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  I said nothing, knowing exactly what he saw.

  “Are you one of The Enemies, then?” he asked.

  My heart skipped a beat at the question. He definitely saw the jacket that I often left hanging over the back of the chair in the kitchen. I never wore the damn thing. Well, almost never. I’d wear it from time to time when I went to see my father. Most of the time, I just left it in the kitchen in the event he was to show up and check on me without giving me any notice first.

  He hadn’t been to the place since I moved in, but I knew he had the address, and since he was able to track me down when I was at the diner, I knew he’d be able to find me at home if he so chose. But, hearing the words come out of Zach’s mouth made me want to either laugh or cry.

  I’d never identified as being part of the club. I was there because he was my father, and it was the only life that I’d known since my mother died when I was only six years old. Besides that, I had nothing to do with the club – and I didn’t want anything to do with it, either.

  “I guess you could say that,” I said at last. “I’m not a very good member, though.”

  “By association, I’m guessing?” he prompted. I was trying to read the look on his face, the tone in his voice, but all I was guessing was that he already pieced together what was going on. Why else would he be here? I was clearly a somebody in the club, or he wouldn’t have bothered.

  Would he?

  “My father is the leader. I’m sure you’re aware of Marcus Carlisle?” I asked.

  “Fuck,” Zach said as he sat down hard in the chair behind him. He put his face in his hands and shook his head. He was still sexy as fuck, and I would have been happy to take him to bed even then. I knew what the consequences would be, however, and I didn’t want to tempt fate.

  Well, not too much.

  “I think it’s best you and I pretend that this never happened,” he said at last. “Obviously, we can’t let either of our fathers find out about this or we know it’s not going to be pretty. I don’t know much about your father besides what I’ve heard, but I know my father would be beyond livid if he knew.”

  “I don’t even want to think about what my father would do to either one of us,” I said quickly. “He’d be pissed. Beyond pissed. He’s already sure that I can’t do anything right.”

  “Join the club,” Zach said. He chuckled. “No pun intended.”

  “Why were you so far south?” I asked, ignoring his joke. “I didn’t think you ever came that far down. I mean, you were right on the edge of your border; why?”

  “I get sick of the politics within the club. My father likes to be very overbearing about shit that goes on, and he wants me to step up my involvement. I get sick of the constant badgering, so I was looking for a night out of there. I didn’t want to even chance running into him or any of his higher ups,” Zach explained.

  I nodded. I could understand that. I’d been doing the same thing, after all. I knew it was dangerous for me to be out of my father’s turf. If someone from the rival club were to figure that out when I was there, it could get me or him or any one of The Enemies in a lot of trouble.

  We both knew that the club was arguably in neutral territory, but if we were to get really technical about it, it was Carl’s. I didn’t think that would go over well if he found out, but then, I didn’t think he would find out. I certainly didn’t start the night with the intention of fucking his son.

  “So, what do we do now?” I asked at last. “We can’t tell our fathers, and I think it would be too risky for you and me to keep seeing each other.”

  “It is. I don’t want to even think about what my father would do if he found out,” he said quickly. “We have to call this off right now, there’s just no other way around it.”

  I nodded. But, that didn’t change the pang that ran through my chest at his words. They were exactly the same things I was thinking. Of course, we had to end this. There was no way we could keep seeing each other under the circumstances.

  But, having him here in the apartment again, seeing him sitting just across from me, I was overwhelmed by his sexiness. He was everything I wanted in a man and more. It sucked to think of him walking through that door and out of my life.

  But I knew that I’d made a mistake bringing him here in the first place. I shouldn’t have fucked him, that was for damn sure. And now, I had to deal with the pain of what I’d done. I’d move on, and I’d find someone else.

  Someone my father wouldn’t kill me for dating.

  “You better get out of here. I’m not sure when Lynne is going to be back, and I don’t want anything to slow you down getting back out of town,” I said at last.

  Zach nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. But you have to stop looking for me. You know the truth, now stay out of our territory and keep yourself safe. Don’t go looking for trouble where you don’t belong.”

  I tensed. I hated being told what to do, but I knew he had a point. I was in danger every time I went into the towns under his father’s rule. That was just the way things were. I didn’t know if his father would recognize me, but I didn’t want to risk it, either.

  My brother was known by Carl, I knew that much, and since Vance and I were twins, I didn’t know if he knew more about me than I thought. It just wasn’t worth the risk. As much as it sucked letting Zach walk out of my life, it was for the best.

  Not just for him, but for me.

  Zach rose, dragging his hands down his face before giving me a wry smile. I knew what was on his mind, and it had to involve taking our clothes off. But, he had to get out of there. It wasn’t smart for him to hang around, especially when we weren’t sure when my roommate was getting back.

  Best friend or not, I knew Lynne would take care of my safety first and foremost. And if she knew that I was fucking around with a guy from the rival club, she’d lose her shit. She wasn’t part of the MC herself, but she knew enough about it to know these weren’t the things we fucked around with.

