17. Ghost

17

Ghost

“I don’t think Steel would appreciate you starting a war with one of our brothers over her.” Legacy grabs my shoulder, giving it a shake.

He looks at my hand, and I follow his gaze, realizing I pulled a switchblade out of my pocket at some point, and I’m messing with it.

My fingers itch to shove the point through Reaper’s temple for touching Luna’s arm, but I know Legacy is right.

Flipping it closed, I tuck it back in my pocket. “I’m good.”

Legacy hands me another shot, and we clink glasses before draining them. The whiskey slides down my throat, and I try to relax.

I don’t usually drink at parties like this, but with everything going on with Luna, I need to get out of my head. At least the clubhouse is locked down for anyone who isn’t a Twisted King. The perimeter is crawling with prospects, and there’s nothing that will get past a sensor without setting off all our alarms.

Legacy takes my empty glass, handing it to one of the prospects walking by. He hasn’t been partying with us as frequently since his nanny’s been in and out of the hospital with health issues, but Steel’s grandma, Pearl, is watching Bea and Austin tonight because he can’t miss a mixer.

It’s important the entire club is here in a show of support for one of our brothers. Chaos was willing to sacrifice the rest of his life for us. We owe him our thanks, and after he helped me last night, I owe him my life for helping protect Luna.

“I heard you and Luna had some alone time at the club last night.” Legacy takes a sip of his drink. “Care to elaborate?”

I look over to see Chaos and Soul taking another shot. “When are the two of them not running their fucking mouths?”

Legacy laughs. “Never.”

I should have known better than to think a stripper was enough to distract Chaos from noticing what I was up to last night. He might party harder than most of the guys here, but he doesn’t miss a thing.

“Luna was just helping me check for blind spots in the VIP hall,” I lie. “I finally figured out how the Iron Sinners got the drop on us in our own club. They were sending prospects in without their cuts and adjusting the cameras to mirror so we couldn’t see anything.”

“They’re fucking with our shit in our own damn club? I swear I’m going to enjoy watching the life drain from their eyes the second we get our hands on them.” Legacy shakes his head. “But also, don’t think I’m falling for your diversion tactics. Cameras, Ghost, really? Just go talk to her, brother. I don’t need a lecture on all your tech shit. Just admit you like the girl already. Unless…”

He looks up, and I follow his gaze to where Reaper is still talking to Luna. He’s taken a step back, but I still don’t like how he’s smiling at her.

“I’m sure the girl won’t be lonely if you decide to chicken out.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I drag my hand through my hair.

“I’m just fucking with you.” He grabs my shoulder. “But I’m serious. I’ve watched you let life pass by for five years without doing shit about it. You deserve something good.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“This isn’t about me, and it’s not the same. I’ve got Bea, and that’s all the good I need right now. I’m gonna give that little girl the life you and I both deserved growing up. And I’m not bringing anyone else in that could fuck that up for her.”

“I know.” I sigh, feeling guilty about even bringing it up when I know my brother does everything he can to give his daughter the world. “But I’ve got the two of you. Maybe I don’t need shit else either.”

“You do.” Legacy looks over at Luna. “And we both know what that is. It’s okay to let someone in, Ghost. ”

“So she can end up dead?” I grit my teeth. “I’m not risking that with her.”

“She’s in danger with or without you. You know that.”

“She doesn’t need me to make it worse. Them taking her is one thing, but her ending up—” I cut myself off.

I can’t say it. I can’t even think it.

“Her ending up like Paulina?” Legacy finishes my sentence anyway. “I know that’s what this is about, and I can tell you a hundred more times that wasn’t your fault if you need to hear it, but you’re not going to believe it until you see that for yourself.”

“They were sending me a message. It is my fault.”

“They were sending all of us a message. Because that’s what they fucking do. You tried to warn her, and she didn’t listen. She was too busy with that asshole boyfriend and not seeing past his shit.”

“It’s not her fault.”

Legacy frowns, dipping his thumbs in his pockets. “You’re right, just like it’s not yours. This is on the Iron Sinners, no one else. Paulina paid for things we were too young and na?ve to know how to deal with at the time. But things have changed. We’ve changed. That shit’s not happening again. You know I’m right, Marcus.”

