Page 13 of Covert
I choke out a disbelieving cough. There will be no children. I'm not even sure I want to sleep with him, or if he wants to sleep with me. There's a long and winding road between interest and hopping into bed with a stranger.
I've been feeling good at the shop, even with Beckett's wary gaze and Axel's flirting and Maddox's grumpiness.
Leana knew about Diesel from when he'd come in with some of the MC friends for piercings. She approves of him, generally, but admits she doesn't know him really well. So this idea of some sort of happily-ever-after with a man I literally just met is a bit far. But deep down, Leana's a hopeless romantic who just hasn't found her person yet.
"There will be no babies, no... whatever you're imagining. I don't date. I don't do anything long-term," I insist, and a little quieter, add, "You know that."
She sits back and takes in her work, looking just a little bit sadder. "I know, babe. But I can want good things for my friend, can't I?"
Chastised, I pucker my lips, indicating for her to get on with the lipstick.
An hour later, Leana's red antique mustang rolls to a stop outside a gate. I feel uncomfortable. My lips feel weird with the lipstick on, my eyes feel heavy with liner and makeup. I feel like I'm wearing way too much. I might need to find a bathroom and take it off when we get there. I wore the same a-line dress, but in black, and added fishnets and a pair of black ankle boots. I insisted, again, that I wasn't interested in anything with him, and even dropped that maybe she could date him. She's got stability I lack.
But I won't lie when a little part of me flinched thinking about him and her together.
Whatever. Nothing's made to last.
We'll go, congratulate him, maybe drink, have a good time, and then leave before shit gets crazy. I'm not interested in having group sex or getting drunk and waking up someone's old lady.
A man wearing black tactical gear with a rifle slides up to Leana's window.
"You ladies lost?"
I lean across the console. "Scar and Diesel invited us for his patching-in? We're Leana and Nikki."
Understanding crossed the man's face. "Ah, you're Diesel's girl." I fight back a cringe. What the fuck is he doing telling people I am his girl? I hate the thought that we're going to have a conversation tonight that he isn't going to like. Maybe I'm sending him mixed signals. I came for the attention. For the moment, to feel like a girl again, to do something outside of my comfort zone. But am I sending him the wrong message by showing up tonight?
I'll be honest, I don't know what I want. He's absolutely attractive in that MC MMC ruggedly handsome but secretly sweet way. But I need to set things straight with him. We can flirt and make out a bit, but it can't go any further than that. Or, that if it does, he knows it's just for fun. A temporary fling with a book boyfriend lookalike. I'm sure he'd be okay with that.
Leana, however, giggles. I roll my eyes. That is, until the guard finishes. "Wouldn't have pegged you for Diesel's type, but whatever," he says with a lazy shrug.
The fuck?
I smack her thigh with the back of my hand while the proby opens the gate for us. "You're goth, you're not supposed to giggle."
She gasps in mock offense. "I'm not goth! I'm retro-biker-chic."
I smile. I appreciate that I can never offend her.
"Whatever. Just drive."
We park in the grass next to a handful of other cars in the makeshift parking lot.
The "clubhouse" is an old brick school with three stories, and a few of the windows have cracks in them.
There must be a hundred vehicles here, between cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I imagine Diesel driving a bike, and it makes me smile.
We get out and look out at the huge side yard, full of benches, picnic tables, and folding chairs. Music's playing loudly, and people mingle, already drinking. A fire pit surrounded by a low wall of bricks throws embers into the air. I blanch at the sheer number of people, but Leana bounces on her toes with excitement.
I reach into the back seat and pull the bottle of whiskey we bought for Diesel out from the back.
"Ugh, how are we going to find him with so many people?" I'm dragging my feet. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. We don't know these people. We don't know if we can trust them. Leana doesn't suffer from my insecurities, so she wraps her arm through my elbow and tugs me towards the party.
It doesn't take me long to spot Scar, surrounded by a throng of people. I tug Leanna towards him, hoping he can point us in the direction of Diesel so we can make a quick getaway.
Scar's taller than the men around him, so he spots us as we approach.
"Liberty! There you are!" The throng of men clad in black leather and jeans spins to stare at us and parts so Scar can get to us. Half a dozen sets of eyes take us in, judging, wondering who the hell we are.
