Chapter Twenty – Seven – The Place She Belongs
1987 Words
Later that evening, the clubhouse had settled into its usual rhythm—low music humming from somewhere inside, engines cooling outside, and the golden glow of dusk spilling over the porch.
Avery found herself in the quiet garden corner behind the building, sitting on a bench tucked between overgrown rose bushes and fading fence posts. She hadn’t expected anyone to find her there.
But Reyes did.
He didn’t speak right away. Just sat beside her, a bottle of water in his hand, the scent of motor oil still clinging to his hoodie. He offered the drink wordlessly. She took it.
“You good?” he asked after a long pause.
Avery gave a small, honest nod. “Better now.”
Reyes glanced at her sideways. “You didn’t have to let them talk to you like that.”
“Old habit,” she said. “I’ve always been the girl who didn’t belong here. Back in high school… after I turned Bear down, they made sure I felt it. Most of them still do.”
Reyes was quiet for a moment. Then:
“You belong here now.”
Avery exhaled, her tone dry. “Because I’m in Colt’s bed?”
Reyes shook his head. “No. Because you’re one of the only people in this place who doesn’t hide who they are. They’re afraid of that. It’s easier to talk s**t than admit they could never do what you did.”
She blinked, surprised at the weight of his words.
“And Colt?” she asked softly. “Do you think he hides who he is?”
Reyes leaned back, watching the sky dim into blue ash.
“No. But he buries it. Deep. The only time he lets it breathe is with you.”
That made her go quiet again.
“That’s why I stepped in today,” Reyes continued. “Not just because of Colt. But because I’ve been VP of this club for ten minutes and I can already see where the cracks are. If we’re gonna build something better—stronger—I need to know the people in the room actually want to be in the room.”
He turned toward her now, serious.
“I want you in that room, Avery. I’ve got Colt’s back. But I got yours too. You don’t have to prove anything to me. Just… show up. Keep being who you are.”
Avery’s throat felt tight.
But her voice was steady.
“You really mean that?”
He nodded. “Yeah. And if s**t ever gets messy between the two of you, I won’t take sides. But I won’t let you stand in the fire alone either.”
She smiled. Just a little. But it was real.
“Thanks, Reyes.”
He shrugged, pushing off the bench. “Don’t mention it. Just don’t go getting soft on me now.”
Avery laughed under her breath. “Not a chance.”
And as he walked away, she sat there a while longer—heart a little steadier, knowing that for the first time in her life… she wasn’t just surviving in this world.
She was part of it.
It started the way it always did.
A laugh too loud.
A whisper just a little too pointed.
A glance tossed over a shoulder like a blade.
Avery had been feeling lighter after her talk with Reyes—more sure-footed in her place here. She walked the clubhouse halls without lowering her gaze, even when the old guard of women tilted their heads in smug unison.
But by early afternoon, the temperature in the room had changed.
She caught the first whisper by accident near the bar.
“She’s got both of them wrapped around her finger now…”
“Colt’s blind if he doesn’t see what’s happening.”
“You think she’s not f*****g Reyes?”
A sharp laugh.
“Please. The way he looks at her? She’s bouncing between them. Smart girl, honestly. f**k your way into protection.”
Avery froze.
She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but they hadn’t exactly kept their voices down either.
Her jaw locked. She didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Just stepped out of sight and into the corridor, fists clenched, breath sharp.
Of course.
She’d forgotten how fast they turned.
It wasn’t about Colt anymore. Not really. This was about Reyes—about the way he’d shut them down. How he hadn’t bowed to their games. This was payback.
Start a rumor. Stir the pot. Let it drip in Colt’s ear like poison and watch what happens.
Avery headed straight for Frankie. If there was anyone who’d say it straight—it was her.
Frankie was out back, arms crossed, watching two prospects unload crates. She turned the second she saw Avery’s face.
“Uh oh,” she muttered. “You’ve got the ‘about to commit a felony’ face. What’s going on?”
Avery folded her arms tight. “They’re saying I’m sleeping with Reyes.”
Frankie blinked. Then snorted.
“Of course they are.”
“I had one conversation with him,” Avery snapped. “One real conversation and suddenly I’m screwing my boyfriend’s VP?”
Frankie’s grin faded as her eyes narrowed. “No. That’s not about you. That’s about him. He made them look like fools. Publicly. And now they’re trying to make Colt question his loyalty. Yours too.”
“Do you think Colt will believe it?” Avery asked quietly.
Frankie turned to face her fully.
“No. But that doesn’t mean it won’t get under his skin. It’s not the lie that does the damage. It’s the silence that comes after. And Colt? He’s good at silence.”
Avery nodded slowly, her blood simmering under her skin.
“Then I’ll end the silence.”
Frankie raised a brow. “You going to him?”
