Page 63 of Property of Anchor

I glanced over at her.“You were here before all that?”

She nodded.“Before most of you were even patched in.Before this became more show than sanctuary.”

Her words hit something old in my chest.“I didn’t know you were ever here.”

She gave me a sideways glance.“There’s a lot you don’t know, Anchor.But I see more than you think.”

I waited and sensed there was more behind that stare.

She looked back at the lake.“You’re asking the wrong questions, biker boy.”

I stiffened.“What questions should I be asking?”

She squinted at the water like it held answers.“Sometimes the dead come back just to remind us we buried the wrong man.”

A chill rolled down my spine, and I didn’t even try to hide it.“You care to explain that?”

Bernice didn’t look at me.“Nope.”

She started down the path toward her cabin, one slow step at a time.

“Bernice—”

She paused.“Watch your girl, Anchor.She’s got good instincts, but even the smart ones get surprised.”

Then she kept walking.Her steps were steady, but the air around her felt heavy with more secrets than she’d let on.

I stood there a moment longer and stared out at the lake like it might explain what the hell she meant.But it didn’t.

I headed up the steps into the haunted house.

Pearl was crouched beside a paint tray, hammering the lid onto a can like it had personally offended her.A smear of dried paint ran up her thigh, and she had a small brush tucked behind one ear.Her light white shirt was speckled with drops, and her cutoff shorts clung to her curves in a way that had my throat going dry.

Lost was sitting on the bottom stair of the grand staircase, legs stretched out, looking completely relaxed.

“Everything good today?”I asked.

Lost gave me a lazy grin.“Your ol’ lady put me to work again, Anchor.Ain’t enough I got the whole club riding my ass; now I got her cracking the whip, too.”

I smirked and clapped him on the shoulder.“Welcome to the real world, prospect.Think of it as cross-training.”

Lost rolled his eyes, but he stood.“You got her from here?”

“Yeah.Go eat something.”

He gave Pearl a mock salute and ducked out the door.

I turned back to her.We were about ten feet apart, and for a second, neither of us said anything.Then she stood up, brushed her hands on her shorts, and smiled at me.

“Time for me to do some work for you again?”I asked and stepped closer.

She tilted her head back playfully when I was about a foot away from her.“Always.”

That was all it took.

I closed the distance and pulled her into my arms.She let out a happy squeal, and I swallowed the sound with a kiss.Her mouth opened for me like she’d been waiting all day for this, and damn if I hadn’t been too.

When we finally came up for air, we were both panting.

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