Page 74 of Bone’s Choice

There wasn’t an ounce of fear in it.

Good, I hadn’t wanted to scare her. I just hadn’t thought much beyond seeing her leave and deciding I wanted to know where she’d gone.

Which seemed to be becoming a habit where Hazel was concerned.

I let the door swing shut behind me and the music from inside dropped to a muffled thump.

“You’re following me again,” she said.

“Seems that way.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Are you?”

Hazel looked me over. “No.”

Fuck if I didn’t like that answer.

I walked over and leaned against the brick wall beside her. I reached into my cut for my cigarettes. “Break?”

“Ten minutes of freedom.”

“Only ten?”

“Friday night. I’m thankful to get that with how busy it is in there.”

I stuck a cigarette between my lips and Hazel watched me flick the lighter. I inhaled and the end glowed orange before I lowered the cigarette. “Want one?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Good.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Good?”

“Bad habit.”

She glanced at the cigarette between my fingers. “That you’re currently doing.”

“Never said I was smart.”

“I think you probably think you’re very smart.”

I laughed. “That so?”

“You have a certain confidence.”

“Certain confidence?”

She turned so her shoulder rested against the brick, facing me. “You’re Bone.”

“Last I checked.”

“President of a motorcycle club.”

“Yeah.”

“You walk around like you know exactly what’s going to happen before it happens.”