Page 51 of Decoding Morse

I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe Idaho will be safer since any contract killers will be looking for me here. I probably need to talk to Morse about it, but I have a feeling he’ll be avoiding me again.”

Planting her chin in her hands, she considered the problem. “Tell me more about this ol’ lady get-together Carly invited you to.”

16

Morse

IKNEW I was in trouble when Amelia emerged from her room Friday afternoon wearing ass-hugging jeans and a forest green V-neck sweater that showcased her perfect tits. With Thia and Morgan in tow, she marched downstairs—her limp almost imperceptible—and, to my absolute horror, joined the ol’ ladies gathering in the common area. I stared at the screen, greedily gobbling up every detail of her appearance even as I prayed this was a fucking dream. Amelia couldn’t hit it off with the ol’ ladies. The instant they realized how amazing she was, they’d adopt her and never let her leave.

And I needed Amelia to go home.

The club was my refuge—my fortress of solitude—and her presence was too distracting. Too fucking enticing. The doctor’s appointment had shown me exactly how little self-control I had around her. How the hell could I resist her if she integrated with my people?

Carly said something that made Amelia laugh. The two embraced, and introductions were made as more ol’ ladiesjoined in. I watched, helpless, as they circled the wagons around her, unable to look away. God, she was so fucking beautiful. An oasis in the middle of the desert. A ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.

Hell, she could have been the blazing sun, burning my goddamn retinas, and I wouldn’t have been able to tear my gaze away.

“You’re just a friend, dumbass.Ted’sold friend,” I muttered beneath my breath.

“Huh?” Hound asked. He was in the security room running maintenance on the servers we’d purchased to bring in additional funds by hosting websites. He stopped what he was doing to follow my gaze, chuckled, and shook his head. Hound was married to my cousin, Mila, who we watched pull Amelia in for a hug. “You’re in for it now, brother.”

Two Amelias together could lead to nothing but trouble. The two started gabbing like old friends as I tried to read their lips, annoyed that I couldn’t hear their conversation over the music and chatter of the common room. Mila had also escaped from the cult we’d grown up in, reinvented herself, and was surviving on her own until a situation with a stalker brought her to Seattle. I was glad she was here and safe now, but I sure as shit didn’t want her taking Amelia under her wing. Who knew what sort of secrets my crazy cousin would spill?

The ol’ ladies meeting got underway, with Emily holding court at the head of the sofas, giving her weekly update on their non-profit organization, Ladies First. After the meeting, the women resumed chatting, and I watched as Mila called Emily over to speak with Amelia. I couldn’t make out a damn word that was said, but when Amelia finished speaking, Emily grabbed her hand and marched her out of the room. I tracked their progress, dread mounting in my stomach as they disappeared behind the door to Link’s office.

They were in there for twenty-three minutes, and three-point-five seconds after they walked out of his office, I got a phone call from the prez.

“Get your ass in here. Now.” Link disconnected the call before I could respond.

Ignoring Hound’s knowing smirk, I stood, locking my computer before heading down the hall. Link’s door was open, so I tapped on it twice before pushing it open to find the prez pacing the space beside his desk like a caged lion. He stopped to look me over and frowned.

“You look like shit. You sleepin’?”

Unsurprised by his blunt observation, I shook my head. “Not really.” How could I with Amelia down the hall? The few hours I had managed to catch had been riddled with visions of the kiss we’d shared and tormented dreams of Ted coming back to beat my ass and reclaim his woman. I was fucking drowning in guilt, shame, and desire, and I didn’t know what the hell to do about any of it. “Got a lot on my mind.”

Link gestured for me to take a seat as he circled his desk and folded himself into his chair. “You need to talk to Sage?”

Probably, but I sure as hell didn’t want to. Sage always saw through the bullshit and forced me to find solutions to my problems, and I wasn’t ready to solve anything yet. Didn’t know that I ever would be.

“I’m good for now.”

Link’s frown deepened. “I never pegged you for a coward, Morse.”

I frowned right back. “That’s because I’m not. What the fuck, Prez?”

“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Then why the fuck are you avoiding Amelia?”

I tensed. Had she come in here to rat me out? “She told you that?”

“Not in so many words, but I can read between the lines. What’s going on with you? What the fuck are you afraid of, brother?”

“It’s not fear. It’s….” Flustered, I shook my head and tried again. “What I want from Amelia is wrong on so many levels. Ted was—” I struggled to find the right words only to be cut short by Link.

“Ted? The dead husband?”

I ground my teeth, refusing to let him rankle me even though he was sure trying. “Yes. Her dead husband.”

The words didn’t cut nearly as deep as they had in the doctor’s office. Did that mean I was finally turning into the kind of heartless bastard who could claim a woman I had no business being with? Was that the sort of man I wanted to be?

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