Cece licked salt from her fingers. “Dad told him we didn’t need him to volunteer.”
A tremor started in my chest and migrated into my limbs. “Did he leave?”
This time she turned her head to the left and right, then shrugged.
Anxiety flared through me as I considered a couple of possible outcomes. All of them would end up in a typical fight with Cruz. Fights were never just fights with us. I didn’t want him here. I didn’t want my dad to witness another argument, or worse, more tears. And I didn’t want Ryatt to see me weak.
I had to find Cruz before he found me. Spotting him shouldn’t be hard. He’d be wearing the stupid patch.
Chapter Five
Cruz
I leaned against the wall of the snack shack, smoked a cigarette, and watched her. As if she’d pulled a loaded gun and fired, she’d blown a fucking hole in my chest when she’d cut me off.
I’d made mistakes. Fucked up when she probably shouldn’t have forgiven me. Not this time. Not with Bullet and Jinx. That shit wasn’t the problem. I hadn’t fucked Jinx. I hadn’t touched her.
My chest was tight, and my guts were coiled into a hard, heavy knot. Maybe I should’ve known she’d be pissed. I did know. That’s why I hadn’t told her I was one of the seven bikers. I’d been in the room, with my dick in my fist, my eyes closed, and imagining McKelle on her knees in front of me. Camera angles made it appear I was involved, but when I came, it wasn’t my jizz on Jinx’s tits.
McKelle approached her dad’s pit with Romeo’s friend, Ryatt. If he touched her, I’d break his fucking arm. The guy was just like McKelle, completely amped up on fast bikes and talking about getting a knee down in the corners. McKelle was smiling and laughing.
Once in the pit, her dad rested a hand on Ryatt’s shoulder and led him over to a group of guys. Good.Keep him the fuck away from my girl. I doubt her old man would tell her I’d been here for the last couple of hours.
I’d expected him to give me a bunch of shit. Either for being late or for showing up at all depending on what McKelle had told him. He’d just said they had enough volunteers.
I’d watched the sessions, but she hadn’t been on the track. No way was I leaving without seeing her. She sat next to her sister. I couldn’t hear what they said, but Cece must have said something because McKelle scanned the crowd. A slow smile curved my mouth.
She was looking for me. Jumping from her chair, she spoke a few words to her dad and Ryatt. She headed toward the spectator stands, crossing paths with where I stood in the shadows.
Once she passed, I fell into step behind her. Focused on what was in front of her, she failed to notice me following. She said hi to a couple of people, but she didn’t pause. Scanning left and right, she weaved through the crowd.
As she neared the end of the pits, she turned along the backside of a blocked garage. Orange cones marked it as out of service.
I moved quickly, coming up behind her. “Looking for me?” I whispered, banded my arm around her waist, and propelled her into the empty garage.
She sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t try to break my hold. “Yes.”
Once inside the shadowed garage, I loosened my grip on her. She spun in my arms as I backed her against the wall. I braced my hands against the cinderblock wall, caging her, and I closed the space between us.
The scent of engine exhaust and sweet sweat blended with her perfume. Her pulse fluttered wildly at the base of her throat. I trailed my lips against her slightly salty skin, breathing her in. “You can’t fucking shut me out,” I whispered.
“I can do whatever I want, just like you.” She braced her hands on my chest, but the slight pressure did nothing to dislodge me. We were going to talk, probably argue, and at some point, figure us out.
“Nothing happened,” I repeated. “I fucked up. But not with us.” I took a step back but not enough to give her room to escape. “I swear to fucking god, I didn’t lie to you.”
She sighed and sagged against the wall. “You didn’t lie about fucking her, but you might as well have because you’ve lied about everything else.”
I was trapped in my fear that she wouldn’t believe me. That I’d finally fucked this up between us. A prickle skated along my flesh.
My fingers trembled as I touched her cheek. “I know. I’m sorry. If you’ll let me explain.”
“I don’t care anymore. Nothing you say will change that you’re a Heller,” she said. “I can’t compete with Bullet, the club, and the patch.”
I curved my hand around her nape. “There’s no competition. I care about you.”
Tears slipped onto her cheek. “Then you’re lying to yourself, too.” She covered my hand. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Don’t give up on me. I need you, baby.” My hand tightened on her throat. “I know you need me.”
