Page 28 of Single Mom's Bikers

“I know everything.” She softens slightly. “I’m not judging. Just worried. One brother would be dangerous enough. But all three?”

“It’s not like that.”

“No?” She closes her laptop. “The oldest watches you like a hawk. The artist doesn’t take his eyes from the window. And the youngest? He’s at your girls’ school more than some of the teachers.”

She’s not wrong. Rick’s kisses still burn on my lips. Zane’s touch lingers from yesterday. And tonight, Chase will cover Luca’s name with something new.

“They’re good men.”

“They’re criminals too.” Rose stands. “Different kind than Luca, maybe. But still dangerous.”

“They protect people.”

“Until they can’t.” She heads for the door. “Just…be careful. Remember why we chose Wolf Pike. The Cross brothers are perfect neighbors because they’re dangerous enough to keep Luca away. Don’t complicate that.”

After she leaves, I stand at my kitchen window. From here, I can see their house—my dangerous neighbors with their tattoos and motorcycles, their gentle hands with my daughters, and their hungry eyes when they think I’m not looking.

My phone buzzes. Chase:“Tonight. 8pm. After hours.”

Something warm unfurls in my stomach. In twelve hours, his hands will be on my skin, erasing Luca’s mark. Making me his.

No, I correct myself. Making me theirs.

Rose is right. I’m playing with fire.

But as I head to work, I can’t help thinking—maybe it’s time to burn.

Shadows stretch across hardwood floors, and the usual buzz of machines is replaced by silence. My heels echo as I walk to Chase’s private studio.

He’s waiting. The machine is already set up, and the phoenix design I approved earlier lies ready on his table. While all ofChase’s designs are gorgeous, the phoenix is the one that truly captures what I want this piece to represent—my future with my girls, rising up from the ashes of my past.

The look in his eyes stops me in the doorway—hungry, focused, like I’m already naked.

“Ready?” His voice comes out rough.

I touch Luca’s name on my collarbone. After tonight, this last trace of him will be gone. “Yes.”

“Strip.”

The command sends heat straight through me. When I reach for my blouse buttons, his eyes track every movement.

“The chair’s set up.” He turns to adjust his inks, giving me the privacy I don’t really want, not after the shows I’ve been putting on.

The leather is cool against my skin as I settle in the chair. Chase turns back, and the way he bites his lower lips tells me the lace bra was a good choice.

“Comfortable?” He pulls his stool closer. The first touch of his latex-covered fingers makes me shiver.

“Getting there.”

He starts with the numbing cream, but every brush of his hands feels like fire. I watch his face as he works, the concentration in his eyes.

“Hold still.” The machine buzzes to life. “This part’s gonna hurt.”

But pain’s the last thing on my mind as he begins. Each touch of the needle sends electricity through my body. His free hand, splayed on my shoulder, burns hotter than the machine.

“We all watched you last night.”

The words come so casually that I almost miss them. Almost.

---