Page 157 of Tempting Fate

I can’t.

“Oh, you’re here,” Nadia says with distaste when she sees Zeke. “I didn’t think we’d have to look at your putrid face until the after party.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Nads,” Zeke tells her with an unapologetic shrug. “Sorry to disappoint you, but Apollo hooked me up with another pass when he found out mine had been mysteriously given to someone else.”

His rough voice as he makes it clear he knows what Isaiah did makes me shiver. When Zeke’s fingers flex around my arm, I realise that he noticed my reaction to him. It’s enough to rip me out of my shock. I knock his hand away and link fingers with Nadia. She drags me over to Isaiah and his older brother.

The rock star.

Apollo Abaddon is a little intimidating. While I know Isaiah well, having grown up with him, Lo has been based in the US since he was twelve. I wasn’t even eight when he left Australia after earning a position at an ultra-exclusive music school near New York. He’s lived with his uncle at the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Shamrocks MC for most of the year ever since.

“Cherub. Lookin’ beautiful as ever.” Apollo greets me in his deep voice. When he scrapes his fingers through his jet-black hair, his black eyes twinkle with malice under the single bulb that sits over the side door. The mahogany tone to his skin only adds to the darkness he exudes as he continues. “I heard what happened to you. If I wasn’t positive Venom had already handled the son of a bitch, I’d offer to kill the bastard myself.”

Isaiah clears his throat and slants a side look my way. Nadia makes a disgruntled noise in her throat. Understanding Isaiah’s unspoken warning, I nudge her with my hip to tell her to keep her mouth shut. It’s obvious that the US chapters have been kept out of the loop regarding the Australian mother chapter’s drama, so the last thing I need is for my best friend to accidentally put her foot in it.

Secrets are hard to keep.

If the Australian Shamrocks, including Gabriel as the brother of the president of the Philadelphia mother chapter, have managed to hide my dad’s dodgy behaviour for this long, then there’s a reason for it. I will not be the one who ruins whatever strategy they have in action to beat my father at his own game.

“I appreciate that.” Head held high, I give Apollo the most genuine smile I can manage in the face of all the bad memories his kind words have set free in my head. “Looks like things have been going well for you?”

A shadow crosses his perfectly symmetrical face for a second. “Things have been… different. Especially with Seraphina gone.” Whatever frustration he’s feeling over his breakup with my good friend disappears when he spots Zeke. They exchange half hugs, complete with their convoluted handshake and a backslap. Apollo looks between me and Zeke when my ex-fiancé steps back next to me and nods. “It’s nice to see my favourite couple is still goin’ strong. When you’re surrounded by all the superficial bullshit that goes on in my world, knowin’ real love still exists stops me turnin’ into a complete cynic.”

I stiffen when Zeke’s hand slides along the small of my back, and his arm settles around me like it never left. “You’re too kind. We’re just an ordinary?—”

“No,” Apollo cuts off my protests. “I call it how I see it. You two are meant for each other.”

Thankfully, a man with a clipboard and a headset taps Apollo on the shoulder before I can blurt out the truth that’s burning the tip of my tongue. They put their heads together and converse in voices too low for the rest of us to hear. Nadia edges closer to sneak a peek at the list the assistant is holding, and Isaiah follows to keep her out of trouble.

“I’m sorry about this,” Zeke murmurs when it’s just the two of us.

“Well, that’s a first,” I remark in a snippy tone. “The great Venom is sorry for something.” With a huff, I side-eye him as I say, “You could’ve warned me… oh, sorry… that’s right. You’d have to talk to me to do that.”

“Lily—”

“Don’t Lily me, Venom,” I chastise him a little too loud. “Pretty sure you made it clear that I was Lilianna the last time we spoke.”

Apollo’s concerned gaze flicks our way. I smile at him, then lean into Zeke until he returns to his conversation. Before I can really lose control of my tongue, Slash joins us. He’s alone. The pain that’s etched into his face—both from the past and now—makes my heart hurt.

“What happened?”

He shrugs. “She’s taking an Uber home.”

“I’m sorry.” I slip my hand into his. He squeezes my fingers. “Maybe I should move out? I think she has a problem with me.”

“It’s not you. It’s her. She wants me on her terms—as in I’m good enough to fuck, but not good enough to introduce to her family. Pretty sure she’s still screwin’ her boss, too, even though she denies it. I’m not goin’ down this road again… told her to leave me alone until she’s worked out what she wants.”

“Oh.” Slash’s past is rough. He’s been the dirty little secret before, and it didn’t end well. In fact, it almost killed him. Having been burnt in the past, there’s no way he’ll put up with Bebe’s behaviour for long. “If you need a shoulder… you know where to find me. God knows I owe you.”

“Are you promising me Netflix ’n chill?” he quips.

“Just the Netflix,” I retort with a laugh. “We both know you have no chill.”

“Ouch, that hurt,” Slash jokes, clutching at his heart with his free hand. “A man can live in hope.”

His jest doesn’t sound authentic, but I pretend not to notice.

If Slash wants to hide from his feelings, who am I to tell him differently?

---