Page 38 of Undercover Desires

ARABELLA

I slowly jog backup the street, leaning on the front fence to stretch out my tired muscles. Those heels from the club are going to be the death of me. When I’m done stretching, I check the mailbox. The sight of an electricity bill sends a fresh wave of anxiety over me. The early-morning breeze felt invigorating after my run, but now the weight of debt is back.

I know what I need to do—cut Wyatt off. I’m just not sure how to. While I could go to the club and demand Kobe pay up the twenty grand from our contract, I’m hesitant to step back into that chaotic mess. Kobe hasn’t mentioned it again since the other night, and I can’t shake the suspicion that this is precisely what he wants—to wait till I’m desperate and I have to beg for the money, just so he can have something over me. It’s an infuriating thought, and I won’t give him the satisfaction. So, I’ve decided to pretend the night of the auction never happened, and therefore, I don’t have that money to bail me out of trouble.

“Morning,” I hear Hazel’s sing-song voice from behind me, and I jump, even though I know it’s her. My nerves are on edge.

I turn around to greet her and find her dressed in workout gear. “Hey.” I smile, genuinely happy to see her.

“Did you just go for a run?” she asks, eyeing my leggings and sweaty T-shirt.

“Yeah.” I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand. The humidity has my hair sticking to my face. I must look a mess.

“I’m just warming up, and then I’ll do a couple of laps around the block. I didn’t know you like to run in the morning as well. We should go together tomorrow, if you want?”

I smile toward her. “That sounds nice. I leave at seven.” It seems I’ve made myself a new friend, and it surprises me that I’m eager to get to know her better. Not just because she could be useful in digging up dirt on the brothers but because I genuinely like the girl.

“It’s a date.” She smiles back. “Bills?” she asks, looking at the pile of half-open envelopes in my hands.

“Unfortunately. They never stop, do they?”

“Nah. Have you cut off that ex-boyfriend yet?” she asks, her expression more serious this time.

I glance back at her, uncertain about what to say. It’s embarrassing how much I’ve let him take me for granted.

“I’ll take that as a no.” She sighs, clearly disappointed in my failure to take her and her friends’ advice. “Bella, I know I don’t know you all that well, but that guy shouldn’t be letting you pay his rent for him. You need that money for yourself. I don’t know how you’re surviving on your wage from the club, but you won’t be able to forever if you’re paying for him as well. Cut him off.”

“Sometimes it’s more complicated,” I admit, feeling defeated by the situation with Wyatt.

“I get it. Until a few months ago, I was stuck in an arranged marriage, wondering how the hell I could escape my life,” Hazel opens up, her pain still so clear as she shares her own struggle.

“That sounds incredibly complicated,” I respond, sympathizing with her.

She nods. “You have no idea. Anyway, that shit’s dead and buried. Now I have my dream life. That could be you, but you gotta let go of the past,” she encourages me, and I get the impression she really cares.

Dead and buried. Somehow, I don’t think that was an expression; there was too much passion in her eyes when she said it. I know her husband is dead, that’s what the police report said, but the way she said it makes me believe that there was more to it. I study her; she’s young, couldn’t be over twenty-two at the most, and she’s already had one marriage. I don’t envy her. That would be a lot of baggage to be carrying around with you. And from what I can see, she’s gone straight from one dangerous situation to another.

“How did you end up with Jett Rivera? If you don’t mind me asking. You seem like an unlikely couple.”

Hazel laughs lightheartedly. “There’s nothing normal about us. He was my bodyguard. I fell in love with him while we were locked up together.”

“Locked up together?” I ask, curious about how that situation came about.

“My late husband was a cruel man. He lost his shit one night and attacked me so badly I ended up in the ICU. Jett was there right from that night, watching over me as my protector. He made a promise to my brother Ben that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me, and he did everything he could to keep that promise.”

What a nightmare for her. Her story tugs at my heartstrings. How bad must things have been for it to escalate to her ending up in the hospital? “Oh. I’m so sorry, Hazel. That must have been awful.”

“It was,” she agrees, but her tone shifts to one of gratitude. “But that part of my life is over now. The Riveras made sure I was taken care of. They have all been kind of amazing to me and my brother. I know he doesn’t look like it on the outside, but Jett’s a big sweetie.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” I reply, offering a small laugh. “From what I’ve seen, they all look a bit... psycho.” Especially Leo, whom I’ve been intentionally avoiding. The icy glares he gives me across the room at Queen of Hearts are enough to keep me avoiding him. He plays the part of the ringleader well. Unlike his brothers, who attract a lot of attention from the patrons, he keeps to himself.

“That’s just a front. You can’t believe everything you hear, Bella,” her tone sharpens, and I realize I may have just insulted her. She’s protective of the Riveras, and after what she’s told me about their support, I can understand why. It’s a sentiment shared by many of the girls at the club, like Xavier and Shelby. They all view the Riveras as heroes, which I find hard to believe. But they also haven’t shown me anything to suggest they are the men Reader thinks they are.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult them,” I quickly apologize.

“It’s okay. It’s what people think when they don’t know the truth. I get it. I had my doubts about them when I first met them,” she reassures me.

“What’s the truth?”

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