by L. Wilder
My dad handed me the keys and said, “It’s parked right out front.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” I rushed over to my dad’s car and pulled it up to the curb. By the time I’d gotten out, she wheeled Kevin over to the passenger door. Stopping her, I said, “That’s alright. I’ll get him.”
As I put him in the backseat and buckled him in, my parents were busy getting themselves inside. Once they were out of the way, she leaned in the window and said, “Take care of that elbow, kiddo.”
“I will.”
“Bye!” She waved and started to walk away.
I looked at Kevin and said, “Are you good for just a second?”
“Yeah. I’m good.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” I rushed over to Kenadee, stopping her before she went through the door and said, “You know, you never did answer my question.”
The wind was blowing, making her long, brown hair flutter around her face as she asked, “What question?”
“When am I going to see you again?”
A light blush crossed her face, letting me know I’d caught her off guard. “I don’t know. What do you have in mind?”
“Why don’t you give me your number? I’ll give you a call later and we can figure it out.”
“I guess that could work.” She reached in her pocket and took out her phone. “What’s your number?”
“Hold up. I thought you were giving me yours.”
“I will when you give me yours.” She smirked. “I’ll send you a text.”
“Fair enough,” I told her before giving her my number.
Seconds later, I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket, and she said, “I better get going.”
Before I could respond, she’d slipped through the door and was gone. Having no choice, I walked over and slid in the seat beside Kevin. He was sitting with his arm propped in his lap, and he was meddling with the tips of his fingers. “You alright?”
“I’m good. It’s just my fingers are still numb.”
“That’ll get better soon,” I assured him as I patted him on the leg. “Alright, Pop. I think we’re ready to go.”
Once he started driving, I reached in my back pocket for my phone, and as soon as I saw the unknown number, I clicked on the message.
Kenadee: Just so you know, I hate clowns, too.
After I added her to my contacts, I went through all my other missed messages. My brothers had been calling and texting to see about Kevin, and I’d been too preoccupied to get back to them. Just as I sent them a message, letting them all know that he was doing fine. As we were headed home, I looked over at Kevin and found him staring at me with a concerned look on his face. “Everything alright, bud?”
“I just wanted to say that I was sorry about today.”
“Why would you be sorry?”
“I messed up your run, and—”
“Kevin,” I told him as I leaned closer to him. “You are and always will be the most important thing in the world to me. You got that?”
“Yes, sir,” he answered.
“And you didn’t mess up anything, so get that out of your head.”
“So, you aren’t mad?”
Shocked by his question, I asked, “Are you still on the loopy juice or something? Why would I be mad at you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Kevin, I’m not mad at you. Not even the tiniest bit. I was worried sick about you, and I hated that I wasn’t there when you were hurt. If anyone should be mad here, it should be you.”
He perked up with that, like I’d given him new ammunition. “I was a little sad that you weren’t there.”
“I can’t blame you for that.”
“Especially after you promised to be at all my games.”
I’d officially opened a can of worms. “You’re right.”
“And it really hurt when that kid broke my arm,” he pushed.
“Um-hmm. I’m sure it did. Must’ve hurt like hell,” I told him as I tried not to smile. He was gonna hit me up big this time. I could feel it.
“It did, and I was really scared when I had to go to the hospital without you.”
“Yeah. I’m sure that was pretty tough on you. You might be scarred for life over that one,” I teased.
His blue eyes widened as he fussed, “I’m serious, Dad.”
“I know you are. So, how can I make it up to you?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he bit his bottom lip. Thankfully, our conversation got interrupted when Dad parked the car and announced, “We’re home.”
After I helped Kevin out of the car, he went inside and crashed on the sofa. We were all wiped, so my folks said their goodbyes and slipped out. I sat down on my recliner, and in a matter of minutes, we had both dozed off. I had no idea how long I’d been asleep when I heard someone pounding on my back door.
I glanced over at Kevin, and he was still out like a light. With a groan, I pulled myself out of the chair and tried to be quiet as I made my way to the back door. When I opened it, I was surprised to find Gunner standing there with Sadie. “What the hell, Gunner?”
Gunner was in his late thirties and built like a fucking tank. He’d gotten his name in the military. Word was that he was one of the best snipers around, but he was wounded during a raid and never quite the same after that. His voice was low and calm as he said, “Gus sent me over. He’s called us all into church.”
Knowing he wouldn’t call church this time of night unless something was up, I asked, “What’s going on?”
Without answering, he looked over to Sadie and said, “He thought she could sit with Kevin while you were gone.”
Fuck. At least he’d sent Sadie to watch him. Of all the hang-arounds, she was the most responsible, so Kevin wouldn’t be freaked out if he woke up and found her there with him. Having no other choice, I took Sadie inside and showed her his medication. After explaining when he’d need to take it, I followed Gunner out to our bikes. Suddenly my exhaustion was gone, and I could feel the adrenaline pulsing through my veins as I started up the engine and followed Gunner out onto the main road.
By the time we made it to the clubhouse, the brothers were already filing into the main meeting room. When I walked in, Gus was at the head of the table talking with Moose and Runt. The room was oddly quiet as I made my way over to my spot next to Spyder and Riggs, making me even more anxious for Gus to get on with the meeting. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but the tension in the room was building by the second.
