Thumper moves to the back of the bike and reaches into a leather bag he has hooked to the side. Just as he sticks his hand inside, he turns his head and his eyes land on me.
At first, he doesn’t say anything. I don’t either.
I stand as still as possible with my eyes narrowed. I won’t show any fear. Although, the last time I laid eyes on him, I wasn’tsure I’d ever draw another breath. Maybe if I don’t move, I’ll blend into the background somehow.
“What the…” he starts, and I know my plan didn’t work.
Duh.
“Don’t start,” Wylder warns, his body visibly becoming rigid as he moves himself in front of me.
But I, being the nosy bitch I am and unable to back down from anything, including a fight, take one step to the left.
Thumper’s eyes narrow into little slits like he’s stalking prey as he steps away from the bike but doesn’t pull out the much-needed part. “Brother, is that Tate, or am I seeing shit?”
“Don’t make me kick your ass for a second time in as many months. I don’t have the energy this morning.”
Thumper lets out a loud, long chuckle. “I’m sober, and the other time, I wasn’t. You couldn’t knock me on my ass when my body isn’t swaying.”
Wylder crosses his arms, his body still tight and every muscle bulging. “Wanna bet?”
“I don’t feel like riding back with bruised ribs.” Thumper swipes his hand through the air, waving his brother off. “It’s not worth it. You can fuck whoever you want to fuck, but,” he says, raising his hand and pointing a meaty finger at me, “I’d watch out for that one.”
Oh boy.
Wylder takes a step forward, the veins on the side of his neck popping out.
“Wylder,” I say, reaching out to touch his arm, but he moves too far away and stalks right up to Thumper.
As soon as they’re eye to eye, my heart starts to race double time. Nothing about this is good. While I’m certain Wylder would win in a fight, I don’t want to watch the two of them beat each other over me.
“It’s fine, Wylder. Let Thumper think what he wants,” I say as they snarl at each other. I fully expect them to start foaming at the mouth with all the noises coming from them. “It’s not worth it.”
“Yeah, Wylder. Listen to the woman,” Thumper taunts with a shitty smirk.
“Mywoman,” Wylder states with a firmness to his voice that has my knees going weak.
Thumper takes a step back, his eyes roaming from Wylder to me and back to Wylder. “Yourwoman?” he asks with a raised eyebrow, looking as shocked as I feel.
We still haven’t had a talk about what we are to each other. I’m not sure we’re at thatmineandyourspart of the relationship yet.
In all honesty, I’m not even mad about it either. We’re beyond the age where we need to have “the talk” to define what we are to each other…right?
Wylder closes the space between them again, and all I can do is watch as panic climbs up my throat, replacing the momentary flutter of the previous statement. “I know what happened in the past, and if you talk shit about her or come near her, I’ll end you.”
Thumper jerks his chin back, and his lips flatten. “You’re serious?”
“Dead,” Wylder grits out between his clenched teeth.
Thumper’s eyes swing to me. I can almost see the wheels turning in his brain. This is either going to go extremely bad, or we’ll leave the past in the past. I don’t know if Thumper has the ability to leave shit behind us. Hell, I’m not sure I have that ability either.
“She is a hot piece of ass, though,” Thumper says, but his face isn’t relaxed as he says it. It’s like it’s painful for him to admitanything positive about me, even if it is an asshole statement to make about your brother’s girlfriend in front of her.
Am I pretty? I guess. I’m not ugly. I don’t have a third eyeball, and I spend many a weekend waxing off the mustache on my upper lip because the Italian genes are way too strong in my family for me not to have unsightly hair somewhere.
I have a nice ass. Big and round. The perfect amount to be more than a handful for any man, even one with big hands like Wylder.
I am soft and curvy everywhere. Bones don’t stick out anywhere they shouldn’t. I look like one of those women in the old Renaissance paintings with lush breasts and a soft middle. I am meant for the snuggle life and to bear children because my hips are not narrow.
