Page 65 of Beautifully Reckless

“She’ll be going ahead with it,” I cut in, and two annoyed stares hit me hard.

Lexi and Andrea.

Abbey just rolls hers.

Back inside the apartment, we’re swarmed again by Lexi and Abbey’s friends, everyone dying to know how the scan went. I hang back, leaning against the kitchen counter with Ayden and Tyler, itching for this interaction to be over.

It’s not that I don’t want Abbey to have this moment with her friends, but we need to get the fuck out of here.

She doesn’t know that yet, so I bite my tongue and give her a little more time with her friends.

“If you ever need somewhere to lay low,” Tyler murmurs beside me, and I glance over to see he’s mimicking my stance. Arms folded over his chest, one ankle crossed over the other. “I’ve got a house at Redfield Lake. It’s across the other side from Griffin’s. It’s quiet. Private. The Marx crew has eyes and their own covert security cameras all around the lake.”

He gives me a one shouldered shrug. “Happy to help, whether it’s for Abbey or something else.”

“Appreciate it.” I nod, understanding why Abbey’s friends mean so much to her.

These people, her people, they’re her family, the way my club is mine.

“You leaving soon?” Ayden asks from my other side, and I glance at him, now so much more of a man than the first time we met years ago.

“I’ve gotta get her out of the city,” I admit, and Ayden nods.

“You’d die for her, right?” he deadpans, stone-faced like anything less simply won’t cut it.

“You know I would.”

He watches me for a long beat, blue eyes scanning mine, looking for a lie. But he nods when he doesn’t find one.

“If anything bad happens to her, it better be because you’re dead and couldn’t stop it.”

I smirk. “It’s always a pleasure, Ayden.”

He grins in response.

There’s always been this push and pull between us, like he wants to hate me but can’t. For a long time, my brother was his worst nightmare. But Ayden knows who I am. He knows I’ll do what it takes to protect those being done wrong by.

Wewatch Abbey and her friends for a bit longer, but then a message comes through from Trunk, notifying me that there’s raid-style activity happening at the local precinct, and shit, I know our time is up.

“Cops are likely to hit this place in the coming hours,” I inform Ayden, and he nods like he’s been expecting it.

I bro-slap him on the shoulder, and offer Tyler a nod before heading for my Angel, who looks so at peace right now surrounded by her friends.

“It’s time to go.”

Her brows shoot up. “Go?”

“Yeah. Just got word the cops are gearing up for a raid. We gotta move, Angel.”

She pales, but it’s Lexi who jumps into action, ordering Rhys to grab Abbey’s bag and urging everyone to say their goodbyes.

One by one, the fellas hug Abbey. I hate every fucking second of it, but I’ll have her to myself soon enough, so I stand a few feet away, arms crossed, glaring daggers at each of them, while forcing myself to remain in place, keeping my fists to myself.

“I’m sorry,” Marcus says as he pulls her in close. “I didn’t mean to be a prick. I’m just worried about you.”

Abbey hugs him back. “Caring isn’t a bad thing, Marcus. I appreciate it.”

They hug again, longer this time, and I grit my teeth and fucking bear it, waiting for Marcus to step the fuck away from her before Jared takes his turn.

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