Page 29 of Kilo's Edge

I swallowed and gave everyone a shy smile. Being the center of attention wasn’t really something I liked. I was used to blending into the background, not standing out. But there were only men here. So it wasn’t like I had anywhere I could hide.

“Everyone,” Kilo called out even though he didn’t need to raise his voice since they’d fallen silent when they saw us.That wasn’t nerve wracking at all. “This is Camila.” Kilo started rattling off names of his brothers and I scrambled to keep them straight. The fact that no one had an actual name, just descriptions, wasn’t something I was ready for.

These men were all gorgeous. I was blown away because there were white teeth flashing, muscles, and tattoos everywhere. I was shocked the female population of Phoenix wasn’t charging the gate out front to get into this place. The man I’d met at Kilo’s house, Overdrive, came up to us. There was a huge grin on his face and before I could say anything, he grabbed me and planted two kisses on each of my cheeks. I blinked at him in surprise.

“Dick,” Kilo muttered, shoving him away from me.

“Does that mean you’re claiming her?” Another man asked with a sly grin.

Kilo’s jaw dropped open. “I- Uh-”

“Give him a break, Bolo,” the man who Kilo had addressed as his president ordered. “Tonight, Camila is his guest and no one touches her.” He gave Overdrive a pointed look.

“Like I’d do that,” Overdrive said with a roll of his eyes. “That was just a thank you for her amazing tacos.”

I frowned up at Kilo. “Huh?”

“He stole the tacos you made for me,” he told me with a dark frown at his friend.

I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh. It wasn’t hard to see that these men bonded by needling each other. I wasn’t sure what to think about Bolo’s statement about claiming me. Filing that away to ask Mary about later, I tried to relax as Kilo dragged me into the middle of the guys. Everyone started talking all at once and someone shoved an opened beer bottle into my hand. It made me feel at home in an instant. They were open and kind. I didn’t know what I was expecting from Kilo’s MC brothers, butthey were far exceeding any preconceived notions I might have had.

After what had happened I’d been a bit leery of men. Which was why I’d been so hesitant to give Kilo a chance when I first met him. But he’d set himself apart so quickly with his kind actions that I started realizing he wasn’t like the men who were after us.

Dangerous and kind. I hadn’t thought that was possible. But he’d proven it. I had a feeling if I hung around long enough all these men would be the same.

He and his brothers had that same tough and dangerous vibe, but I could see the way they gentled themselves a bit for me. How they made sure to include me in their conversations while they all spoke so that I didn’t feel left out. And it was obvious the love and respect they had for Kilo. Which then was extended to me as well because he’d brought me here.

I was safe here with them. That was an important distinction. I wasn’t safefromthem, butwiththem. They wouldn’t hurt me, and I felt down to my bones that they would stand between me and any threat. That was a new realization, and I liked it. What must it be like to go through your day knowing nothing could harm you? That there were no enemies who could reach you? I certainly wouldn’t know.

My shoulders lost all the previous tenseness they’d held and I began to really enjoy myself. I noticed a man eyeing every beer—and scribbling in a notepad—the brothers consumed and tilted my head. “Are you making sure they don’t get too drunk?” I asked him. I couldn’t quite remember his name.

He barked out a laugh and shook his head. “There’s no keeping this group in line when it comes to drinking,” he told me. “No, I’m calculating how much money we’re spending for the barbecue and party later.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t remember your name…” I admitted.

“I’m Flir,” he told me, holding out his hand and shaking mine.

“F-” I stopped and my brows drew together. His name was pronounced Flee-ir. “What does that mean?”

He chuckled. “It’s an acronym for Forward Looking Infrared.”

I blinked at him, making him laugh again. He was probably in his mid-thirties, had sandy brown hair and intelligent blue eyes.

“They’re a type of thermal camera,” he explained. “At least that’s the easiest description. You know in the movies when they look at people in the black and white heat images?”

I nodded, eyes going back to his notebook. The last thing I wanted to do was pry too much into these guys’ lives, because I didn’t want them asking me too many questions. But I had a lot of things I wanted to ask. Like why was his name Flir? And why weren’t there other women here? Far too many questions to name, but I swallowed them back.

He must have seen the curiosity in my eyes because he answered one of them. “I’m the club treasurer. It’s my job to keep tabs on how much we spend.”

“That makes sense,” I told him. “How does the club make money?”

His smile spread over his face into a large grin. “That’s one of those things that I’m going to leave unanswered.”

My eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry.”

“Don’t be,” he said with a shake of his head. “Motorcycle clubs are private. They don’t share a lot with outsiders. I understand your curiosity, but simply put, it’s not your business, not yet.”

“I understand.” And I appreciated that he was telling me this without sounding angry or offended that I didn’t already know this.

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