Gus finally turned his attention to us and said, “Chaos and Sinners were hit tonight.”
“What the fuck?” one of the brothers grumbled.
“Someone set Chaos’s club and garage on fire and there was a drive-by shooting at the Sinner’s club bar. They might totally be unrelated to the hit on the Rogues, especially since they’re smaller clubs, but I’m not taking any chances.” He leaned forward, placing the palms of his hands on the table as he growled, “I want to know who the fuck is doing this shit.”
“These clubs are out by the docks. There might be a connection there,” Gunner suggested.
“Maybe, or it could be a matter of some kind of retaliation that we aren’t aware of,” Spyder added. “You know how those assholes can be. They’re always arguing about something.”
“I’ve already spoken with the presidents of all the clubs involved. There’s no feud among the clubs, so that’s not what’s going on here,” Gus clarified.
“Then, somebody’s trying to move in,” Runt snarled.
“Maybe.” Moose motioned over to Riggs. “Tell ‘em what you found.”
Gus sat back in his chair and crossed his arms as he watched Riggs stand. My brother was all business when he said, “Someone’s been trying to fuck with our security cameras at the garage and at the diner.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Runt leaned forward and asked, �
��When?”
“A couple nights ago, and again, last night.”
“It’d take someone with some mighty big balls to come fucking around our shit,” Runt barked. “Did you see who it was?”
“No. The guy was wearing a hoodie, and I couldn’t get a good look at him.”
Obviously on edge, Runt snapped, “So, what exactly do you know other than this guy’s wearing a fucking hoodie?”
“I’d say this guy isn’t a professional, otherwise, he wouldn’t have to keep coming back, so we still have a chance to catch him and figure out what he’s up to,” Riggs answered calmly.
“How you plan on catching him?” I asked
“I’d say we could try setting up motion sensors, but with the traffic that comes in and out of the diner and the garage, it’s not gonna do us much good.”
“We’ve got the prospects taking shifts, keeping a close eye on things, but everyone needs to be on watch,” Moose warned. “We all need to be in on this. If you see or hear anything, anything at all, you come to us. Understood?”
After all the brothers agreed in unison, Riggs said, “I’ll put a few extra cameras along the street corners and down the alleyways to give us some better angles and see if we can get more of a view of what’s going on.”
Gus stood with his fists clenched at his sides, and his voice was full of caution as he said, “As of now, consider the club on high alert. I need every one of you at your best. During times like these, one mistake could cost us everything.”
Kenadee
It’s amazing how one person can have such a powerful effect on another person. Of course, that can be a good or a bad thing. Luckily for me, Sawyer seemed to have a very positive effect on me. It didn’t matter what kind of mood I was in, he always managed to brighten my day, and I’d find myself smiling like a schoolgirl with her first crush. He’d send a random text or call at the end of a hectic day, and I’d find myself practically giddy. I knew I wasn’t being sensible, that I was teetering on the edge of the unknown, and possibly even something dangerous, but I just couldn’t stop myself. With each little morsel he tossed my way, I snatched it up, drawing myself even closer to him. I simply couldn’t resist the temptation. I loved looking at him and talking to him. I longed to get to know him better, hoping that I would find that he was truly as nice as I thought he was. Ready or not, I was about to get my chance.
It was late, and we’d been talking on the phone for several minutes when he suggested taking an afternoon ride on his motorcycle. Surprised, I told him, “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.”
I could hear the mischief in his voice when he laughed at that. “There’s a first time for everything, darlin’.”
“But what if I fall off or something?”
“I won’t let you fall off, doll. You’ll be fine,” he assured me.
“What about a helmet and all that?”
“I’ll bring Kevin’s. You can use his until we get you one of your own.”
When he implied that there would be future rides, I felt a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. “I’m game. What time do you want to go?”
“I’ll be at your apartment around ten. Just text me the address.”
Trying not to sound overly excited, I said, “Okay. I’ll do it now.”
“And one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Since you haven’t ridden before, thought I oughta tell ya … wear jeans and boots if you have them. Not sure if you’re one that tends to get cold, so you might want to wear long sleeves.”
“It’s eighty-five degrees outside,” I scoffed.
With a slightly condescending tone, he asked, “Have you or have you not ridden a motorcycle before?”
“Umm … I have not.”
“Wear jeans and boots. I’ll leave the shirt up to you.”
“Yes, sir,” I said sarcastically.
“Hmm … I like the sound of that.”
“Well, don’t get used to it.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay. I’m really looking forward to it. Sleep well,” I told him before I hung up the phone.
I lay in the bed for several minutes just staring at the ceiling with a big, goofy grin on my face until I finally dozed off. The next morning, I woke up with that same bubbly feeling, but then it dawned on me that I was going to actually see him in a few hours. And it was just going to be the two of us. Alone. For hours. Oh God, I had no idea what the hell to wear. I jumped out of bed and rushed over to my closet. I was flipping through all my different shirts and jeans, but nothing seemed right. I started tossing things on the floor and onto my bed, hoping that I could find something that would make me look like a hot biker chick. Unfortunately, everything I had just seemed wrong. Feeling frustrated, I huffed, “Damn.”
