“How about we all pray?” Willa said fervently.
She was so upset over the pictures that the actual kiss didn’t register until she was about to go to bed. Could it be that Lucky was as attracted to her as she was to him? A spark of hope was lit deep inside.
Willa sat down on the side of her bed, stunned at the thought. Maybe her life was going to make a change for the better.
“It certainly couldn’t get any worse.” Willa wanted to take the sentence back as soon as she uttered it. She had learned long ago never to tempt fate. Even the Devil would laugh at her believing Lucky was attracted to her.
“Miracles happen.” Willa fell back against her bed, staring up at the ceiling as a fragile hope began to grow. Maybe, just maybe … all her prayers were about to be answered.
Chapter 9
Lucky found Viper in the kitchen, sharing a bottle of whiskey with Shade.
“I need to talk to you.”
Viper used his foot to push a chair away from the table. “Take a seat.”
Lucky sat down at the table.
“You need me to leave?” Shade asked, lifting the bottle as he began to stand.
“Stay.” Lucky reached for an empty glass, raising it for Shade to fill, and the enforcer lifted a brow as he filled it.
“What’s up?” Viper asked, motioning for Shade to refill his glass, too.
“I want to go to Ohio for a while.”
“Why?”
“With Moon here, there really isn’t anyone to keep the brothers in Ohio in check. I can stay there until Moon comes back. Besides, I’m ready to leave Treepoint, been here too long as it is.”
“You’re needed here. It’s been nice to have all the club business off my shoulders.”
“Moon is just as good. If any trouble comes down, I’m only a few hours’ ride away.”
“You’ve made your mind up?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I won’t stop you. I was going to send Train, but he doesn’t want to leave.”
“This solves both of our problems, then.”
“What problem of yours does it solve?” Shade butted in.
Shade wasn’t going to trick him into revealing more than he intended, though.
“Me wanting to dust off Treepoint.”
“Lily’s going to miss you.” Shade lifted his half-filled glass, drinking it in one swallow before placing it back on the table.
“I’m not Lily’s pastor anymore. She needs to find someone else to get spiritual guidance from. I’m certainly not the one to give it to her anymore. I never was.” Lucky stood, the chair scraping against the floor.
Stori and Bliss came into the kitchen.
“Going to Ohio in the morning,” he told them. “You girls want to be the ones to give me a send-off?”
“Hell yes.” Stori eagerly twined her arms around his neck.
“You’re leaving?” Bliss’s quiet sentence had Lucky putting an arm around her, drawing her close to his side.
“For a few months.”
Bliss shrugged his arm off. “Train’s waiting for me in the other room. I’ll ask Raci if she wants to join your party.”
Surprised, Lucky watched as Bliss went back into the other room.
“What has her so pissed?” Lucky asked the others in the room. “Since when has she ever cared about anyone but Shade?”
“Don’t know, but I’ll ask her later. We still partying?” Stori’s hand went playfully to his belt buckle.
“What do you think?” Lucky started toward the basement door with Stori still attached to his side.
“Send Raci downstairs,” Lucky told Viper and Shade.
“Will do.” Viper lifted his glass toward him. “Have fun.”
A knife went through his heart at hearing the same words he had given Willa earlier in the night, and Shade’s perceptive gaze didn’t miss the flinch.
“I always do.” His hand lowered to Stori’s ass. “Always, brother.”
*
Lucky stood up, covered in a fine sheen of sweat as he stared down at the bed where Stori was naked, still tied to the headboard. Gripping his knife, he cut the ropes binding her wrists. She lowered her arms, curling onto her side, too exhausted to move. Raci was already asleep, having passed out before he was finished with Stori.
Ember rolled over, pulling the sheet from the bottom of the bed to cover her trembling body before going back to sleep. All the women were too tired to be made to leave his bed so he could grab a few hours’ sleep before he left town, but he wouldn’t allow himself to sleep deeply if they were in the bed next to him.
He raked his long hair back from his face. He hadn’t cut it since he had stepped off the podium for the last time.