It’s rare we call each other by our legal names, especially in the clubhouse. But that’s how I know he’s serious.

Legacy cares. If anyone’s a brother to me, it’s him.

“Maybe.” I look over at him. “But I can’t unlearn that lesson after what they did to her. Paulina might have been fucking the wrong guy, but it was me being her friend that made them do what they did. And I can’t risk that happening with Luna.”

“Whether you like it or not, she’s already in that kind of trouble.” He squeezes my shoulder. “People aren’t as oblivious as you seem to think. If we know how you feel about her, you better believe the Iron Sinners do too. Why else would they send you that text? The second you brought her back from Albuquerque, you showed your hand. She’s tied to you whether you want her to be or not. There’s no point trying to fight it now.”

“I don’t deserve that girl.”

“Maybe she doesn’t deserve you. Have you ever thought about it like that?”

I hitch an eyebrow, and Legacy laughs.

“Just saying, at this point, you don’t have much else to lose.”

“Legacy,” Chaos shouts from across the bar, nearly falling off his barstool.

Two young club girls stand on either side, and I don’t recognize them, so they must be from one of the other clubs. He points to the blonde, knowing she’s Legacy’s type.

“Go. Have fun.”

Legacy grins, starting toward the bar and yelling at me over his shoulder, “You too, brother.”

He disappears, and I head over to Luna, even though I shouldn’t. She hasn’t taken her eyes off me since I stepped into the room, and I’m consumed by her attention .

Reaper spots me coming and dips away to have a drink with Havoc, telling me he’s still pissed at me for giving him a black eye the last time he was in town. I never told him it was because he put his lips on Luna, but if he wasn’t one of Steel’s closest friends, I would have done much worse.

“Making friends?” I stop in front of her.

“You know me.” She smiles, but there’s a challenge behind it.

She wants me to notice.

She wants me to do something about it.

Luna is a magnet for attention. And it’s not just because she’s beautiful. She’s a force like the sun. It’s impossible not to gravitate around her. She makes a damned man feel like his soul is worth saving, and in a club full of bikers who sacrificed theirs for their patch, we’re drawn to that kind of purity.

“I got the video you sent me.” She tries to maintain a stoic expression as she says it, but a blush crawls her cheeks.

“Figured I might not be the only one who wanted to remember it.”

“You were right.”

I know. Because I know her.

She’s dirty and perfect, and if I was the man I was five years ago, I’d be tempted to show her just how much I love that about her.

“Speaking of…” She drains the rest of her drink, setting the empty glass on the bar. “I could use a repeat performance. ”

“We ca—”

“I know.” She rolls her eyes. “We can’t. It’s dangerous. You don’t want me.”

“Never said that last part.”

A smirk ticks in the corner of her mouth. “No, you didn’t, did you?”

“Luna…”

“It’s fine, really.” She slides off the barstool, stepping close. “If you’re going to be a jerk, maybe I’ll just find other company tonight.”

I stop her before she gets the chance to slip away, snaking a hand around her waist and pulling her back to my chest. My other hand tangles in her ponytail as I tip her head back to force her to look up at me.

“You’re not doing that,” I warn her.

Just because I can’t claim her doesn’t mean her body isn’t mine now. I’ve waited over a year to touch her, and now that I have, I’ll be damned if anyone else gets to.

“Want to bet?” Luna wets her lips, tempting me. “I know you want me, Marcus, no matter how much you try to fight it. If it makes you feel better to lie to yourself and say you don’t, that’s fine. You can try to keep your distance. The question is, how long are you going to be able to sit back and watch before you just can’t help yourself?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see.” Luna smiles, but it’s not sweet.

It’s wicked.

Pure sin .

And I have no choice but to let her go, watching her disappear through the crowd before I’m tempted to bend her over and fuck the defiance out of her right here.

I’m still staring off into space, thinking about what she said, when my phone pings. I pull it out of my pocket, expecting movement on the perimeter. But instead, it’s a text.

When I open it, I’m met with a picture of Luna lying back on the bed. She’s still wearing her skintight white gamer T-shirt, but she’s ditched the jeans, and her knees are tipped open with just her hand covering her perfect pussy.

Luna : Since you like to watch…

And that’s when I realize it’s not her bed she’s lying on.

It’s mine.