“Ugh.” Amanda elbows me. “Ravage told me they’re opening a second clubhouse in Empire just so we don’t have to suffer through these boring mom and dad fiestas.” She rocks her hips in a slow circle. “Get down to business without the judgy looks from the ol’ ladies.”
“Give it time,” I mutter, searching the room again. Still no sign of Grayson. This party was supposed to be for him, right? Maybe he already found his bunny for the night and went upstairs.
“Serena?” a husky female voice says behind me.
My whole body freezes.
I turn and breathe a sigh of relief. “Lilly. Hey.”
She yanks me in for a warm hug. Stunned, I stand there like a mannequin for a few seconds before finally returning the embrace.
“How have you been?” she asks, pulling away. Her curious eyes study me like I’m a bird who wandered too far from the nest and finally returned.
“Good.” I tuck my hair behind my ear and find some steel for my spine. “I hear Z’s still running Downstate?”
“He is.”
As if Z heard us talking about him, he walks up behind Lilly and slings his arm around her shoulders. He pulls her to his side and kisses her cheek before flashing a genuine smile my way. “Hey, Serena.”
“Hi, Z.” I wring my hands together in front of me. I’ve practiced this in my head a few times but I’m not sure I can get the words out. “I never, uh, thanked you for, uh, protecting me from Shadow,” I say in a rush, before my courage slips away. “Thank you.”
His face softens for a second before a cold glint enters his eyes. “Don’t thank me. And don’t worry about him. He won’t show his face here.”
I’m not sure how to respond, so I just nod quickly. The fact he and his wife even acknowledged my presence is too strange to process. Z’s an MC president. Stooping to talk to a lowly club girl seems abnormal.
Former club girl.
But before I left, Lilly had been really nice to me. She’d given me a few responsibilities around the clubhouse and I’d helped her figure out how to deal with some of the pushier club girls. She’d been kind and hadn’t judged when Shadow roughed me up.
I open my mouth but can’t work up the courage to ask them about Grayson directly. What would I say? “My new patient has a Lost Kings MC tat. So here I am to play psycho-stalker.” That wouldn’t sound bonkers or anything.
Rooster bumps Z’s shoulder and leans over to say something against his ear. Z nods.
“See you later, Serena.” Lilly waves at me as Z pulls her away.
“Long time, Serena.” Rooster dips his chin in acknowledgment. He squeezes a short, curvy blonde to his side. “This is my ol’ lady, Shelby. I don’t think you two ever met.”
She looks familiar but I don’t think it’s from hanging out at the clubhouse together. “Hi, Shelby.”
She tucks closer to Rooster. Can’t blame her. She probably assumes I’ve banged him at some point.
I hate this. Why’d I come back here?
“Serena. That’s a pretty name,” she says in a soft Southern drawl I can barely make out above the noise.
“Thanks.” I study her again. Is she already wearing Rooster’s property patch? Wow, guess I have been out of the loop for a while.
“Serena.” Jigsaw’s gravelly voice draws my attention.
“Jiggy!” I smile up at him and he leans in to give me a quick hello hug.
His severe expression transforms into a smile as he pulls away. “Haven’t seen you in a while. You doing okay?”
The concern in his voice wraps around my throat and squeezes. “I’m good,” I croak. “I finished school.” He’d always encouraged me to stay in school and get my degree.
“Good.” He smiles even wider. “Glad to hear it.”
“Hey, Jiggy,” Amanda says. “I’m good, too, in case you were wondering.”
He flashes a tight smile without taking his eyes off me. “I know.”
“How are you?” I tap his arm with the back of my hand. “I heard you’ve been out on the road a lot.”
“I was.” He tilts his head toward Rooster and Shelby. “I helped him out while Shelby was on tour—”
“Serena? What are you doing here?” I instantly recognize the raspy voice. My heart races.
Firm fingers wrap around my upper arm, gently tugging. I peer into Grayson’s surprised stare, concern etched in every line of his face. My lips part but I can’t form an answer.
He’s here.
He found me.
“Grinder, you two know each other?” Jigsaw asks.
Grinder. His road name. It fits. I can easily picture him grinding his enemies to dust with his powerful hands. Especially with the way he’s currently scowling at Jigsaw.
“Yeah, we know each other,” he answers in a gruff tone. He slips a possessive arm around my shoulders and pulls me against his side. “She’s with me.”