly interrupting me. “I won’t fall.” She salutes me and revs the motor before roaring out of the carpark.

Fuck. She knows where I live.

I turn to look at the door of the clubrooms, realising I’ve also jeopardised Brax and the young recruits if shit goes down.

Getting a move on, I head into the club, pass the weights and strength training room and the hydrotherapy room, until I reach the conference room where the team has gathered for a meeting. The door is open, and coach and his assistant coaches are standing before the players seated in ascending rows of chairs.

Coach stops talking to his