Page 51 of Bad for You

“I don’t want Jesse to think I don’t trust him.” Nerves were now flying through my belly.

Addie planted her hands on her hips. “He lied to you, Lila. If nothing else, you need to confront him. And if something messed up is going on, you can tell him where he can stick it and we’ll get you outta here. Either way, with you in that outfit, he’ll eat his tongue when he sees you strut your sexy ass in there.”

He had lied.

And he had been avoiding me, I was sure of it.

I’d told myself after Jarod that I’d never let anyone make me feel the way he had ever again. And right now, I didn’t feel great. Jesse had made me feel this way, whether he meant to or not.

I thought Jesse and I were growing stronger. No, we hadn’t been seeing each other very long, but we had a complicated past. I didn’t think honesty was too much to ask for.

Trix held out her fist. “You ready?”

I bumped it with my own. “Let’s do this.”

Trix, Addie, and I strode through the tall gate. Usually Everly would be here with us, she was my sidekick in all things, but I was worried she’d tell Dane and he’d give his friend a heads-up that I was coming. I didn’t want that.

Jesse had kept tonight a secret from me for a reason, and I wanted to know why.

There were a couple of younger-looking bikers with patches that said “prospect” on their vests standing out front by the bikes and they perked up when they saw us.

“Ladies,” one of them said, swaggering toward us. “You’re looking fucking fine tonight.”

The other one joined them. “Why don’t you hang here and keep us company.”

I straightened my spine. “I’m actually looking for Grifter.”

“Knowing him, he’s already found company,” the first guy said.

“He better freaking not have,” Trix said. “This is his girlfriend.”

The guy actually paled. “You’re Riff’s woman?”

“Just tell us where to find him?” Addie said.

“Tell ’em,” the other guy said. “If she’s telling the truth and you don’t send her to him, Riff’ll kick your skinny ass.”

The first guy scowled and crossed his arms. “Round back, last I saw him.”

“Thank you,” I said and headed for the door of the warehouse.

“I’d go around the side,” the second guy said. “Shit’s getting wild in there.”

I smiled my thanks and we hustled around the side of the building to the back.

“Whoa,” Addie said beside me.

Whoa indeed.

The party was in full swing back here. There were rough-looking bikers everywhere. Topless girls dancing. People making out…doing a lot more than that.

“No wonder Grifter didn’t tell you about it,” Trix muttered.

Honestly, I wanted to run the other way. This was even worse than what I’d seen at his house all those months ago.

“Hey, honey,” some older guy with a scraggly beard said.

That’s when I spotted Jesse. He stood on the other side of the bonfire. He was holding a bottle of beer and talking to a couple of guys. He was in low-slung jeans, his leather cut, with nothing on underneath despite the cold, showing off all that muscled, tattooed skin. There were girls dancing almost on top of him. But Jesse didn’t seem to notice, deep in conversation.