Page 98 of Such a Good Girl

“Your name isn’t even Rosie? Fucking hell. Is there anything real about you?”

I paused for a second too long, trying to decide what to say. Rian shook his head in disbelief.

“It’s the murders, right? I have a friend who told us there’s a case file on us.”

“Yeah,” I admitted, hoping honesty would get him to cooperate with me. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to betray anyone. I’m just doing my job.”

“I get it,” he said. “Damn, poor West, though. He’s really fucking got it bad for you.”

“I have feelings for West, too,” I admitted. “Those are real.”

“Are they? That’s good. I hope that they really are, because you’ve been good for West. I’ve never seen him this happy before. Theo’s gonna lose his goddamned mind, though.”

“Do we have to tell him?”

“Well, I don’t know if I can keep a secret from either of them for very long. They can read me like a book. But, fuck. I’d like to help you out, purely for West’s benefit. You know…the club itself could use a PI sometimes. Maybe you should consider that? In any event, you should definitely think long and hard about what all this will do to West. He’s a good man. He deserves a good woman. Is that you?”

He walked away, leaving me sitting in my car with my heart in my throat.

What the fuck was I doing?

ChapterThirty-Four

WEST

Theo and I looked out over Topanga Canyon. We’d hiked up to talk about the club’s scheduled events, but it ended up turning into an impromptu therapy session with the sun beating down on our backs.

“It’s getting serious, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Kaylee? Yeah, man, I think it is. I told her I loved her.”

“Damn, dude.”

“I know. Fucking crazy and unexpected, but she’s so awesome. She’s really good for me. I feel peaceful around her.”

“You took her to the temple, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. I wasn’t sure how he would take that. I didn’t ask for permission. That was against the rules. I expected him to lay into me.

“You sure changed your tune fast. What happened to not settling down and fucking every woman in sight?”

“Kaylee happened,” I said, growing quiet as I stared out at the view. I found myself wishing she was here with me to share it. I shook my head, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “It’s doomed, though.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of my fucking life, man. Look how they’re attacking her already! Those fucking memes and TikToks? Why the hell are people so evil?”

“Because they’re jealous. It comes with the territory, you know that, West. This is your life.”

“I know. I just don’t know if Kaylee is cut out for it.”

“She punched that pap like a fucking champ,” he laughed. I couldn’t help but join in.

“Hell, yeah, she did.”

“Everything will be okay, man,” Theo said.

“I just don’t know what to do about it.

---