Page 28 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

He gave a slow nod and I got the feeling that I’d agreed to something I didn’t know anything about.

Panic gripped me again, but I forced it away. Being Smoke’s pretend old lady... Really, how bad could it be?

A memory filtered through my consciousness of the night Annie had been taken, when I’d stormed through the Knights’ clubhouse. All those men with all those women, having sex right out there in public, for everyone to see.

That was pretty bad.

‘We...uh...we wouldn’t have to do any...public stuff, would we?’ I hated the quiver in my voice. ‘Because, straight up, I’m not doing that.’

That distant look was still on Smoke’s face, and it was like he was pulling away from me, even though he hadn’t moved an inch. I wanted to reach out and grab his arm, pull him back.

‘Don’t worry.’ Even his voice sounded remote. ‘We wouldn’t.’

‘Okay, then.’ I hesitated, then realised what I was doing.

I’d never hesitated in talking to Smoke before. Never, ever.

My throat closed. Things were different. Something had changed.

‘Are we good?’ I had to force myself to say it.

‘Sure, kitten. We’re good.’

But I didn’t miss his own hesitation, and it slid like a sliver of glass under my skin. I opened my mouth to say something, but he’d already turned, jerking his head in the direction of the kerb, where I saw the gleam of chrome in the darkness. His Harley.

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you the plan while I take you home.’

---