Shit, if Calloway can make someone as good as Maggie fall in love with him, surely there is a shot for Asher and me, right?
“I don’t know, maybe…” I say quietly.
“You know what I’ve realized about Asher?”
“What?”
“He’s like a wolf. He protects those he has claimed as his. His pack. You two might have met in hell, but he claimed you, and ever since, he’s done everything he could to protect you. As far as I’m concerned, you’d be a fucking fool to walk away from something like that.”
He’s not wrong.
Asher is always watching, waiting, and ready to strike when needed.
The only question is, does he see me as family or something more? And which do I want to be?
ASHER
I’m changing the oil on my bike when Yak, Trout, and Eagle walk into the shop, laughing and having a good time.
“Dude, I swore to god we were going to jail for life that night,” Yak says.
“Jail, yeah, maybe, but not for life. It’s not like we killed someone.” Trout chuckles.
“You don’t go to jail for life for driving off with the gas nozzle still in your tank, which I’m still trying to figure out how the fuck you managed. It literally was in front of you, between your damn arms.” Eagle laughs.
“Fuck you. I’m not the only one who’s done stupid shit. May I remind you about the instant mashed potatoes in the principal’s yard…” Yak says.
“Don’t forget that we toilet-papered the place first and Saran-wrapped his car.” Trout wheezes.
“He was a fucking dick bag. As far as I’m concerned, we went easy on him,” Eagle says, making me chuckle.
The guys freeze and slowly turn toward me, realizing they aren’t alone for the first time.
“When did you get in here?” Yak asks.
“Since before you three came in,” I say, holding up my grease-covered hands. “Nice touch with the Saran Wrap. Should have egged his car first.”
“Are you making fun of us?” Eagle asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Okay, you’ve heard some of the stupid shit we did. Tell us what you got away with that no one knows about,” Yak says.
I shake my head and look back down at my bike. “I don’t have stories like that. My childhood was nothing like that.”
“What do you mean?” Trout asks as he hops up onto one of the workbenches.
“My dad was in the FBI and a hard ass. It was all about appearances and making sure we didn’t disgrace him while out in public. Because of his job, we moved around a lot. Whenever I would start to really get into a friend group, it would be time to move.”
“Your dad was…did he retire?” Eagle asks.
I look up at him.
Does he really not know?
I know the club ran checks on me before they agreed to let me join. Panther and, for sure, Meek know my story.
“My dad died in the line of duty when I was in middle school. Then, right before high school graduation, my mom died from cancer,” I tell them.
