Behind her, Ash started his engine again, the low rumble filling the quiet street. She risked a glance over her shoulder. He was watching her still, jaw tight, expression unreadable in the dim light. For a moment, it looked like he might say something else, but then he revved the throttle, gave her a curt nod, and rode off into the night.
Cordelia shut her door behind her, back pressed against the wood as her knees buckled. The echo of his voice asking about Max haunted her, a cruel reminder that the walls between them weren’t built by shyness alone. They were built on secrets, and one wrong word could shatter everything—her dog’s safety, her fragile place in this war between MCs, and maybe even the quiet, dangerous closeness growing between her and Ash.
x-x-x-x
Ash sat slouched on the
