Page 27 of Blood

Knocking my knuckles on the door, I murmur, “It’s Rogue.”

There’s noise from inside, then a strained, “Come in.”

I open the door and a little ball of fur darts out, running between my legs. “Keg, get back in here.” Kitty jumps up from a bed and races to the door.

“Keg?” I chuckle, scooping the kitten up and cooing as it licks my face.

“She was a stray. She wandered onto the property all matted and full of fleas. We found her drinking the drips from one of the kegs.”

“You know it’s a boy, right?” I raise a brow, gazing over her ripped shirt and bright pink satin panties. Her bed is in disarray, and there’s a pair of handcuffs attached to a leather rope along her headboard.

“Fuck off. How the hell can you tell?” She blanches.

“You can see—look, balls.” I hold the kitten out, legs splayed.

“Ugh! Another man in my life, that’s all I need.” She drags her leather pants up her legs and runs her fingers through her bed hair.

“I saw Cutter leaving,” I edge, placing Keg on the bed and moving further into the room, stepping over cushions and clothes left all over the place.

“It’s complicated.” She breathes. Opening a mini fridge, she hands me a beer, then pops the top of her own and plops on the bed with a grunt.

“It always is.” I chuckle, holding up the beer in thanks.

Throwing myself into a chair in the corner of the room, I sigh and then jump back up to retrieve the purple ridged sex toy I’d sat on.

“Ew.” I gag, throwing the thing on her bed.

“Don’t be a prude.” She snatches it up and shoves it into her nightstand.

I cringe. “I hope you’re going to wash that.” My phone buzzes with an incoming text, drawing my attention away from her boisterous laugh. Pulling it free, I click on the screen.

Smokey: Your order is ready

My heart pounds. My palms begin to sweat. “I have to go,” I say, standing, feeling the room tilt as I do.

“You’re not supposed to have your phone on you.” She is watching me with a curious stare, dipping her gaze to my phone then back up to my face.

“You’re not supposed to have Cutter in you, but here we are.” I smirk, schooling my reaction from seconds before. She narrows her eyes, throwing her pillow my way.

“Touché.”

I catch the pillow and drop it on the chair, “I’ll catch you la—”

“Wait,” she calls, and I stall as I get to the door. “I’m not a homewrecker. It really is complicated.” She’s on her knees now, her hands clenching her duvet. There’s pain etched into her features and I hate seeing it on her face.

“I’m not judging,” I tell her sincerely. Who the hell would I be to judge after what I was just allowing her brother to do to me. Tyler might not go to war for Harley, but if he knew Callan had a small taste of me…

“I’m really glad you decided to show up at Ray’s that night,” she adds. “I needed a friend.” There’s a genuine tone in her voice and for the first time since meeting I see vulnerability pouring out of her.

Guilt shadows my soul as I say, “Me too.”

CHAPTER11

SECRETS AND BULLETS

Trepidation washes over me as I pull in at the location sent via text. The place is a desolate, run-down shack in the middle of nowhere. A faded sign half hanging off the front of the building reads ‘Willie's motors’. There are rusting cars older than me scattered around the place and an old gas pump with a piece of cardboard taped to it stating,

Out of use!

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