Page 30 of His Other Half

She swiveled on the picnic table to stand.

"Where are you going?" asked Cami.

Flustered that it'd taken her that long to figure out her part in what had happened, she needed to start making it up to Paco. "Inside. I'll only be a few minutes."

She hurried toward the door and walked down the hallway, knowing where she was going from the last time she was here. In the main room, the party was going stronger. Naked women danced around with each other. Some of the bikers paid attention to them, others not so much.

Scanning the crowd, she spotted Banks standing by a table with his arm around Mrs. Banks—who'd she'd met a few times at work, but talked to almost every day when she called to speak with her husband.

Going over to the couple, she stood back, not wanting to interrupt their conversation with the other bikers, and unable to hear what they were talking about over the loud music. While she waited, she looked around for Paco. It would be easier to go directly to him, but she had no idea where he'd gone.

"Hey, Josie." Banks backed up a step to include her. "I didn't know you were coming. Do you need a beer?"

"No, thanks." She took a deep breath. "I'm looking for Paco."

"I...nope, haven't seen him." Banks leaned toward the others, speaking out of her hearing, then looked at her. "Roddy said he spotted him outside about five minutes ago."

"Thanks." She walked toward the door, weaving her way through the crowd, and pushed outside.

Paco and another man stood in front of her car. He caught sight of her before she was halfway to him and stormed over to her. Grabbing her elbow, he led her to the corner of the building where there was no one around.

"You shouldn't be here." He ran his hands over her face.

Feeling a slight tremble in his touch took the sting from his gruffness. She put her hand on top of his, stilling him.

"I came because Chrischris wanted Cami here for some reason." Urgency kept her talking. "But I need to talk to you." She brought his hands down, holding them tightly in her grasp, keeping him in front of her. "I'm sorry about what happened. I hate that you are the one dealing with the consequences of what happened at the casino."

His body stiffened, and he frowned. Her pulse pounded, knowing she wasn't saying things right. That any apology wouldn't be enough for what she'd put him through.

"It should've been me who killed that man, not you," she whispered harshly.

"No." His gaze intensified.

She captured his hand again and held it. "But you did kill him, and now you have to live with what you've done. I never thought...I never thought of what I did to you by asking for help, and for that, I'm sorry. I can't undo what I've done—"

"I would've done it on my own." He let go of her hands and captured her face again. "Don't talk about it anymore. Just put it behind you."

That wasn't possible. Blood marked the ground because of her. Even the sun couldn't remove the stain, only harden it until it was a stain upon the earth.

"But, I—"

"Forget about it. Don't think or speak of it again." His hold on her tightened. "I want you to go home and forget you've ever met me."

Her chest squeezed tighter. As if slapped, she stepped back, disappointed in the way the conversation was going.

"Go get Cami and stay away from Tarkio."

In a last-ditch effort to stay connected to him, she said, "I work for a Tarkio member."

His gaze never wavered. "Then, stay away from me."

The strength in her legs wavered. Not understanding why he'd push her away, she couldn't move. She'd felt every inch of him. Enjoyed a night where she laid bare beside him.

She believed they'd connected in a way she'd never allowed another man to see her. He'd seen her at her worst. He'd seen her fear. He'd seen her pleasure. The pleasure he gave her.

He pointed at her, pounding in his point, and walked away, going back inside the clubhouse.

When he was gone, she folded at the waist, bracing her hands on her knees and gulped for air.