“No shit,” I scoff before sighing. “Just bring her home.”
His eyes narrow. “Got it,Pres,” he sneers as he spins on his heel and stalks away.
“Goddammit!” I shout at the empty space.
I stalk across the room and lift my cell off the small table next to the couch. After connecting the Bluetooth to the surround sound I’ve got wired throughout my quarters, I open my music app and hit the shuffle button.
Ozzy’s voice booms through the speakers as “Crazy Train” begins. Cranking the volume, I sing along, desperate to find solace in music like I’ve always done.
Song after song plays, and solace never comes. I smoke a joint, play my guitar, and let the lyrics bounce around in my head like a wayward silver ball in a pinball machine.
Finally, I collapse onto the bed, mental and physical exhaustion taking over.
“Where are we going?”
Mellie’s smile is wide and genuine, and I run my thumb over her bottom lip.
“Patience is a virtue,” I tell her, grinning wickedly.
“A virtue you know I don’t fucking have, Lyric,” she gripes with an adorable pout.
“C’mon, Mel.” I lift her and place her on my Harley. “Do you trust me?”
She reaches out to cup my cheek. “With my life.”
I give her a smacking kiss. “Good. Then shut up and enjoy the ride.”
Mellie playfully slaps me as I swing my leg over the seat. I fire up the engine and settle my hand on her thigh, and she wraps her arms around my waist. As soon as we pass through the gate and leave Kings of Anarchy property, I open up the throttle.
Twenty minutes later, I turn onto a gravel road that runs parallel to the coast. Mellie squirms behind me, and I can’t stop the grin spreading across my face. She loves the ocean, so I knew this was the only place that made sense for what I have planned.
“Why didn’t you just tell me this was where we were going?” she demands when I shut off the bike.
“You really don’t do well with surprises, do you?”
“Hi, my name is Mellie,” she teases. “Have you met me?”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “I have, and I love you, but shit… Can’t a guy get a break once in a while?”
She rolls her eyes and slides her arm around mine. “Fine. I’ll shut up. But I reserve the right to whine later if I don’t like this surprise.”
“She’s my kind of crazy,” I sing, my tone full of humor.
“Oooh, oooh, oooh… I know that one,” she says excitedly. “Um, Brantley Gilbert, ‘She’s My Kind Of Crazy’.”
“Oh, c’mon, like that was a hard one,” I taunt.
I lead her over the rocks to the beach, and her sharp intake of breath at the sight before us floats on the light breeze.
“You like it?” I ask, suddenly nervous.
She drops her arm and jumps up to wrap around me like a spider monkey, and I laugh while holding her tight.
“I love it,” she squeals. “A candle-lit dinner on the beach… What’s not to love?”
I jolt awake at the sound of banging on my door and groan at having my dream interrupted.
“This better be fucking good,” I grumble, getting to my feet and walking across the room to yank open the door.
