Page 35 of Surviving Midnight

“Gotta ask, but that’s the plan.”

“Good.” Prez claps his hands together. “You fuckers take a vote. All in favor of helping our boy Cyclops keep his old lady safe.”

Every one of them, Prez included even though his vote doesn’t count, lift their hands.

“All opposed.”

I roll my eye. There isn’t anyone left to ask.

Smart ass.

“You bring your girl to the wedding, let us meet her, and we’ll make sure she’s protected. In the meantime…” He looks to Spider and Brick. “You two dig up what you can on the Cobras. I’ll get in touch with their president.”

“Thank you.” I sigh and scrub a hand over my face. “I appreciate it, brother.”

“No need.” Prez grins. “I get it. I’d be a raging prick too if someone was threatening my Sofie. We’re a family, Cy, and you’ve had our back when we needed it, we got yours. Always.”

Marbles shoots to his feet and jumps on the table and starts humping the air. “Now go to your woman and let her know what’s up! And don’t come back until she sucks that sour mood right out of you!”

If it were anyone other than Marbles, I’d fucking punch him for that. Oddly enough, that was super tame for him so I just chuckle and head back upstairs.

“See.” Jackal nudges my elbow. “All good.”

That’s what he thinks.

I have a feeling I’m about to get slapped before Theo hands me my ass for disappearing then popping back up over this shit. If she didn’t feel the undeniable spark between us, I wouldn’t be worried, but I know she does, it was obvious when we said goodbye. Theo feels this connection the same as I do and if I’m not careful then I am going to hurt her worse than anyone else can.

And I will gladly burn in hell before I let anyone hurt Blondie, myself included.

CHAPTERSEVEN

ZAK

I waitedseveral hours before I grew the balls to pack a bag and leave the clubhouse. Several fucking hours of freaking out over every worst-case scenario my mind could conjure up before I formed some kind of plan.

I’m going to give Theo a peace offering, one in the form of another dream catcher currently sitting in the box on the passenger seat of my truck, explain to her why I’m showing up at her place with everything I own except my bike, avoid—if I can—telling her why I ghosted after a fantastic night, then drop the bomb that I’m her new roommate until my club can get things sorted with the Cobras. Then I’ll ask her to go to Prez’s wedding with me while pretending we’ve been dating since we first met.

Some fucking plan.

If she says no or slams her door in my face, I’ll just live in her garage until this blows over. Isn’t the worst place I’ve ever lived and at least it’ll be by choice for a good reason.

Theo got home about twenty minutes ago and my chickenshit ass has been white knuckling the steering wheel of my idling truck the entire time, trying to get it together enough to go up to her door.

And it’s allowed for all kinds of shit to run through my mind.

Most notably, how I’ll eventually have to tell her everything about me and not just because we have to keep up appearances. The nightmares will force my hand because maybe I didn’t have a bad one when I stayed before, but it does not mean an indefinite visit will prove to be the same.

Hardly anyone can put up with that shit for an extended period of time, myself included.

With a deep breath, I open the door, walk the three blocks to her building like I’m marching to my execution, set the box on the porch, ring her doorbell and take a few steps back.

I am going to explode.

I very literally think I’m going to explode through my skin and make a huge mess on Theo’s porch. This shit is for the birds, man. Caring about someone so much that it makes you completely crazy… Maybe it would be easier if we were together for real or something, but this in-between shit, especially while I’m trying to do the right thing and not be with her, it’s fucking torture.

Even more so when she opens the door in a huge Rage Against the Machine t-shirt, men’s basketball shorts, tube socks, and no glasses because she’s crying.

Fuck.

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