a move on her. Three—I can go over now and tell her what’s up.
Option one won’t work. I couldn’t live with it if something happened to her. I’m not patient enough for two, so that leaves me with three.
Ron jacks his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the keg. That’s all this girl needs, a drink brought to her from this asshole. Meg looks at him for the first time with an air of contempt. Takes everything I have not to laugh. Good girl, not buying what he’s selling, but Ron is the ultimate dirty used car salesman. He keeps up that smile and pretends not to read her body language.
Hell, maybe the bastard can’t read her body language. Maybe there’s a short circuit in his brain—but that doesn’t give him an excuse. Just gives more credence to my theory that he needs to be locked in a cage at the zoo.
Ron leaves, and I take my opportunity do to my public service announcement. Whatever she decides to do after she’s been warned won’t be on my conscience.
I’m off the tailgate, nodding my head at people who greet me along the way, even pause for a few beats to accept handshakes and one fast hug from an old friend. Once I get past the unseen barrier between my side of town and the other, the greetings aren’t as warm, when there are any at all.
Gotta admit, Meg is a sight. She wears expensive jeans that look tailored to her and a blue sweater that against the bonfire gives her a soft glow, and her blond hair spills over her shoulders. Upon closer examination, her face leaves me breathless. She has a face I could stare at for a very long time.
A few more steps until I’m in her space, and a stick cracks under the weight of my foot. Meg jumps, a shudder running through her body, and her head snaps in my direction. I stop in my tracks and put my hands in the air to show I come in peace. She wraps her arms around herself at the sight of me, and I slowly breathe out. I don’t live in a haunted house and even I can see her ghosts.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Her blue eyes narrow. “You didn’t scare me.”
All right. If that’s how we’re going to play then that’s how we’re going to play. I lower my hands and walk up to her, but leave a few feet between us for her comfort. “My bad then. We haven’t had a chance to talk yet. I’m Eli McKinley. We have math and English together.”
Damn, same glare of contempt she gave Ron. “And?”
I blink. There are a lot of things she could have said that I would have comebacks for, but that wasn’t one of them. “And I wanted to introduce myself.”
“You have.” Meg returns to staring at the bonfire.
Good thing I had already decided against kissing her. Otherwise, my ego would be shredded to bloody pieces. “You always this friendly?”
“No, I used to be nice. But nice didn’t work out so well for me.”
That brings me up short, and I glance around as if someone will give me a clue as to how to continue the conversation. “You met my friend Rebecca earlier this week. She said you were nice.”
Meg’s face screws up, and internally I’m wincing. She said you were nice. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Your dad is Cyrus McKinley, the head of the Reign of Terror, right?”
Why do I feel like I’m being set up? “Yeah.”
“And from what I understand, the Reign of Terror are a relatively new and small club. You have a few chapters in-state. Some in Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana. Nothing huge, and for your sake, I hope it stays small, because flying under the radar is working for you now. But regardless of all that, you’re MC, correct?”
My eyebrows draw together. Granted, she’s been in town a few days and all that information is public knowledge, but it’s not the type of information normally given to a new girl. “That’s right.”
“I’m going to make this easier on both of us. I don’t do MCs. Not anymore. Rebecca seems like a great girl, but it appears she’s on the fast track to being someone’s old lady. That’s her decision, and I’m all for her living her life as she wants to, but I don’t travel those roads anymore. While I’m in this town, I won’t give you a hard