Anger filled his features. “For fuck’s sake, don’t give me that line. I deserve more than that from you.” He thumped his chest, his eyes wild. “I was the one who was there for you when Randall tossed you to the wolves. I was the one who picked up the pieces with you after he broke you. And I’m the one who has stuck by your side all this time. I deserve more than your lies.”

I knew I should have avoided this conversation. It had gone from bad to epic proportions of fucked in less than a minute. I couldn’t tell Duvall the truth, but I had to give him something because otherwise he would go after Nitro for something he didn’t do. My mind raced with an answer, and for once, it failed. This was usually one of my strengths, stringing a line of bullshit together to get people out of shit, but not that day. Instead I stood in front of my oldest friend—the one who had stuck by me even though he never knew the truth of why I committed the sins I did—and stared at him in silence while my heart cracked a little more, if that was even possible.

I was tired of the lies.

Exhausted by the thought of hiding parts of my life for a second longer.

I didn’t want to live like this anymore. I wanted the life I should have had, not this one.

When I didn’t say anything, Duvall grabbed my bicep. “He beat you, Tatum! Black and blue. How can you stand here and deny that when it was clear as day to see on that footage? Fuck, I can’t even wrap my head around you dating him after that.”

I didn’t attempt to wriggle out of his hold. I just wanted this to all go away. But I couldn’t figure out what excuse to give him to make him leave it be.

Neither of us heard men approaching. We were both so engrossed in our conversation. It wasn’t until King’s voice cut through the air that we turned to see him watching Duvall with a murderous gaze.

“Let her go or you’ll have me to deal with.” He didn’t raise his voice but he spoke in a low, threatening tone that couldn’t be mistaken. I had no doubt that King would hurt Duvall if he didn’t do as ordered. The thing I couldn’t work out, though, was why King was taking my back.

Duvall dropped my arm and stepped back. He opened his mouth to speak, but something caught his attention behind King and suddenly he stalked towards whatever it was.

And then he began issuing his own threats. “You fucking asshole! I’m going to make you pay for what you did to her!”

I turned just in time to see Duvall throw a punch and to see Nitro duck to avoid it before landing his fist on Duvall’s face. He knocked Duvall backwards and raised his fist as if he was about to punch him again, but then thought better of it and dropped his arm.

King yanked Duvall away from Nitro and roared, “Enough!” as Duvall attempted to get another punch in.

Nitro’s eyes locked onto mine and I felt the familiar pull to him. The need he stirred in me was too great to ignore. It had been two weeks since he’d walked out of my house and never came back. I hadn’t seen him or heard from him in that time. And I hadn’t gone looking for him because he’d made it clear what he wanted.

I couldn’t deal with any of them in that moment. I turned and walked away, picking up my pace as I moved so as to avoid any of them stopping me. But Nitro was faster than me, and a moment later, his hand curled around my arm. “Tatum, stop,” he commanded.

I closed my eyes and held my breath for a beat. On an exhale, I turned to face him. “What do you want, Nitro? I’ve gotta get to work.”

It was a lie and he knew it. Ignoring what I said, he asked, “You good?”

Emotions I never knew existed exploded out of me in a violent burst. “I’m sick of you asking me that goddam question! Do you even care if I’m good?” I threw my words at him as if they were fire and would burn him. I had no clue where my anger had come from or why I was directing it at him, but I couldn’t stop myself.

His nostrils flared and his eyes mirrored the anger I felt. He, however, managed to keep his in check. “I told you I don’t play games and I don’t do shit for any reason but how it appears, so when I ask you if you’re good, I mean it.”

I searched his eyes and knew right down to my bones that he meant every word he said. Nitro might have been many things but dishonest was not one of them. “I’m good.”

His gaze dropped to my arm where Duvall had held me. “What’s his game?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did he come at me like that?”

“He’s seen the surveillance of us leaving the casino.”

His mind worked quickly, putting it together. “So he thinks I did that to you.” And then he surprised me. “You seeing him now?”

“What? No. Why?” His question threw me, completely bewildering me.

“Vegas, a man doesn’t get that worked up unless the woman means something to him. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and it’s pretty fucking clear he wants you. I need to know what I’m dealing with here. So, are you seeing him?”

My mind was still trying to unscramble itself. “No, I’m not seeing him.”

He nodded. “Okay.” He took a step back as if he was going to leave, but then he stopped and ran his eyes over my body. Slowly. As if he was committing it to memory. “I’ll look into this and let you know what I find. As far as I knew, that surveillance had been destroyed.”

And then he headed into the club with King, leaving me standing there all kinds of confused. Seeing him, speaking to him, hell, just being in his presence, made me realise how much I’d missed him. I hadn’t let a man into my life on a regular basis like I had with Nitro since my husband left me nearly two years ago. Sleeping together, spending nights together… we might not have shared anything from our lives with each other, but we’d shared our bodies in ways that meant something to me.

Shit.

I wanted him again.

My skin craved his touch.

My mind craved the escape his caress allowed.

And as much as I struggled admitting it, my soul craved the safety of his embrace.

Trouble was, he didn’t seem interested in any of that. I’d only ever been someone he had to watch over for his club. And I was still that person now that Duvall had involved himself.

“Are you still dating him?”

I spun around to find Duvall staring at me, wild-eyed. “No. We’re done.” He didn’t need to know that Nitro and I were never dating.