  As he walked toward the door, I took a step forward to say goodbye. I wanted to say something about the sex, let him know how fantastic it had been. I wanted to tell him that I wished things were different, and there was a way for us to be together, even if we just fucked each other from time to time.

  Nothing came to mind, however, and I knew I was just letting him go. I had to remind myself it was for the best. It was what we both needed if we wanted to get through this without anything bad coming of what we’d done.

  But Zach lingered at the door for a moment, as though there was something else he wanted to say. I was just about to ask him what it was when he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.

  Immediately, I was overcome with the need to have him all over again. My resolve flew out the window, and I wanted nothing more than to drag him to my bed and have my way with him. I knew he’d be something of an addiction when I fucked him the first time.

  And, I could see I was right.

  As he turned me and pressed me to the door, I slipped my tongue into his mouth and teased him. I could feel his body getting turned on, and for a brief moment, I wondered if he would be worth getting exiled for.

  Right now, I knew my answer would be yes.

  7

  Zach

  I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, and trying to get Vanessa out of my thoughts. She’d been the only thing on my mind since I left her apartment the day before, and I wasn’t sure what to do next. I had agreed with her. It was better for us to go our separate ways and forget that the entire thing had ever happened.

  I was the first to say it, but she was right there with me. What would either of our fathers do if they found out about what we’d done? I knew my father would be beyond pissed. He’d want to kill me; he’d want to kill her. Fuck, what I would do to him if he laid a hand on her.

  But then, what could I do? This was one of the most powerful men in the entire region. He didn’t abide by the law because he didn’t have to. I knew my fa
ther, just like Marcus, could make many deaths looked like accidents.

  And that scared me.

  The day before had been such a rollercoaster. I had gone to Vanessa’s apartment with the intention of telling her that we weren’t going to see each other again. She had to know the truth about me, and once she did, she would understand why we could never see each other again.

  But then, when I sat down in the chair across from her, watching her beautiful face twitch with worry as she tried to convince both of us that not ever seeing each other again was the best idea, all I wanted to do was take her in my arms and kiss her.

  Time and time again throughout our conversation, I thought about the night we’d spent together, and it was nearly impossible not to get up from the chair and throw her against the wall, fucking her senseless. There was a large part of me that thought she’d like it if I did.

  I certainly didn’t get the impression she wanted anything different. But, I wasn’t going to do that to her. I wasn’t going to push for anything that she didn’t offer. I could give her clues to let her know that I wanted something from her, but if she didn’t take the invitation, then I wasn’t going to push.

  She was more than happy to make out with you when you were leaving. Hell, she was the one who stuck her tongue halfway down your throat, running her hands over you. If you had taken her to bed, she wasn’t going to say no, I thought.

  But you can’t tell someone that you aren’t going to see them again, then fuck their brains out.

  Why not? I don’t know. Are you an idiot for not taking advantage of the situation? Would she have been happy to fuck you?

  Damn straight, she would have been. By the time you left, your lips were swollen from making out with her and you had her number in your cell phone.

  It was true. Vanessa had an aggressive, sensual way of making out. She turned me on more than any other woman I’d ever known, and the way she bit at my lips when we kissed was almost more than I could handle. I wanted to tear her clothes off just standing next to her.

  Anything she did to arouse me further was just playing with fire. And it didn’t help being pretty sure I she knew what she was doing. I didn’t expect her to give me her number, but it had been her idea.

  What the hell do you think is going to happen now? Are you going to keep dating her – a girl who lives two hours away – when you know that your father would lose his shit if he found out?

  Would you go to war for this girl? Do you really want to play Troy and let a girl destroy an empire in your life?

  The thoughts haunted me. I knew it would mean certain war between the clubs if this were to continue. But, there was an even bigger part of me that didn’t care. Let them go to war because they wanted to keep us apart. When I thought about the sex – about the night she and I had had together – about the smile on her face when I kissed the shit out of her…yeah.

  She was worth going to war for.

  At least, I thought that as I laid in bed thinking about how I didn’t want to go to work. It was easy to think that I would sacrifice the life I lived to be with her when I wasn’t actually being faced with that sacrifice.

  Hell, I had to get up. I had to go to the diner. It was my diner to run, and without me, things were going to fall apart. So, if the clubs went to war over a girl, what would that mean for the diner? I sighed. I didn’t want to see my grandfather’s hard work go down the drain.

  But I did want to keep seeing Vanessa. And, I had the sneaking suspicion both was not an option.

  Finally, I grabbed my phone. I wanted to text her, but I refrained. There was one person I could text who would be able to give me sound advice. I didn’t really want to drag him into the mess I’d created, but I couldn’t do this alone.

  If another person knew, then I had a chance of getting through this without it blowing up into something too big. At least, I could tell myself that as I pulled up Aaron’s name in my contact list. I hesitated for a moment, my thumb hovering over the letters on the keypad.

