Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“They’ll expect you on the back of my bike,” Curtis said, setting the helmet on my head when I wouldn’t take it from him.
“I’m wearing shorts and a tank top,” I replied flatly. “I don’t even have boots on.”
He moved closer as he buckled the helmet at my chin. “You think I’d let anythin’ happen to you?” he asked softly. “It’s about ten minutes of back roads.”
“I…” I looked down at my bare legs. “Fine,” I conceded. Climbing onto the back of Curt’s bike was the least risky thing I’d done in the past week.
I let him tug me toward the bike and waited as he swung his leg over, climbing on behind him as soon as his ass was on the seat. My palms were clammy as I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my front to his back. Seconds later, we were pulling onto the street, and I closed my eyes, resting the helmet against the Aces insignia between his shoulder blades.
Once upon a time, I’d loved riding on the back of a motorcycle. My pop had one when I was a kid, and I loved nothing better than the weekends when he’d take me out with nowhere to be, usually ending up at some random ice cream shop or hole-in-the-wall diner. They were some of my best memories. All that had changed when I’d made the mistake of riding with Mike, who’d thought it was hilarious to scare the shit out of me. Finn’s father hadn’t had an ounce of self-preservation, and he’d been more than willing to drag me down with him. I was lucky we’d made it home in one piece.
Curtis must’ve felt my fear, because after a few minutes of the smooth ride, he peeled my left hand from where it was fisted in his shirt and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back before setting it back where I’d had it. He dropped his hand to my thigh and gave it a squeeze, keeping it there until we slowed into a tight corner. A few minutes later, I lifted my head to find that we were turning off the road. Dylan’s truck pulled through a guarded gate ahead of us, and Curtis nodded to the man monitoring the entry as we rolled past him.
I let out a long, relieved breath as I looked around. The Aces compound was out in the woods down a long, freshly paved driveway. You couldn’t really see it from the road, even though the buildings were big. The clubhouse and garage were connected, and there was a sea of Harleys out front, lined up like soldiers. Further down, there were a bunch of cars parked, and that’s where Dylan drove to while Curtis and I rode toward the bikes.
As soon as he’d parked, I climbed off the motorcycle, trying to hide the way my hands shook. We’d made it in one piece, and he hadn’t done a single thing to make me think that we wouldn’t.
“Hey,” he said, following me as I stepped out of his way. His hands caught me, pushing mine away so he could take off the helmet. “You good?”
“I’m fine.” I looked past him through the sea of parked cars, wondering where the kids were.
“Teddy,” he murmured, drawing me closer. When our eyes met, he cursed. “You afraid of the bike?”
“Mike had one for a while,” I explained vaguely. I’d tried my best to put those memories behind me, and I didn’t want to relive the ways he’d terrorized me with it. Thankfully, Curtis seemed to understand, because he just gave a short nod and leaned over to set the helmet on his Harley. When he turned back toward me, it looked like he was going to say something, but his mouth snapped shut as he looked over my shoulder.
“About time,” a man’s voice called from behind me just as the kids came into view. Jesse was holding Finn’s hand and carrying the pasta salad I’d completely forgotten.
“Hey,” Curtis replied as I turned to look at the man coming toward us. He was older, and his coloring was different, but there was no mistaking that he was Curtis and Draco’s dad. The man was as big as his sons and just as ripped. “Dad, this is Teddy.”
“Teddy,” he greeted with a smile. “Cam. You probably don’t remember, but we’ve met.”
“Sorry,” I murmured, shaking my head as he grasped my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“You were just a little thing,” he explained, lowering his other hand to below his hip. “With huge brown eyes. Looked like a doll.”
I let out a startled laugh. I couldn’t remember anyone ever describing me as doll-like. I’d spent most of my childhood covered in dirt from head to toe from wrestling around with my brothers.
“Mom,” Finn said excitedly as the kids reached us. “Dylan let me shift gears.”