“I’m not going to let some bitter women blow smoke where there’s no fire,” Avery said. “If someone’s going to burn this house down, it won’t be me.”
And with that, she turned on her heel—heading straight toward the one person who needed to hear the truth before anyone else whispered it to him.
Reyes was in the garage, sleeves rolled up, grease smeared across his knuckles as he wiped down the chrome on a rebuilt front end. He looked calm. Focused. Like the world beyond torque wrenches and steel didn’t exist.
Avery didn’t announce herself. She just stood in the doorway until he noticed her.
He glanced up, immediately clocking the look on her face.
“Let me guess,” he muttered, tossing the rag aside. “More whispers?”
She stepped forward, jaw tight.
“You’ve heard.”
Reyes leaned back against the workbench, arms folded across his chest. “Loud and clear. Half the clubhouse probably has.”
Avery exhaled, steadying herself. “I didn’t want to go to Colt yet.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You think I should?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I mean—I wanted to come to you first. Because this rumor? It’s not just meant to hurt me. It’s a play against you, too. You shut those women down in public. Now they’re trying to make you look dirty. Like you crossed a line.”
Reyes didn’t answer right away. His eyes scanned hers, measuring her tone, her expression. Then he nodded, once. Just once.
“They want Colt to question me,” he said. “If they can’t control him, they’ll try to shake the foundation.”
Avery stepped closer.
“I want to set it straight with him. But you’re his VP. I respect that. So if you think this is better coming from you—I’ll back off.”
That earned her a flicker of something rare from Reyes. Not amusement. Not sarcasm. But appreciation.
“Most people in this place would’ve run to him, let it explode.”
“I’m not most people,” she replied simply.
Reyes nodded again. “No. You’re not.”
He pushed off the bench and grabbed the clean towel, wiping his hands slowly.
“Let me talk to him first,” he said. “Calm, direct. We’re solid—but this is still new. And if he hears it from the wrong mouth with the wrong tone, he’ll react with fire.”
Avery relaxed slightly, grateful.
“Thanks.”
Reyes gave a low chuckle. “Don’t thank me yet. He’s going to be pissed that people are dragging your name through the dirt. And when Colt gets pissed…”
“The ground shakes,” she finished, half-smiling.
Reyes tilted his head. “Yeah. But this time? He’s not swinging alone.”
And just like that, she knew:
She hadn’t just won Colt.
She’d earned Reyes’ trust, too.
Colt was in his office, door half-shut, hunched over a stack of papers and the latest numbers Reyes had compiled. The room smelled like coffee, cigarette smoke, and leather. The kind of space built by blood and time.
Reyes didn’t knock.
He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and dropped a folder on the desk.
Colt didn’t look up.
“You already gave me that last night.”
“Not this,” Reyes said. “This one’s verbal.”
That made Colt glance up, one brow lifted.
Reyes leaned against the door, arms crossed.
“There’s a rumor going around.”
Colt stilled.
“About Avery and me.”
Silence fell like a blade.
Colt’s expression didn’t change, but Reyes saw it—the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers tapped once against the desk before stilling completely.
“Go on,” Colt said flatly.
Reyes held his gaze.
“Started with the women you shut down weeks ago. The ones that asked if she was fair game when she moved out of your room. I shut that down. Now they’re getting creative.”
Colt’s voice was cold. Controlled.
“And what exactly are they saying?”
“That Avery’s bouncing between us. That she’s playing both sides.”
The words hung heavy between them.
Reyes didn’t look away.
“None of it’s true,” he said, voice firm. “I respect you. I respect her. And the second Avery caught wind of it, she came to me first. Asked if I wanted to handle it before she went to you. That’s the kind of woman you’ve got in your bed.”
Colt didn’t respond right away.
His stare drifted—not in thought, but in calculation. Fury wasn’t boiling. It was condensing. Controlled. Razor-sharp.
“Names?” he asked finally.
“Three of them. All familiar. I’ll deal with it.”
“No,” Colt said, standing now. “I will.”
Reyes uncrossed his arms. “You sure?”
Colt looked up at him. And for the first time in a while, there wasn’t a wall between them.
“She’s mine, Reyes. People can talk about me all they want. About how I run. How I lead. I don’t give a shit.”
“But her?”
His voice dropped, low and steady.
“Anyone who touches her name—anyone who uses her to play games—doesn’t belong under this roof.”
Reyes nodded once.
“Then I’ve got your back.”
“I know you do.”
A long silence passed between them. Trust reinforced not by words—but by what wasn’t said.
Colt walked around the desk, hands tucked into his pockets.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“Thanks for giving me the chance to.”
Colt gave a short nod. “Now let’s handle this.”
And as Reyes followed him out, there was no doubt in either of their minds—
This club belonged to both of them now.
And she was at the center of it.
- Writer
