Page 111 of Making Choices

But I’m going to fight... fair or not.

28

LILY

One week later

“What’s wrong with this one?” I ask, spinning in a circle with my arms out. “It’s perfect.”

Slash shakes his head and grumbles something unintelligible while Nadia bites down on her bottom lip to suppress the laughter I can see is bubbling within her. This is the sixth apartment I’ve looked at in the past two weeks with the pair of them. The first three were immediately rejected by my self-appointed bodyguard as lacking sufficient security.

I don’t know why he’s against the two we’ve checked out today.

There’s a doorman on the front entrance.

The underground parking can only be accessed by a personalised code.

Each floor has its own key card and the individual apartments have their own security systems—which Cub has promised me he’ll make unhackable if I decide to buy one of them.

“I’d be happy with either of them,” I add. Flicking open the blinds, I take in the boulevard below. “But this one has the better view.”

“Security isn’t up to scratch,” Slash tells me as he comes to stand behind me. His fingers curl over my shoulders and he squeezes gently, almost apologetically, as he delves into all the reasons why I’m wrong. “That parkin’ garage is a nightmare—you could be trapped inside it with no way out except through a hail of bullets. Since this isn’t our turf, we can’t guarantee that the doormen won’t be bought off. You move over this side of the city, and it’ll take us more than an hour to get to you if anythin’ goes down. This place lacks the basics... your brothers would kick my fuckin’ arse if I okayed this.”

His final statement sets off Nadia. Palm pressed to her mouth, she bends in half and clutches her stomach with her free hand. Hysterical laughter pours out of her. I’d probably join her, since Slash’s overprotectiveness is usually funny, but I can’t find it in me right now to laugh.

Zeke’s in town for the first time since our showdown in the chapel after the funerals.

I wanted to show him that I’m standing tall on my own, rather than continuing to hide behind the Shamrocks like the reckless child he intimated I am the last time we spoke. Being back at work was the first step in that direction. Having my own place would’ve been a major improvement. It’s irritating as hell to be stuck at a standstill while he’s doing God knows what—and who—in Sydney.

“I don’t agree,” I plead. “This building is perfect... plus I don’t want to cramp your style any longer.”

“Told you, over and over, my home is yours for as long as you want.”

“I don’t want to be a burden.” Sighing, I turn around as well as I can with Slash crowding me against the window. He doesn’t take a step back when my body brushes his, instead he presses his palms to the glass next to my head and peers down at me with his eyebrows raised. Flames of indignation flicker within his ice-blue gaze, and I find myself quickly backtracking. “I need to step out on my own soon, but I won’t do it at the expense of the Shamrocks. Not when you’re still fighting a war I had a hand in starting.”

No one has been particularly forthcoming about the problems stalking the club so I’m taking a swing in the dark as to Slash’s motivations for holding unattainable expectations for security. The only other times I’ve had a protection tail as tight as this was in the lead up to Alex’s trial. Back then, Joseph Kingsley was using his connections to harass the Shamrocks. He thought it would sway me into dropping the charges.

It didn’t work.

I had the club at my back.

They stood by me then.

It’s my turn to do the right thing by them now.

“Okay. You win. I’ll stay with you until I find something better.” My capitulation seems to tickle Nadia’s funny bone even harder. I turn sideways and nudge Slash out of the way with my hip. Advancing on my best friend, I demand, “Not sure what you’re finding so damn funny, Nads.”

The sly look she shoots over my shoulder at Slash sets my teeth on edge.

Is he manipulating me like Zeke always did?

When I whirl on Slash to verbalise my thoughts, they die an instant death. His expression is creased with nothing but worry. Not one skerrick of cynicism can be found. All I find is a man who cares for me enough to open up his house to me and put his life on hold, so I have somewhere safe to lick my wounds while I carve out a new future for myself.

Shooting Nadia a look that warns her to behave, I pull my phone out of my handbag and type out a message to the real estate agent who found this listing for me. She replies that I can leave the apartment open since she’s on her way here with another interested couple. When I tell her that it’s all theirs, she sends me a sad face emoji.

“Well, that’s that then. No more apartment hunting for me for the moment.”

“Good.” Nadia claps her hands together. “Not sure why you’d want to give up Slash’s McMansion anyhow. The pool. The spa. The games room. He got you shoe racks... what more do you want?”

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