though it was long ago, made the possessive animal inside of him rear its ugly head.
“I know that the guys aren’t trusting Ex. A shit storm is brewing and I’m going to get the brunt of it.” Greyson leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. “We could get Keely to talk to Sherry.”
“Like fuck!” Parker snapped.
I jumped at his abrupt movement when he rose to his feet. “Parker.” It wasn’t a bad idea. “Sherry would have no idea who I am.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m not having you risking yourself for some chick you don’t know. Who the hell knows what she’s capable of?”
“Is she close with Devin?” I asked, ignoring him.
“Keely,” Parker said, glancing down at me, his gaze filling with a dark warning.
I swallowed hard and met Greyson’s stare. “Is she?”
“That I don’t know. But I’m sick of this shit being brought to my clubhouse. We’re trying to be good boys.” He winked at me. “And with these bodies piling up, it’s not helping.”
“Keely is not helping you. Not like that. I don’t want her anywhere near that fucker,” Parker growled, his big body shaking.
“She wouldn’t be. It would just be near his cousin,” Greyson explained.
“I don’t care.” Parker shook his head, brushing a hand over his buzzed hair.
“Parker,” I said softly, rising to my feet.
“No.” He pinched my chin and placed a hard kiss on my mouth. “No,” he whispered. “I can’t almost lose you again. Look at what I’ve already done to you.”
“She’s with Ex. She can’t be—”
“I don’t fucking care!” Parker yelled. He started pacing back and forth, his usually calm demeanor frazzled and out of control to the extreme.
“Reed,” Colin finally said. “Come with me.”
“No,” Parker snapped.
Colin raised an eyebrow. “You challenging me, boy?” Although he didn’t look that much older than Parker, I found myself wondering exactly how old he was. His eyes were dark with wisdom, grey hair showing through the scruff on his strong jaw. Other than that, I wouldn’t have given him a day over forty.
“I can’t,” Parker said, his shoulders drooping.
“You can.” Colin turned to me. “Meet us in a half an hour. We’ll be in the first room in the basement on the right.”
I nodded as he headed down the hall, disappearing from sight, not bothering to wait for Parker to follow him.
“Greyson, your club better do what they are good at,” Parker said, his voice even. “I trust you to protect Keely.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, my man.” Greyson rose to his feet and held out his hand. “I promise you.”
Parker returned the handshake, meeting my gaze. “Good. Because if anything happened to her,” his eyes remained locked with mine, “I will burn this fucking world down to avenge her.”
HE MOMENT I closed the door behind Greyson, I leaned against the hard wood and slid down to the floor. All the breath left me on a whoosh, travelling through my lungs and out my mouth in slow agonizing gasps. Tears burned my eyes and I had to swallow past the hard lump in my throat before it threatened to choke me.
Parker was my all. My everything. But at times like this, I needed Troy. He was my family although we weren’t related in any way. He could keep me strong, help me keep my head on straight.
My body vibrated, my hands shaking to the point of no control. I wanted to kill Devin. I could kill him for the shit he had done already. Guilt twisted at my stomach but I ignored it. I had to. There would be a time that it would come to that. Devin vs. Me. Although it scared the shit out of me, I would make damn sure that I would win. For Troy. For Parker. For me.
A deep bass pounded through the floor, rattling beneath me. I didn’t know what Colin and Parker were doing. Even though Colin had told me to meet them after Greyson had left, a part of me wanted to wallow in my own self-pity. Another side of me wanted to head back to town and tell Troy and Patrick everything. Lately, whatever I told Troy would end up in Patrick’s ear anyways.
“Oh, Troy.” I took deep breaths, hugging my bent knees to my chest. “Please forgive me,” I whispered. If it were him keeping this huge secret from me, it would break my heart. I was going to break his heart.
“Keely.”
My head snapped up at the sound of Parker’s voice.