Page 59 of Declan

So I kiss her.

Not soft. Not sweet. Deep and consuming, like I’m pulling her back to me with my mouth. Her fingers dig into my shoulders, and when I pull back, she’s breathless.

“You always use kisses to win arguments?”

“Only when they work.”

She narrows her eyes, but her lips twitch.

“I’ll be back before you wake up Sunday,” I promise. “We’ll do brunch. You can wear nothing but my shirt and make me pancakes this time.”

“You’re lucky I like you,” she mutters.

I grin. “Don’t I fucking know it.”

She curls back into me, letting it go for now. I hold her tighter than I should, my mind already spinning with what I have to do tomorrow night.

Because keeping her means keeping her in the dark when it comes to the club.

I just hope she understands what happens there, stays there.

Chapter 17

Lena

Work is slow today, and I’m beyond grateful for it because I’ve done nothing but daydream since I walked in.

Leaving Declan’s this morning felt like leaving a piece of myself behind. Every step away from his house was heavier than the last. I wanted to stay wrapped around him, wrapped in that hazy warmth we created together. But real life doesn’t stop for morning-after bliss. I still have a job. And I need to go home and pack a bag for the weekend.

Wearing Declan’s shirt all day is like a security blanket, but I want to feel sexy for him. Desired. I want to make his jaw drop when I walk into the room.

I lean against the counter and stare out the window at the bright, cloudless sky. It feels like the sun is finally shining after a never-ending storm. Not just in the literal sense, but inside me too. Everything feels lighter. Clearer.

Now that Declan and I are, whatever this is, I can breathe better. Like the air around me has changed. It’s cleaner, softer. I hadn’t realized how much pressure I was carrying until it was gone. Until he kissed me like I was the only thing that mattered and told me I was his.

And this weekend? I’ve been looking forward to it since he said the words. I know he has club business to handle, and while I’d like to pretend I don’t care, I do. He forgets that my brother is a Shattered Soul too. I know how the club works. Maybe not the fine print, but enough. I know there are secrets, and I know I’m not allowed into that world.

I’m not naïve. I know Twisted Souls brings in money, and I think that’s the extent of it. But there’s this nagging feeling in my chest, like I’m only seeing the surface of something much deeper. It’s hard for me, being left in the dark. I’ve felt that way for a long time. First with Wesley, now it’ll be with Declan.

Still, if being with Declan means learning to live with locked doors and half-truths, then that’s the price I’m willing to pay. A small one, honestly, compared to what I get in return.

The bell above the door rings, yanking me from my thoughts.

“Hey, Dee,” I say, smiling as my relief walks in.

We talk for a few minutes about how slow the day’s been before I grab my things and all but run out the door. I’m off for the whole weekend and plan on enjoying every damn second of it.

As I walk home, my stomach knots. Jeanne. I’d almost forgotten. Seeing her is going to stir up emotions I haven’t quite settled yet. I shouldn’t be upset that she and Wesley hooked up. I really have no right. But that doesn’t stop the flare of jealousy and protectiveness that burns in my chest.

Jeanne and Wesley both sleep around; that much I’ve always known. It’s not about that. It’s about them together. It feels like my two worlds are colliding in a way I wasn’t prepared for. And more than anything, I don’t want this to blow up and leave me standing in the middle of the fallout.

When I push open the door to our apartment, music is blasting through the speakers. Jeanne is cleaning, which means we’re in full dance party mode, an unspoken rule in our home. Cleaning always comes with loud music and bad dance moves. It’s how we’ve survived breakups, bad days, and hangovers.

“Hey!” I shout over the beat.

She spins around, clutching her chest like I just gave her a heart attack. “Jesus, Lee! You scared the shit outta me.”

I cross my arms, heart racing for a different reason now. “You slept with Wesley?”

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