“I couldn’t protect you before,” he said, gruffly. There it was—everything he’d never said to her, finally said aloud. Josie’s grip tightened on the phone. Her chest felt too tight and too full of things she didn’t let herself usually sit with.
“That wasn’t your job,” she said quietly.
“As my sister, it was my job to protect you, Josie,” he insisted.
“And I’m still here, so mission accomplished.” She left out the part about barely being there, but he didn’t need to know that about her. She shoved the thought away.
“I’m going inside,” she said, pushing the door open.
“Josie—”
“I’ll call you later,” she lied.
“Don’t hang up on me,” Jack growled. She ended the call, despite her brother’s protests, because if she didn’t, he’d keep talking, and she was finished listening. Because if he kept talking, she might break something open she wasn’t ready to deal with—not yet.
Her boots hit pavement, solid and grounding. The air smelled like rain and city grit—familiar in a way that made her chest ache. She was home—or something like it. The church doors opened before she could knock, and Ember stepped out like she owned the ground beneath her—which, here, she did.
Her gaze swept over Josie, sharp and assessing. “You gonna sit out there all day, or you finally done running?”
Josie crossed her arms over her chest and stared down her sister-in-law. “Nice welcome.”
Ember snorted. “You want a welcome home party, then call your brother. You want real, then come inside.”
“Jack says hi,” Josie muttered.
“Jack can mind his own damn business,” Ember hot back instantly. Then, with a smirk, “Or I’ll remind him who he married.”
Despite everything, Josie’s mouth twitched. “Yeah,” she said. “I bet you like reminding him about who you are, Ember.”
She stepped aside. “You coming in or what?” Josie hesitated for half a second and then stepped forward because, for the first time in years, standing still didn’t feel like she was suffocating. It felt like she was stepping into something brand new. Somethingmessy and dangerous. Something she wasn’t sure she could walk away from.
Inside, across the room, a man leaned against the wall—still and watchful. If she remembered correctly, his name was Rock. His gaze locked onto her the second she crossed the threshold. It was like he already knew exactly why she was there and was waiting to see if she’d prove him right. The problem was, Josie loved a challenge and would never give any man the satisfaction of being right about her again.
ROCK
Rock didn’t believe in coincidence. Not in this life and not in this world. So when the church doors opened, and a woman walked in like she didn’t belong—but also didn’t hesitate—he paid attention. He’d been leaning against the far wall of the Royal Harlots’ clubhouse, arms crossed over his chest, hanging back in the shadows. Most people forgot he was there, and that was exactly what he wanted.
She didn’t look at him right away—but he saw the shift in her demeanor when she noticed him. He could tell that she remembered him from the way her shoulders tightened just slightly, like something in her had already clocked every exit in the room.
Ember stepped in behind her, talking, pushing, doing what Ember did best—taking up space and daring anyone to challenge it. The woman—Josie, if he remembered right—held her ground. She didn’t shrink around Ember, but didn’t posture either. That was the part that caught his attention. Most people coming into a place like this either tried to prove something or pretended they weren’t nervous. But Josie did neither. She simply observed her surroundings, as though she was cataloging every detail ofthe clubhouse. Like she was writing it all down somewhere in that head of hers.
Rock straightened off the wall. If she was staying, and something told him she was, he’d have time to figure out why she was in town. He pushed off the wall and crossed the room, his boots quiet against the worn floor. A couple of the Harlots glanced his way, then back to whatever they were doing, but no one interfered, because they knew better.
Ember noticed him coming—of course, she did. Her mouth curved slightly, like she’d been waiting for him to interfere. “Josie,” Ember said, gesturing lazily in his direction. “Do you remember Rock? Try not to stab him. He’s useful.”
Josie’s gaze finally landed on him fully, and yeah, he saw the hint of hesitation. She took him in the same way he’d taken her in—piece by piece as though sizing her up. Rock stopped a few feet in front of her.
“Rodgers,” he said, nodding at her.
Her brow lifted just slightly. “Feel free to call me Josie,” she said, turning to Ember. “And yes, I remember Rock.”
“You here for a visit or are you sticking around?” he asked. Her lips twitched. It was the most that he’d ever seen Josie smile.
“Didn’t realize I needed to file my itinerary with you, Rock,” she teased.
“You don’t,” he said. “But people who don’t usually have something to hide.” Silence stretched between them for half a beat. He could tell that he hit a nerve. She seemed more nervous, and if he was reading the signs correctly, her breathing had picked up.
Then she shifted her weight, crossing her arms across her chest. “You always interrogate club members, or is that just me?”