Page 58 of Claiming Veronica

“Good. He can come in nice and close,” I said, looking over to Maxim. I was pretty sure we were on the same page with this. Catching his dark look, there was no doubt about it.

“I’ll text Dimitri to see if he wants to join us. There might be a local spot for this sort of thing,” Maxim said, casually pulling out his phone. That wasn’t a bad idea. I’d already looked for a spot for a body dump, but the locals always had their favorites.

“Good, glad you boys can handle it,” Veronica said with a toss of her hair as if we spoke every day about getting rid of bodies. I did not doubt that she knew exactly what we were talking about. “So, I wanted to take Reed to town and show her the diner. The Duck is such a great spot. Do you want to come? Max, you too.” Veronica had perked up on the edge of the sofa.

“Sure.” I’d found that there wasn’t much I wouldn’t agree to regarding Veronica. “Whenever you want.”

“Awesome. Let’s go get changed, Reed.” Yanking her friend by the hand, she pulled her from the room.

Chuckling at me, Maxim watched them go. “Oh, you are in trouble. I almost feel sorry for you.” He shook his head at me ruefully.

“Why is that?” I asked, stacking up the trash and carrying it into the kitchen.

“You’re domesticated now. You’ll never get away. No more bachelor life for you.”

My eyes widened. “Who says I want to? I’ll spend all my minutes, all my days with Veronica and be fucking thankful. If she wants me to go to some cheesy diner, I’ll go.” Being with Veronica was a joy and a privilege. I was happy she asked me to go with them.

His mouth compressed, and he shook his head, looking away. I knew that look better than most. That was the look of betrayal on his face, and I wondered who had stabbed him in the back and twisted the knife. “At least my cousin is a good one.” The words were tinged with bitterness.

“She is,” I agreed. “I’ve known my fair share of people that weren’t worth much.” Seeing his bleak face, I added, “Look, I’ve never had a woman or partner before. I’ve always been alone. It isn’t something I want to keep doing.” I lookeddown the hallway where Veronica had taken Reed. I could almost picture her sliding her clothes off, dabbing her wrists with that scent she wore. “Whatever she wants, she can have. My heart? My soul? My life? It’s hers as long as she doesn’t leave me. I’d do anything for her.”

Maxim looked away but said nothing more about women and being domesticated. If truth be told, in the dark of the night, Veronica’s illness scared the fuck out of me. The fragility that had drawn me to her now made me frightened. But if her flame burned out, I would let it light me up and set me on ablaze, too — we would burn together.

I couldn’t lose her — ever.

Chapter 29

Veronica

The Odd Duck’s charm never faded despite its worn-down booths and an old jukebox that constantly cycled through rock hits from the sixties. It was where you could walk in and feel like you’d stepped into a time warp—locals lounged, sipped their coffee, or scarfed down greasy burgers. The Duck wasn’t just any diner. It was where the Cobra and Iron Brotherhood MC guys liked to hang out, talk shop, or pretend not to notice each other in a delicate balance of peace.

It was also where my sister, Natasha, somehow made some friends and ended up chatting with Maddox’s wife, Helena, who sometimes worked as a waitress. They also had the best onion rings and milkshakes I’d ever had.

Eli had been here several times but didn’t seem as enchanted by it as I was. He walked beside me like he wasn’t feeling the vibe but was more focused on me. I still wasn’t used to the fact that I was actually with a man — let alone a man like him.

Eli was intense. I saw how he scowled, loomed, and put others off as we walked by them. To me, he was everything safe. I loved that hint of darkness in him, but I knew that he … my eyes shot to him.

“What is it, angel?” He tilted his head towards mine, his breath tickling my ear as he ushered me into the vinyl booth.

“Nothing.” My heart was in my throat as I caught the gentle look in his eyes. I loved him. The realization was like a tsunami. It washed over me as it passed in waves—the knowledge settling over me. Of course, I loved him. What wasn’t to love? I took a breath.

It felt like I could breathe a little tonight after letting loose earlier with Reed. It had been nice to have a normal day with a girlfriend. I thought it had helped her too.

Reed was more relaxed as she sat across from us. Her eyes were brighter, and the purple circles had disappeared from under her eyes.

Daisy, our waitress, came up with her usual bright smile. She had a friendly, chatty vibe that felt welcoming. Her red hair bounced as she approached us, and she balanced a tray like she’d been doing it forever.

“Look who decided to grace us with their presence,” she teased, setting down menus before we could protest. “Eli, back again. Nice to see you again. Can’t stay away now that you’ve been introduced to the Duck, huh?”

Eli smirked. “Yeah, must be that logo.”

She laughed. “It’s a winner for sure.”

The logo was of a goofy one-legged duck. If you squinted, it was cute, but who even knew where the original owner got the idea from? All I knew was that the diner was now one of the businesses in town that the Brotherhood owned. A few years back, the town was close to disappearing. The doors of shops and restaurants had been shuttering, and people had been leaving. The Brotherhood had taken the opportunity to buy a few of them up and keep them open. It had served a dual purpose. Their town had stayed open, giving them a way to launder their cash.

“I think it’s adorable,” Reed piped up. “What’s good here?”

Daisy beamed, her ponytail bouncing. “Everything, doll. The shakes, burgers, and onion rings are my favorites.”

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