She gazed up at me, her eyes shiny. “It’s not your fault, but we can take your truck…or even better, my car.”
I rested my forehead on hers. “Baby, I’m strong. I’m off the heavy-duty pain meds because I’m not in pain. That bike is an extension of me, you know that. And I’d never - not ever - put you in danger. We’ll be fine.”
She glowered up at me, and hell if it wasn’t cute. “You’re not going to listen to me, are you?”
“I heard you, baby. You’re worrying for nothing. It’s five-point-five miles from here, door-to-door.”
Her eyes widened. “Yeah, most of it on Blanding Boulevard, are you nuts?”
I laughed…and for once it didn’t hurt. There hadn’t been too damned much to laugh at in the hospital.
She pulled her head back. “This isn’t funny.”
I smiled. “It is funny, but we can take Roosevelt instead.”
Her mouth dropped open, then closed. “That might actually be worse, it’s three lanes of crazy bob-and-weaving drivers speeding down the road.” She narrowed her eyes. “And you’d have to take that short stretch of Interstate to get over to Blanding… You just want to ride fast. I’m onto you, Raff.”
“Honey, I just want to ride. Period. Are you gonna get on my bike with me, or what?”
I loved watching her war with herself. The moment her expression softened, I knew she’d come around.
“Fine.”
That made me laugh again because Dad, Cal, and nearly all the brothers had told me, when a woman said ‘Fine,’ things were rarely anything but fine. I loved Alexandra so much, I’d enjoy every second of convincing her things weren’t just fine, but fuckin' great.
Twenty minutes later, I parked my Triumph at the far end of a long line of bikes. I noticed Cynic and Gamble’s bikes in the middle of the row, which meant the Biloxi brothers were here.
“Is there a party tonight?” Alexandra asked.
I slung my arm along her shoulders. “Not sure.”
We entered through the back door and strolled past the kitchen. Abby and Fiona were at the counter chopping vegetables. Blood and Cynic were at the small two-seater table cutting four whole chickens into pieces.
Abby glanced at us and locked eyes with Alexandra. “Tell me you drove.”
Alexandra tipped her head toward Blood. “Wouldhelet you drive when he’s convinced he’s good to ride his bike?”
Abby gave her a wry look. “Honey, he doesn’tletme do anything. I thought we taught you better.”
Blood winked at us. “That’s not true, Abs. I justletyou think that.”
Cynic glanced at us over his shoulder. “Glad you’re here, Raff.”
His words took me aback, and an unexpected surge of emotion clogged my throat. I swallowed it down. “Thanks, man.”
He nodded. “Go grab yourself a beer, and bring one back for me and Blood.”
Fiona arched a brow at Cynic. “Are you sharing one beer with Blood? You two are so close now.”
“Smart-ass, stop being a wordsmith,” Cynic muttered.
We wandered into the common room and went to the bar.
“It’s about fuckin’ time you showed up,” Beast said from behind the bar.
He was pulling a draft beer. Roman stood a foot away from Beast, holding a cocktail shaker in the air. Tundra and Cal were uncorking bottles of wine at the other end of the bar. It surprised me there weren’t any prospects around because all of this was shit we normally handled.
“Listen, Cynic and Blood want a beer. I’ll take those to them and get back behind the bar so you four can—”
