Page 129 of Cold Hard Truth

“You sure about this?” I ask her.

She grips my cut and pulls me closer, lifting onto her toes to kiss me. “You better not change your mind now; the house is finally almost ready.”

Lyla’s been busy remodeling my dad’s old house. She didn’t want to move into Kane’s—said it reminded her too much of Ellie and all the things she’s lost. She said she wanted to hold onto the good. The reasons we were sticking around.

We’re building something new, and it feels right with her.

“I’m not changing my mind.” I run my fingers into the back of her hair and tip her face up so I can kiss her deeper.

She melts for me, and it’s the sexiest thing.

This girl was made for me. She fits in my hands like she doesn’t belong anywhere else. She’s my strength, my weakness. She finds me when I’m lost and guides my way.

I don’t know how I survived without her.

A knock at the front door has her pulling herself off me, and I groan.

“Ignore them.”

“Can’t.” She smiles, but there’s something devious in her gaze.

“What did you do?”

Lyla takes a step back, still holding my hand as she smirks at me. “Who says I did anything?”

“Everyone who has ever known you,” I point out. “You’re always up to something.”

“And you love that about me.” She winks.

I do, even though I’m certain that someday this girl is going to be the death of me.

Lyla makes her way to the front door, and when she swings it open, the entire Twisted Roses group walks through it. The shop doesn’t close for another thirty minutes, but I should have known better.

Jude grins as he walks up to me, slapping my hand and pulling me in for a hug.

“You guys made it.”

“You thought we’d miss this shit?” He smacks me on the chest where my vice-president patch sits. “You sure Blaze isn’t smoking too much of his own stash, thinking it’s a good idea to give you this.”

“He probably is.” I shrug.

“Figured.” Jude glances me over, nodding. “But still, it feels right for you, man. I mean that. I think you’ll do some good around here, and they’ve needed it.”

“That’s the plan.”

Tonight is the official ceremony, but I’ve already been carrying my VP duties for a little over a month. It’s been a disaster between losing the club to the attack and the traitors. Blaze has had to rebuild the ranks, and I’m running on barely any sleep.

From what Steel says, things aren’t much better in Vegas.

But the Twisted Kings always meet a challenge when they’re tested, and this is no different.

We’re smaller, but stronger. And soon, we’ll be a bigger force than we were before.

The only downside is that it splits my time with the shop, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. At least Mason has been stepping up and picking up the slack. He’s been on his own and absolutely killing it.

At first, the team was weary about my decision, but they’ve slowly come around. Lyla worked her magic with her words and helped them understand I hadn’t lost my mind when I decided to officially patch in.

I assured Jude, Crew, and Echo that club business won’t go anywhere near the shop. Even if Blaze and I have plans to turn the Twisted Kings down more legal revenue streams instead of drug and gun trades, the tattoo parlor won’t be involved.

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