Page 12 of Rogue’s Reckoning

"I have class in a couple of hours," Willow says, breaking into my thoughts. "I should probably head home soon to change."

Reality intrudes once again. Right. She has a life outside of this bubble we've created. A normal life, with classes and a future that doesn't involve outlaw motorcycle clubs and rival gangs.

"I'll give you a ride," I offer, pushing down the urge to ask her to skip class and stay with me.

As we sip our coffee, a comfortable silence falls between us. But I can see the questions in Willow's eyes, the uncertainty about what last night means for us. I'm not sure I have the answers she's looking for.

"Rogue," she starts, her voice soft, "last night was amazing, but I'm not really sure where we go from here."

I take a deep breath, buying time as I try to figure out how to respond. The smart thing would be to end it now, to tell her it was just a one-time thing. But the thought of never seeing her again, never holding her in my arms, it's more painful than I want to admit.

"I'm not good at this, Willow," I say finally, running a hand through my hair. "Relationships, feelings... it's not something I do. But last night... Fuck, you've got me all twisted up inside."

Her eyes widen at my admission. "So you want to see me again?"

"Yeah." I nod, surprised by how much I mean it. "Yeah, I do. If that's what you want."

The smile that lights up her face is brighter than the sun. She throws her arms around me, pressing a kiss to my lips. "I want that too," she whispers against my mouth.

As I hold her close, breathing in her sweet scent, I know I'm in dangerous territory. But for the first time in years, I find myself not giving a damn about the consequences.

We finish our coffee and I lend Willow one of my smaller t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants to wear home. The sight of her in my clothes does something primal to me, and I have to force myself not to drag her back to bed.

The ride to her apartment is too short. As we pull up outside her building, I'm already dreading letting her go.

"Thank you for last night," Willow says as she climbs off the bike. "And this morning. It was... perfect."

I pull her in for one last kiss, pouring all the things I can't say into it. When we part, we're both breathing heavily.

"I'll call you," I promise.

She nods, a shy smile on her face as she heads into her building. I watch until she disappears from sight, then rev my engine and head towards the clubhouse.

As I ride, my mind races. What the fuck am I doing? Getting involved with Willow is dangerous, not just for me but for her. If the club finds out, if the Hawks find out... Fuck.

But even as these thoughts swirl in my head, I can't bring myself to regret last night. For the first time in years, I felt something real, something pure. And I'm not ready to let that go.

I pull into the clubhouse lot, noticing the tension in the air immediately. Something's up.

Ghost meets me at the door, his face grim. "Where the fuck have you been? We've been trying to reach you all night."

"Had my phone off," I tell him with knitted brows. “What’s up?”

Ghost's eyes narrow, studying me closely. "The Hawks made another move. Hit one of our gun shipments, took out two of our guys."

"Fuck," I growl, my fists clenching. "When?"

"Last night. Around midnight." Ghost pauses, his gaze still suspicious. "Where were you, brother?"

I hesitate for a split second, debating how much to reveal. "I was with the girl. Willow."

Understanding dawns in Ghost's eyes, followed quickly by concern. "Rogue, man... you know how dangerous that is. If Storm finds out?—"

"I know," I cut him off, as it’s obvious Storm didn’t tell him about the order he gave me. "But there's something about her, Ghost. She's different."

Ghost sighs, running a hand over his face. "Just be careful, brother. And get your head in the game. We've got a war brewing."

I nod, pushing thoughts of Willow aside for now. "What's the plan?"

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