When I moved inside, at first, all I saw was my brothers gathered around like we were about to have church.
There was just something about their faces—Seth’s, Finn’s, and Brooke’s, in particular—that had me stiffening, wondering what was going on, if I had done something wrong, if I were about to get my ass handed to me in front of everyone.
It was right then that something had me looking away from them.
And that was when my gaze landed on her.
It took me a second.
First, because she looked a little different. We all did. Time had made her dark, wavy hair much longer than when I’d known her, had thinned out her face a bit, but filled out her chest and hips and thighs in all the right ways.
She had on a pair of ripped black jeans—and if I knew anything about her, those pants didn’t come pre-ripped; she’d done the damage herself by doing something crazy—a black t-shirt, and a pair of old, scratched boots.
She was gorgeous.
Fucking unfairly beautiful.
But it also took me a minute because my mind was having a hard time placing her there, in the clubhouse, around my brothers.
I actually breathed out her name almost like I was waiting for someone to correct me, to say it was someone else, that my eyes were playing tricks on me.
“Louana.”
But when a beat or two passed and no one corrected me, “What are you doing here?”
Did my voice sound off? I was pretty sure it did. I felt like all my air had been squeezed out of my fucking chest.
She did that.
She’d always done that.
I guess I figured that the years apart would take that away.
God, how wrong was I.
I didn’t get to mull that shit over for long, though, because there was a sort of dark delight in Louana’s eyes. I knew her well enough to immediately feel my spine straightening.
And that wicked smirk that toyed with those familiar lips of hers? That was familiar too.
And dangerous.
So fucking dangerous.
“I’m prospecting,” she said, dealing the death blow.
“The fuck you are,” I snapped, feeling like she’d struck me. “The fuck she is,” I added, gaze moving over toward Fallon who was watching the interaction with unreadable eyes. But were his lips twitching a little? “We don’t have female members,” I insisted. “Aunt Maze is proof of that,” I added.
“Yeah, man, but that was a long time ago,” Seth, Maze’s son, insisted. “Things have changed. I mean, Fallon is with a former MC president. Equality and all that shit.”
“You’re not going to allow this,” I insisted, keeping my gaze on Fallon because I knew what I would find if I looked back at Lulu. Delight. Pure, undiluted pleasure at my reaction.
“You know what?” Fallon said, and I could tell from the light in his eyes that he’d already made up his mind. “I think I am. Just because it’s going to amuse the shit out of me,” he added, smile big, clearly taking sick pleasure in my discomfort. “Valen, Voss, meet our new prospect—and your new roommate—Louana,” Fallon said, waving toward her. “I trust you’ll make her feel real welcome.”
“Fallon, can I have a word?” I asked, taking a step forward.
“You can give me all the words until you’re blue in the face,” Fallon said, falling into step with me. “It isn’t going to change my mind.”
“Don’t be a dick,” I demanded, watching as he turned to face me, brow raised.
It was right that moment that I was reminded of my position, that I didn’t get to speak to the guy who’d been raised like my close cousin and good friend like he was those things anymore. Because he was more than that. He was my boss now too.
“A lot of shit has changed since you were in town, Valen,” he said, waving around the clubhouse. “But one thing hasn’t. I’m never going to stop being a dick. And for that comment, I’m going to have you be the one to show Louana around. I’ll be checking in with her, too, so don’t try to pawn that shit off on Voss.”
With that, he turned to walk away, but not before I saw the giant fucking grin on his face.
That was it.
There was no one else to appeal to.
This was really happening.
I would not only have to face Louana—something I always knew would be coming, especially since Seth had said he’d run into her and invited her around sometime—but sharing a short, awkward interaction at the grocery store or the bar was one thing. Having to live and work with her day in and day out for weeks or months?
That was a complete fucking other.
At least if it was just a chance encounter at a store or restaurant, there would be no time to really hash up all the old shit. Rip those scars off the wounds and let them bleed out.
Now, though?
Now, I knew there was no way around it.
Taking a deep breath, I turned around to find Louana standing there talking to Seth and Finn.
As if sensing my gaze, her head shifted, her gaze cutting to mine.
The impact damn near sent me back a step.
Not just because she was fucking beautiful.
Oh, no.
Because that look I found in her dark eyes promised me she was going to get me back for what I’d done to her.
And there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do about it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Louana
I put on a good show.
I’d actually practiced my cool, confident, indifferent look in front of the mirror until I was sure it hid any of the other shit that I had beneath it.
Vengeance and bitterness and anger and uncertainty and even a healthy dose of insecurity and fear.
Those were not things I could let any of them at the clubhouse see. First, because I was prospecting. And any weaknesses could and would be used against me. That was just the nature of the beast. Second, because I didn’t want Valen to see anything but indifference and maybe a little dark joy from me.
I wanted him sweating and on his toes, wondering what my next move would be, what I might have up my sleeve.
I’d been to the clubhouse a few times as a kid, but the Henchmen crew was only a distant part of my life, mostly because of my friendships with Layna and Vi, since both their fathers were in the club.
That said, it felt strange being there, all surrounded by guys who I knew, but not really, and some actual strangers, all of whom I was going to pledge to be around for weeks or months until, eventually, I went ahead and dropped out of the running before any patches were handed out.
It was Fallon who came in last, his blue eyes moving over me, and a smirk toying with his lips immediately. Because a guy like Fallon, one with a sister like his, he could guess what was up my sleeve. And he clearly enjoyed it.
I was just starting to talk to him when I heard the other bike rolling up.
It was more than just having Finn and Seth say he was on his way that had me sure it was him.
I swear I just… felt it.
And I was not woo-woo like that. I didn’t believe in any sort of soul mates or order to the universe. But I swear I felt him down to my bones as the bike pulled in, cut off, then as the footsteps got closer to the door.
Then, there he was.
I damn near fled out of the back door before he saw me. That was how affected I felt at seeing him.