Robyn came to my door and said, “What the hell happened in here?”
“I’m looking for something to wear.”
“For what?”
I hadn’t told her about Sawyer. I was afraid that she would be upset with me. It’s not like I wouldn’t deserve it. I’d given her all kinds of crap about Runt, but I’d convinced myself that Sawyer was different. I just wasn’t sure she’d see it that way. Knowing I couldn’t hide it any longer, I confessed, “I have a date.”
She crossed her arms and gave me one of her little smirks. “Is that right? Is this date with the guy you’ve been talking to all week?”
“How did you know I was talking to someone?”
“Come on, Dee. You’ve been on cloud nine for days. I figured you’d met someone. I was just waiting for you to tell me about him. So, who is it?” she pushed.
“His name is Sawyer,” I started. “He’s actually … a friend of Runt’s.”
I bit my bottom lip as I waited anxiously for my words to sink in. She blinked a couple of times, then asked, “He’s a friend of Runt’s? You mean he’s in that motorcycle club?”
“Yes. I met him that night at Daisy’s … and, again, at the hospital when his son broke his arm. We’ve been talking, and he asked me out.”
Her eyes drifted up to the ceiling as she let out a deep breath. Strange noises vibrated through her chest as she mulled over everything I just told her, then she looked back over to me and said, “So, you really like this guy?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“And you think you can handle all this biker crap, because there’s some pretty heavy stuff that comes with that,” she warned.
“I don’t know, but I think I’d like to try.”
She cocked her eyebrow as she said, “Okay, but you let this guy know, if he does anything shady, I’ll put a scalpel to his balls.”
I giggled as I told her, “I’ll be sure to let him know.”
As she walked over to my closet, she asked, “So, where are you going on this date of yours?”
“He’s taking me for a ride on his bike. He told me to wear jeans and boots.”
“It’s eighty-five degrees outside!”
“I know!”
“Okay. We’ll make it work,” she assured me. “So far, he’s only seen you in scrubs, right? Anything would be a step up from that.”
“You’d think, but I’m not so sure.”
“Have faith, chick. I’ll have you fixed up in no time.”
As promised, Robyn found me the perfect outfit. I wanted to wear my hair down, but she convinced me to braid it, warning me that the wind would make it a tangled mess. When I gave myself one final check in the mirror, I didn’t think I looked half bad. As I started downstairs to meet Sawyer, my nerves were churning inside of me, building with each step, and by the time I made it to the front door, I was practically trembling. After several slow, steady breaths, I forced myself forward, and once I was outside, I found him standing beside his motorcycle. Just as I imagined, he looked sexy as hell, and my heart started to race as I took my first step towards him. As soon as he spotted me, the corners of his mouth curled into the most delicious smile, sending my
hormones into complete overload.
“Morning, sunshine.”
His voice washed over me, sending a seductive chill down my spine. “Morning.”
“You ready to go?”
“Um-hmm.”
Sensing my unease, he asked, “Nervous?”
“Mmm … Just a smidge.”
“About the bike or about the date?”
I feigned a smile and replied, “A little of both.”
Then, he did something I wouldn’t have expected in a million years. With one quick swoop, he reached for me, placing his hands on my waist, and pulled me towards him. Before I had time to think, he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me with an intensity like I’d never known. His lips were soft and warm, and suddenly, I was leaning right into him. It was clear that he was no Prince Charming. There was no white horse. No castle on the hill. He was rough, tough, and sexy as hell—and my God, he could kiss like it was nobody’s business. His arms wound tight around me, inching me even closer as his tongue found its way into my mouth. I was holding on by a thread, and just as I was becoming completely lost in his touch, he pulled back, quickly breaking our embrace. His blue eyes danced with lust as they locked on mine. He lifted his hand up to my mouth, gently brushing the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip and asked, “You still feeling nervous?”
Still feeling a bit dazed, I muttered, “Hmm?”
“I’ll take that as a no.” He chuckled as he reached for my hand and led me over to the bike. He handed me a helmet, and after helping me put it on, he said, “You’re all set. Just hop on behind me.”
He got on and extended his hand, guiding me as I swung my leg over and eased on behind him. “Now, what?”
“Just put your feet on the pegs and hold on. Leave the rest to me.”
“I think I can handle that.”
“I thought you could.”
He started up the engine, and I held onto his waist as we pulled out onto the road. I’d lived in Memphis for three years, driven down the same roads we were riding on a hundred times, but everything seemed completely different being on the back of his bike. It was like the city was alive, a living, breathing organism, and we were a part of her. The wind was her breath. The different sounds, the music, the horns blowing in the distance were her voice. And the people, diverse in so many ways: rich, poor, dreamers, the homeless, those who sought a future, others who found despair—they were her heart. I’d never felt such a rush as I did nestled up behind him, crossing street after street, and when we finally stopped at our first destination, I was feeling better than ever. As he helped me off the bike, he asked, “Well, what did you think?”
