Page 42 of Hard as Stone
“I want you to be straight with me. Can you handle this?”
My phone buzzes. This time it’s Poppy.
Poppy
Can you meet me? Just for a minute. There’s something I need to ask you before tonight.
My heart kicks against my ribs as Stone’s voice cuts through the blood pumping in my ears. “That her?”
When I nod, his expression turns serious.
“You’re thinking of making her your old lady, aren’t you?”
I meet his gaze steadily. “Been thinking about it since the first time I saw her.”
“Christ.” He drags a hand down his face. “You love this girl?”
“Yeah.” No hesitation. No doubt.
“Then remember what matters tonight. Your loyalty is to the club first. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be ready to catch her when her whole world falls apart.” He claps my shoulder as he stands. “Because one way or another, after we expose her father, nothing’s gonna be the same for her.”
The truth of that settles heavy in my gut as I type back.
Axel
Where?
Her reply comes instantly.
Poppy
Meet me in the west wing before the meeting starts. I need to see you.
I glance at the time. The meeting begins in thirty minutes, giving us a small window. I know city hall well enough—the west wing houses old conference rooms that rarely get used now that most meetings happen in the main chamber.
“Don’t be late,” Stone calls after me as I head out.
The parking lot is already filling up when I arrive. I spot the Bennett’s work truck tucked between a couple of Summit’s shiny SUVs and scan the area as I shrug out of my cut, stowing it in my saddlebags. My fingers fumble with the tie, remembering howPoppy’s hands felt the last time she helped me with it, her touch lingering against my throat. Seems like a lifetime ago now.
Inside, the main lobby is crowded with people filing toward the chamber. I keep my head down as I pass Bennett and his boys huddled with some Summit suits near the refreshment table, their voices too low for me to catch anything they’re saying as I pass by. My hands itch to wrap around Bennett’s throat, but I force myself to keep moving.
I find her pacing the corridor, wearing a simple pair of black pants and a pastel yellow blouse that makes her look both beautiful and somehow vulnerable. She spins when she hears my boots on the tile.
“Hey, trouble.”
“Axel.” My name comes out as a cry as she rushes to me.
Then she’s in my arms, pressing herself against me like she’s trying to crawl inside my skin. I hold her tight, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo mixed with summer sweat.
“You OK?” I ask against her hair.
She nods but doesn’t let go. “I just... I needed to see you. Before whatever happens tonight.”
I pull back enough to see her face. There are shadows under her eyes, tension in every line of her body. “What’s going on, Poppy?”
“I don’t know.” Her brow furrows. “Dad’s been acting weird. Weirder than usual. Late-night calls that seem really tense, watching me like he thinks I’m going to run. And my brothers...” She swallows hard. “They keep telling me to trust Dad, that he knows what he’s doing, but something feels wrong.”
My gut churns with guilt.
