and escaped.
“She’s had a rough week,” Dad explained as I rushed down the hall and up to my room. I knew I couldn’t hide forever, but I was gonna try for a little while.
* * *
Aero
Well, that went well.
I pushed aside the guilt of not telling Letti everything I should have and focused on getting to know my new brothers. When everything had gone down with my sister, my boss, Hatch, had suggested I come to Colorado and prospect for the Howlers.
After my sister died, I didn’t ride for close to a year, but I was jonesin’ for the feel of the open road, and even though it snowed in Colorado, it had a shit ton more sunshine than Portland. Hatch figured it’d be easier for me to ease back in if I was away from the memories.
I hoped to god he was right.
I’d met Rocky a few times when he’d flown out to see Hatch and take care of cannabis business and he was good people, so I agreed to meet with him and see if it would work.
I felt good, he felt good, and more importantly, we both trusted Hatch’s judgement, so he agreed to sponsor me on a trial basis. I had one month to prove myself, before I could officially prospect. That worked for me, so I agreed.
But I hadn’t expected Violet Morgan Graves.
Shit.
I hadn’t known who she was until Stoney came looking for her. I’d met him a week before when I’d been hired at Nocturn as a bouncer. Rocky had gotten me the job, and Stoney had been with him when he’d introduced me to the owner.
Stoney had found me the night Violet was at the club, giving me her description and asking me to call if I saw her. That was when I noticed Violet drag her friend into the bathroom. With a promise to let Stoney know if I saw her, I watched him leave the club, then followed the women.
I knew I should have told her who I was the second I knew our connection, but I wanted some time with her alone. Before our lives got complicated. She was beautiful, and funny, and she knew the life. I was enjoying the safe little bubble we’d been creating. Even if it couldn’t go anywhere significant.
But I was pretty sure I’d just blown our safe little bubble to shit.
“Let’s move this out to the great room,” Sundance said, slapping my shoulder.
I nodded and we headed down the hallway to where the real party was. I didn’t see Violet anywhere, but my plan was to try and find a private moment with her to explain.
If she’d let me.
Violet
I PACED MY room, tiny as it was, and tried to get myself to a point where I didn’t murder one very hot Viking. My father would want to know why, and I didn’t really want to clean up blood off the floor while trying to explain to him why I’d just killed his prospect.
“Letti?” Nellie called through the door as she knocked.
“Just a second,” I replied, and took a deep breath.
Once I felt a little more composed, I pulled the door open and forced a smile.
“You okay, honey?”
“Yes, just needed to pee somewhere clean,” I lied.
She chuckled. “I hear that. Your dad’s looking for you.”
“Okay, cool.”
I followed her downstairs and into the fray. Before I hit the great room, though, my hand was grabbed, and I was pulled into the bunk room.
“What the—?”
The door was closed, and I looked up to see Jasper with his finger to his mouth. “How much do you hate me?” he whispered.
“I don’t think there’s a measurement big enough.”
He smiled. “I’m sorry, Letti. Swear to Christ, I planned to tell you. I just—”
“Didn’t have the balls?”
He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t want to burst our bubble.”
“Well, it’s burst now, buddy.” I threw my hands in the air. “I liked you, you big fat jerk.”
“I like you, too, Letti. That doesn’t need to change.”
“You’re a prospect now, Jasper, I’m off-limits.”
He sighed. “Right.”
“But…” I licked my lips. “I can keep a secret, can you?”
He shook his head. “Not big on lying to people, beautiful.”
“It’s not a lie. It’s a secret. If we’re careful, no one will know we even know each other, let alone like each other.”
I couldn’t believe this thought had come out of my mouth. This had been my chance to walk away from him. Away from being stuck in ‘the life.’ But I couldn’t. I don’t