Shit. I sound like a moron.
A thick cold goo clogs up my ear, and it’s only then that I feel her removing her finger and realize she’s shoved the mud in my ear. My fucking ear. I narrow my eyes at her as she steps back, waves her finger to direct me to stay put, and grins wildly.
“You’re in for it,” I say as I take off after her. She screams and takes off running through the parked cars. I could outrun her, but I want to let her think she has a chance.
“D, help! D! Help!” she screams. I look up to find her hiding behind Diesel, who is in the corner of the lot, perched on his bike. His helmet rests on his handlebars, and his tanned muscles are exposed by the black wife-beater he wears under his cut.
“Back off, prospect. The lady wants to be left alone,” Diesel says through a smile. He stands from the bike and ushers her over to him where he tosses an arm around her shoulders and then walks her to her car. It takes me a moment to realize that I’m standing in the middle of the parking lot, smiling like an idiot. Alone.
Cheyenne climbs into her Bug that’s parked in the center of the lot. Once she’s securely inside, Diesel makes his way back to his bike. I parked the bike Grady gave me just a few feet from his, so I follow his path.
“Grady is going to chop your dick off and eat it for breakfast,” Diesel says. He’s way too smiley right now. It’s creeping me out.
“Probably.” We grab our helmets and climb on our bikes. Before I start my engine, I say, “But it’ll be worth it.”
CHAPTER 2
November
17 months to Mancuso’s downfall
Diesel starts up his bike and takes off after Cheyenne, who’s turning out of the lot. I follow suit and spend the short ride home thinking about ways to get her to talk to me again. She’s cute to look at but better to actually talk to. Maybe I need to beat up more football players. Or I could tease her some more. Maybe I could just talk to her, but that might be too weird.
When I pull up to the house and walk in, I’m met with my sister, Nic, and her old man, Duke. They’re hogging up the couch as per usual. He’s wearing a pair of old jeans and nothing else, and she’s in one of his shirts and I hope something else. Their legs are entwined, and one of his arms is stretched over her shoulders, tucking her into his side. His other arm is stretched out with his hand palming her stomach. Her small frame is dwarfed by his large one in all areas except for her growing belly.
Despite the constant half nudity in the house, he’s good for us. He’s going to be good for my niece or nephew, too. I just like having a guy around here. For one, we out-vote Nic on almost everything, and for two, I’ve finally learned how to ride. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do—ride a Harley just like my dad and his brothers. But none of that means he can’t be a serious fucking prick to live with. In my house. He’s like a bossy squatter that can rip my dick off if he so chooses.
Duke had offered to teach me a few years back, but Jim put the gavel down on that. Nic didn’t even know I was showing up at the clubhouse as often as I could get away with. If one of the guys had taught me to ride, she would have had a fucking fit, and if there’s anything my sister is a pro at, it’s throwing a fit.
“You’re all muddy,” Nic says with a raised eyebrow. She points her index finger in my direction as if to tell me to stay in the hardwood entry.
Duke lifts his chin in greeting. He catches sight of the mud on my jeans and the bottom of my cut. I just shrug my shoulders and shake my head. I’m not about to shoot the shit about Cheyenne to these two assholes. The second I tell Nic I got my eye on a girl, and not just my dick interested in her, she won’t fucking let it go. Ever. Nic’s like that—she nags endlessly—and somehow I just know if I refuse to give her what she wants, she’s going to pester the fuck out of Duke until he makes me. So yeah, I ain’t saying shit about the mud or the girl, and I hope that Diesel doesn’t find the little scene he witnessed earlier newsworthy.
“Yeah.” I leave it at that.
“Hey, since you’re up, grab me some food. Eileen called me in since Mindy didn’t show, so I have to get to the shop soon,” she says.