After I found Cece’s helmet in the garage, I locked it to my bike, then headed over to the elementary school. McKelle lived outside of town, so going anywhere was never quick.
By the time I rolled up to the school, cars lined the curb on both sides. I slid my bike into a small gap between two SUV’s and dropped the sidestand. Then I checked my phone while I waited for her.
Tank: Willy is on his way to the jail. He’ll come by the MC tonight.
Cruz: Time?
Because I had to work, especially now that I would need money for the attorney. I was going to cover his bike payments, too. Ryatt hadn’t done anything to deserve time. I had.
I was still waiting for his reply when the bell sounded. Less than a minute later, kids began to pour out of the school. I put my phone away. Hopefully, Cece would spot me because there were a lot of fucking kids, all wearing the same clothes, running down the grassy hill toward the cars.
And then I heard her. A sharp piercing squeal followed by my name stretched into ten syllables. “Crrrruuuuuzzz.”
I spun around. She ran down the sidewalk, her backpack bouncing, and her arm waving at me.
I smiled, climbed off my bike, and stepped onto the sidewalk as she rushed toward me.
“Did you come to scare Bobby Joe?”
“I came to pick you up, but no reason I can’t do both. Where is he?” I glanced around the kids staring at me and my Harley. “Think if I show him the Heller patch and give him the look, he’ll cry?” I demonstrated the look narrowing my gaze and pulling my lip into a snarl.
She laughed, and I unhooked her helmet from my bike.
“Where’s McKelle?” she asked.
“Helping your mom with Buttercup.” I handed her the helmet. “No flipping anyone off. Not the first time I have you on my bike.” I made sure her clip was tight, then I climbed on the bike, and she climbed on behind me.
Once settled against me, she tapped my shoulder. “Just the first time, right?”
“Hold on,” I said and laughed.
I backed out from between the two cars. Cece held on with one arm and waved at her friends with the other. She squealed and laughed. In my side mirror, Iwatched her throw rock-on hand horns and pinch her face into a menacing scowl.
Badass little sister.
The loud pipes rumbled as I rode down the street. I could feel her vibrating with excitement. She laughed as I rolled the throttle, and her arms loosened.
“Hold on, Cece.”
“Okay,” she hollered through her helmet’s face shield, and her thin arms tightened around me.
Once off the highway, the noise of the wind lessoned. I smiled because even though her voice was muffled by the roar of the bike and her helmet, she was singing. If I had to guess, she’d be doing T Swift proud.
I pulled into the driveway and groaned. McKelle’s dad had the Nitro Racing trailer pulled alongside the garage. A couple of other guys rolled bikes out of the back and into the garage.
Lane crossed his arms over his chest as I pulled up beside the trailer, killed the engine, and dropped the sidestand.
Cece held my arm as she slid off the seat. In two seconds, she had the clip undone and her helmet pulled off.
“When I’m old enough, I want a Harley,” she demanded with a wide grin on her face. “I want a loud Street Bob like Cruz.”
“Go find your mom. I need to talk to Cruz.”
Well, fuck. This didn’t look good. Before I could explain that Linda had asked me to go, Cece strode past her dad and headed into the Nitro trailer. “Don’t have to,” she said. “Here she comes.”
“Cece,” Linda scolded. “Change your clothes first.”
She stomped off toward the house.
