UNDYING: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (Midwest Alphas) (Book 3) Read Online Free

your little reunion…” I look down to see Pike standing in the barn doorway. The Punisher himself. I never thought I’d see him anywhere near Charlie’s farm, but here he is. He leans against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. “Hello, Claire.”
    I cringe at the sound of his voice. Tobias drops his hands and takes a frustrated step away from me. “Hello, Pike,” I greet.
    “You picked a heck of a night to come back…” he notes.
    “She’s not staying,” Tobias says, his voice firm and final.
    I look at him and my heart breaks.
    “Well, it’s not all bad,” Pike says, pushing off the wall. “You arrived just in time for the big meeting.”
    “What big meeting?” I ask.
    “You’re not going,” Tobias says, staring me down.
    Pike tilts his head. “I actually think a special appearance from Claire would do the Dames a bit of good, Tobias.”
    “I don’t care.”
    “Well, it’s the twenty-first century and she is still an Alpha Dame, so I’d say it’s up to her.” Pike grins back at Tobias before shifting his eyes towards me. “What do you say, Claire? Want to get the band back together?”
    I look to Tobias, but he avoids my gaze. It’s not the reaction I expected out of him. I thought he wanted to see me again. I thought he wanted me back in his arms. I guess I was wrong. I turn away from him and climb down the ladder. “What kind of meeting?” I ask Pike as I reach the bottom.
    “A gathering of minds,” he says, a shadow crossing his face. “It’s obvious what happened to Lillian wasn’t random.”
    “I’m sorry,” I tell him. “I know how close you two were.”
    He nods with sincerity. “Thank you.”
    Tobias climbs halfway down the ladder before taking the rest of the trip with a short jump to the ground. He passes around us without saying a word and I push forward to have to his ear.
    “You’re just going to let Pike into our house?” I ask him. He doesn’t answer. “Does Charlie know about—”
    “No,” Tobias says, barely glancing back at me. “And he never will.”
    “Tobias, that’s—”
    “The way it is.”
    I pause my stride, shocked by the sudden force of his words. Pike walks around me, following Tobias up the porch stairs and into the house. I stand still in the cold, dark air, watching the two of them walk together. It’s almost as if they don’t have a brutal history. Here they are, working together like nothing ever happened; like Pike wasn’t involved in the death of Tobias’ sister, like Pike didn’t stab Tobias at the request of my stepbrother and, if he is to be believed, the late Lillian Tombs.
    Tobias never would have fallen into this situation if it weren’t for me.
    At least now I have the power to end it.

Chapter 3
    Our Fearless Leader
     
    “Claire?!”
    Amy runs through the living room and throws her arms around my neck before I have the chance to take a breath. She squeezes me tightly and I feel the last of my air expel from my lungs. “Hey…” I wheeze. I catch sight of Ryan walking in behind her and I smile. No contact with anyone meant no contact with Amy. I’d hoped the two of them would find a way to make their star-crossed relationship work, and by the looks of it, it seems they have.
    “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?!” she screams in my ear and pulls back to look at me. “How long have you been back? Are you okay? You look great! Are you dieting? Tell me everything. ”
    “Okay—” I laugh, taking a quick breath to keep from passing out. “One question at a time, please.” I glance her up and down, taking note of everything that’s changed about her. She’s obviously been experimenting with a curling iron, as her long, blonde locks lie about her head in perfect spirals. “I’m fine. I just got back a few hours ago.”
    “And your mom?” she asks. “How is she?”
    “She’s good,” I answer with a nod. “She’s still back in—” I bite my tongue, “where we