“I’d do you a major discount on a spray job for this. Like huge, massive discount. I mean, this’d be amazing!”
Rocket wasn’t so bad once he was just talking in a quieter tone, and he was standing far enough back that he wasn’t crowding me. Harley, on the other hand, was standing so close, I could feel warmth emanating from him and into me, and it didn’t scare me. It didn’t bother me at all. It made me feel safe. Was he the person I’d waited my life for? Someone who’d offer comfort instead of fear or intimidation? Someone who was already showing me that my boundaries were just acceptable and respected, instead of in his way?
“I’ll bring a spare desk out of storage, and set it up over here,” he said suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts, as I watched him and Rocket plan out my temporary workstation.
“I’d need to bring my scanner, and laptop, so I’ll need to plug both in too.” I pointed at the sockets in the wall, and they rearranged their planning to allow for that.
Just like that, it was all decided. I’d bring my laptop in tomorrow, and sit and work through the book. That meant Rocket could carry on doing his thing, and know his precious pictures were safe and nearby. And maybe then I could afford that gorgeous skull design. I’d always enjoyed the fact that my motorbike was an electric blue colour, and so perfect and pristine, but now I was picturing a very different look. What if the rest of the bodywork, including the mud-guard, was in black and purple too?
“Rocket, Grease is coming in tomorrow to map out the camera feeds and stuff. You gonna manage to not be a dick to him?”
I watched as Rocket glared at Harley briefly. “He’sthe dick. Still feel like he’s just slumming it with us because it’s all a game to him. This is our fucking lives.”
Harley sighed, reaching under his counter for what looked like a leather jacket or something. I caught a glimpse of a ‘VP’ patch stitched onto it. Was that what I thought it was? Proof that he wasn’t just a bike shop guy, but a bikeclubguy too?
He tucked it under his arm and turned to face Rocket again.
“He’s a good guy, man, and he’s fallen in love with the life. Can you just ease off and get along? I don’t want a pissing contest here, okay?”
“I promise to only piss in the can.”
Rocket was still laughing as I reached the door, ushered ahead of Harley.
“Lock up when you’re done. I’m out, got a meeting with Micro. Caroline, wait outside and I’ll bring her around for you.”
I dutifully waited outside for Harley, and I noticed he was wearing that leather item when he parked up outside. It wasn’t a jacket but a waistcoat, and it definitely said VP on it on one side, with his name on the other. When he turned around to rest the bike on its stand, there was a large image of a phoenix with flaming wings on the back, and it said Phoenix MC Hampshire. Oh god. He really was a biker, and that meant Rocket was too. And someone called Grease? No wonder they all had weird names.
“You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Harley rested warm hands on my upper arms and waited for me to lift my head and look at him. There was so much kindness and unthreatening friendliness coming from him, and that made me wonder if him being in a biker club might not be the horror it seemed to be. Maybe they weren’t bad guys as such. You hear such horriblethings, but maybe it was worth letting him prove to me one way or another just who he was. Hadn’t he been doing that already?
Chapter Twelve
IWAS STILL STEWING by the time I reached the clubhouse. She’d denied that anything was wrong, and left with a small smile, but I was getting to know her tells, and something was definitely bothering her.
Was it something I said or did? As I walked toward Micro’s office, my fingers suddenly rested on my cut. The essential part of my wardrobe that I’d put on without conscious thought before I climbed astride a motorcycle. Why the fuck didn’t I think that through? What was going through my head? I felt safer being myself around her, that was for sure, but the club wasn’t something we’d discussed.
What a fucking idiot. What if she thought it meant I was a bad guy?
Micro’s door opened, and he heaved a dramatic sigh as he watched me slowly approaching.
“That VP patch slowing you down, man? You were never late for anything ’til you got it.”
I picked up my pace and squeezed past him as he backed up to let me through.
“Sorry. Head’s in a mess. I’ve got everything though.” I nodded at Grease, who was lounging in the other chair like a complete slob. I swear he’d kicked back even more since his little disappearing act, but in some ways he seemed happier, so I guess his little lady was the reason.
“You wanna get even more laid back, man?” I joked as I sat down and opened my tablet to the appropriate sketches.
“Eat me. At least I was on time.”
“You live here. I have a day job, so suck it.”
“Whoa, what’s grinding your gears, man?”
I set the tablet down as we all moved closer to look at it.
“Probably the same shit that had you hiding out recently.”
He started laughing, Micro joining him, as they ignored my carefully drawn, but admittedly rudimentary, sketches.
