Page 260 of Outlaws of Tulsa

“Not open until ten,” Nees says, pointing at the door. “We’ll have to wait.”

Through the glass, a snotty saleswoman ignores us. Not happening. If Mom were here, they’d open the door and let us shop early. I tap on the glass over and over again until she finally makes her way over to us.

“Let us in,” I say through the glass. “We have shit to buy.”

She purses her lips and frowns. “We don’t open until ten, sir.”

“Make an exception.”

“I can’t, sir. Now if you don’t leave, I’ll be forced to call the cops.”

I fish out my wallet and yank out my metal black AMEX card, just one of the many I have under different aliases. One of the perks to being in Koyn’s MC club is that we’re all loaded as fuck. We’ve all got money coming out of our ears because Koyn and Bermuda are geniuses when it comes to computers and funneling money into our coffers.

The woman’s eyes widen in shock. “But, sir…”

“There’s a huge tip waiting for you at the end of this. Just let us the fuck in, woman.”

Cove shoves me away and smiles at her. “I’m going to meet myboyfriend’s parents and I want to look nice. I’m bringing my buddy with me. We need to look expensive. Like we belong and we’re on a time crunch. Can you please help us?”

Of course his angelic charm would do the trick.

She sighs and unlocks the door. “I really shouldn’t be doing this, but I’ll make an exception.”

We all file in and I pull out a wad of hundreds from my wallet. Her eyebrows fly to her hairline.

“Let me know how I can assist,” she says, taking the cash and her smile brightening. “I’m happy to help.”

Cove

Boyfriend.

Ugh. I hate that I even had to play along.

We’re fuck buddies at best. Not boyfriends. Dragon wouldn’t know what to do with a boyfriend. Sure, in the bedroom, he’d do more than just fine, but he’s too much of a lunatic to be in an actual relationship with someone.

Keep telling yourself that…

I’m annoyed at the way my heart squeezed when he’d announced that I was his boyfriend in front of everyone earlier. I want to hate him with every fiber of my being, but he makes it so damn hard.

Literally.

Every time I think I have myself convinced I can keep my distance from him, he does something to draw me back into his seductive world. His mouth is magical and his touch is perfection. Sleeping curled up against him was a fantasy come to life.

It’s when he speaks that he ruins everything.

Always running his mouth and saying the wrong thing.

Not to mention, he’s a bloodthirsty psychopath.

“This way?” Filter asks, pointing at the exit on the highway.

Dragon nods, the movement clipped and sharp. His hand is fisted, resting on the center console, knuckles white. I think he’s nervous about being so close to home. My own mother diedwhen I was a baby, so I don’t remember much of her. Grandma and Stormy took on the motherly role in my life. But if I had a chance to see my mother again, I’d absolutely take it. It must be hard on Dragon to get so close and not be able to see his mom or family.

An ache forms in my gut. I’m supposed to be mad at him for making me try on every goddamn outfit at the shop earlier, but I’m not. I can’t be. Not when he seems so vulnerable right now. This is what makes everything confusing with Dragon. If he could just remain a dickheaded monster all the time, I would be able to keep my distance. But the more I get to know him, the more normal he becomes.

And I like this side of him.

The layers I’m peeling off reveal someone real. So real.

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