Page 23 of Love Gamble
“Hey,” the other man, Leif, also greets. He’s tall, huge even, and I can tell that even with him sitting down. White-blond hair, Viking vibes. No tattoos that I can see.
“Nice to meet you both,” I say, waving. “I’m going to have a shower and get rid of this paint.”
When I go looking for Bella, she’s waiting for me in the kitchen, wearing a cute linen dress and sandals, her dark hair in a long braid. “You look nice. Where did River and the two hotties go?”
She laughs and grabs her purse. “They got the tour, then headed to the new clubhouse.” She lowers her tone. “Did you know that Diamond was a stripper?”
“No,” I reply, jaw dropping. “But it makes sense—did you see his body?”
“I know, he’s ripped,” she replies, wincing. “But don’t you dare tell River I said that.”
“I won’t and don’t you dare tell Damon or River I said that, either,” I grumble, tying my hair back with my black scrunchie.
She wraps her arm around me. “Your secret is safe with me. Let’s go and get food, I’m starving.”
After we grab some sushi, we head to the lake to sit down and have a little picnic. It’s a beautiful day and it would be a shame to waste it.
“Should have brought our bathing suits,” Bella says, opening her bottle of juice.
“Yeah, we should have,” I reply, sliding my sunglasses down and lying back on the narrow strip of sand lining the water.
But I am still enjoying the sunlight on my skin. I close my eyes and look up toward the blue sky.
I frown when suddenly the sunshine goes away and look up to find a man standing over us. I feel my heart start to race, but force myself to remain calm. It’s normal for people to talk to strangers.
“You’re blocking the sun,” Bella tells him.
He steps away, but still looks down at us. It’s only then I notice he’s wearing a leather cut. And he’s not one of our men. Shit. And as I narrow my eyes to study him more closely, I realize just how fucking familiar he looks.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Bella asks him, frowning. She moves closer to me.
“I don’t want any trouble. Just saw a beautiful woman, with my sister, and I thought I’d come say hello.”
I almost choke. “Tatum?”
I give him a proper look, and the man in front of me does look like my father. I don’t know how to feel about this right now, but I notice Bella scooting closer to me once more.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, staring at the patch on his cut.
He’s with the Lost Lions. That must be the new MC in town.
Of course he is.
“What? You don’t want to get to know your other brother?” he asks, jaw going a little tight. I don’t like the look in his cold eyes. He doesn’t give a shit about me. And there’s just a vibe about him that I don’t trust.
“I’m just surprised,” I reply, wanting to keep things calm between us. And I need Bella and me to walk away from this interaction safely. I don’t introduce Bella. He might know her by name but not by sight, and I don’t want to give away any information I don’t have to.
“Are you just passing through the city?” I ask.
He shrugs and runs his hand over his bald head. “Something like that. It’s pretty nice here, you know?”
“It is,” I agree, swallowing hard. “Especially on days like this. You here alone?” I ask, wondering where his club members are.
He points to the café across the road. “We’re getting something to eat. I thought I’d take a walk along the lake while we’re waiting, and then I saw you sitting here.”
Act cool, Corey. Do not show weakness.
“That’s very nice of you,” I lie. “And I hope you enjoy your time here.”