  I got her number.

  The message was simple, but I knew it was going to have an explosive reaction. Aaron didn’t disappoint.

  You are a fucking idiot.

  I smiled. He wasn’t wrong. But then, he’d never been in this situation, either. I wanted advice, but I wanted him to approach things from my point of view. It wasn’t going to make things and easier for me if he just laid into me about how stupid I was being.

  I already knew I was being stupid.

  What do you want me to do? This girl is hot as hell, and I can’t just walk away.

  The response came immediately.

  He’ll kill you.

  I winced. I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my father or hers, but he wasn’t wrong regardless.

  I know. What do I do now?

  I hit send, but it took him a while to answer. Perhaps he was at a loss just as much as I. When the reply did come, I didn’t feel much better.

  Don’t get caught.

  That was an easy enough solution for now. But, if we were going to be seeing each other, it couldn’t stay a secret forever. The truth was bound to come out eventually, especially if this girl turned out to be as amazing as I thought. I didn’t send him another reply.

  I didn’t know what else to say. There were so many thoughts running through my mind, but I had made up my mind to keep seeing her. Or at least, try to. But, that was now something I had to worry about later. Right now, I had to get up and get to work.

  The sun was rising, and the early risers who got up with it would be at the diner soon.

  And, they’d want their breakfast.

  “Don’t forget about the meeting tonight,” my dad said as he tapped his fingers on the counter. He had shown up at the diner around noon, eager to get some food, but mostly to tell me about the meeting that was taking place that evening.

  “How could I forget? It’s all anyone’s been talking about for the past week,” I said with a shrug. It was true. With more than half of my customers being connected to the club in some way, the fact that there would be a meeting didn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

  “Good. You need to be there. Not like last time,” he said.

  “Not like I tried to miss it,” I rolled my eyes. “Granddad needed help here-”

  “The club comes first. Always and forever,” my father interrupted.

  I sighed. I knew that’s how he felt, but it didn’t give me much hope things would work out with Vanessa. He cared about the club more than anything, even his dad’s health at the time.

  I still missed my grandfather. There were times I was convinced he was the only one who really kept my father in check. But, he was gone, and there was no bringing him back. I could just deal with the craziness my father pushed on me and hope for the best.

  “Did you talk to Aaron today? Is he going to be there?” my father asked.

  “No, I haven’t,” I lied. “You could text him and find out.”

  He gave me a look. I was sure he could see through the lie. I talked to my best friend every day at some point. I might be many things in life, but a good liar was not one of them. Yet another thing that worried me about seeing Vanessa. It was just a matter of time before I slipped up and spilled the beans.

  I didn’t want to think about how my father would explode when that happened.

  “Text him. It’s not my job to make sure you’re all there. You make sure, or I’m not going to be happy,” he said. “This is important, and I need everyone to show.”

  “I’ll text him,” I said. I handed him the tray of food. “Now, here’s lunch.”

  “Thanks. Make sure he’s there,” my father took the food and headed out into the dining room. He was social with the other members and often hunting for more to add to the club. I tried to stay out of that side of things; he was the one wrapped up in politics, not me.

  I shook my head and turned my attention back to the orders on the rack. I wasn’t going to text Aaron. I wasn�
��t his mother. He knew about the meeting, and if he wanted to show up, he would. I wasn’t going to babysit him over it.

  If my father was pissed at him, that was on him. I had my own issues to worry about.

  “Glad you showed, Dad’s adamant that we all needed to be here,” I said when Aaron arrived on his bike.

  “I know, he’s just been talking about it for the last three weeks,” he said with a shake of his head. “What’s this going to be about, anyway? I didn’t think we had anything that pressing on the agenda.”

  “Beats me,” I said with a shrug. “He’s just been pushing that it’s super important, and we all better be here.”

  “We’re here,” Aaron said. “Romeo.”

  “Shut up!” I snapped. “Do you want to get me in trouble?”

  “I would think the fact you’re deciding to play Romeo and Juliet is more likely to get you in trouble than me,” he said with a shrug. “Romeo.”

  “Stop calling me that, and don’t bring this up again!” I snapped once more. “That isn’t funny!”

  “Okay, buddy. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” he said. He put his hand on my shoulder and turned me to head into the club with him, but he was still chuckling under his breath. I had a knot in my stomach. I knew he was right about it being my choice to pursue this, but still, I didn’t want it to be a joke.

  It was too risky. If he made light of this, he could be the one to slip up and let the truth out. It was going to be hard enough for us as it was.

  Best friend or not, I was beginning to regret telling him at all.

  8

  Vanessa

  I woke to my phone buzzing, and my heart leapt to my throat when I saw it was a couple of text messages from Zach. He’d been texting me occasionally since I gave him my number, but we had both agreed that we had to keep things rather low key between us.

  Neither of us wanted to arouse too much suspicion, so I nearly dropped my phone when I saw his texts.