He was already making a beeline for his room by the time Ayda turned her head to look at him, her head falling back on her shoulders before she laughed. It was short lived, as I’d expected it to be. By the time she was facing me again, her smile was a curl at the corners, and her hands found my shoulders, rubbing gently as she met my eyes.
“Are you completely certain about this?”
I parted my legs, pulling her in between them. “I’m absolutely sure about this. I won’t let you down.”
“That's not what I'm worried about, Drew.”
“But it's what I'm telling you right here, right now. I'll keep him safe. He won't get hurt. Nobody will get hurt. It's just a bunch of messed up teenagers, Ayda. We've got this.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ayda
Istill wasn’t confident about Tate’s involvement in this plan of Drew’s, but I had been appeased. Before we fell asleep, he walked me through every detail, completely upfront about anything that could possibly go wrong and the risks to Tate if something should go balls up, which he assured me it wouldn’t.
I’d spent so much time mulling it over, I wasn’t able to get much sleep for the second night in a row. My good mood was dwindling and my patience was wearing thin. The tiny fissures in my normally cheerful demeanor became huge cracks when I found all the coffee gone. Some asshole had taken the last cup and left the burner on to caramelize the dribbles because they were too lazy to make another pot. It was something that brought about some of my more colorful, less than flattering vocabulary.
“Okay, slugger, you and I need a day trip.”
I turned around to face Deeks. One of his thumbs was hooked through a belt loop on his jeans, and the other hand was holding a beer mug full of orange juice. The small smile that was hidden behind his beard told me he’d heard my slew of expletives.
“Don’t you mess with my emotions now, Deeks.”
“I’m serious, sugar. You need some air, and I know just the place for you to get some. Go get something warmer on and meet me at my bike.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. As much as I loved living in The Hut, there were days I just needed some extra space to gather my thoughts together, and that wasn’t always possible, not even in the little haven Drew built for me. There was always noise going on somewhere. Half of the men in the place were nocturnal, after all. Pair all of that with lack of sleep and the worry playing at the back of my mind at this business with Tate, and even I could admit I was a mess.
Dressed in layers with a smile on my lips from the goodbye I’d just shared with Drew, I bounced down the steps of the porch and headed to where Deeks was studying his bike, his thumb firmly rubbing the point of his chin before smoothing the hair again. He didn’t bother looking up when I approached. He simply picked up a spare helmet and tossed it in my direction before pulling on the facemask to protect himself from the brisk wind. The printed skeletal jaw was a little creepy, but it was one of those things you got used to. Swinging his leg over the bike, he fired it up and tipped his head in the direction of the seat behind him. Out of all the bikes in the pack, Deeks’ was probably my second favorite. He had aHeritage Softtail, which also came with a backrest for the passenger. As much as I loved riding on Drew’s brand new blacked outSportster Iron, it was nice to know I wasn’t about to be flung from the back if I had an itch on my nose. It also meant I could sit back and not crowd Deeks while he rode. There was something intimate about being pushed up against someone like that. The first and only time I’d ridden with Kenny it had been more than apparent that it was no longer anoption.
The growl of the bike coming to life was one of those sounds I was always going to love. The vibrations of all that power sitting beneath you gave you a rush of adrenaline and a promise, and it was easy to see why these guys loved their machines as much as they did.
Texas in November was chilly. It got colder the farther north you went. Deeks and I had only been riding for an hour, but my thighs and cheeks were numb by the time he turned off onto a narrow country lane. Most of it was dirt, forcing Deeks to navigate the terrain slowly as he avoided potholes and puddles. When we emerged from the wall of trees and dust, I sucked in a breath of surprise. We might as well have been in another world. Sitting in the middle of a plot of land was a beautiful and well-kept double wide that had been well loved and expanded over the years. There was a wraparound porch with hanging plants draping over the edges like waterfalls, and the yard was mesmerizing. The fairy garden that ran along the edge of the forest backing onto the property was elaborate and stunning.
I tapped Deeks on the shoulder with numb hands as he pulled up next to a beat-up Jeep. “Where are we?”
Deeks was still in the process of removing his gloves and mask when the sound of the screen door's creaky hinges caught my attention, and I saw Autumn hopping down the porch steps with a bright smile on her lips—one that was now matching mine.
“Well ain’t this a pleasant surprise?” she said, sweeping me into a hug before I could swing my leg over to get off the motorcycle.
“Damn, woman, be careful of the bike,” Deeks huffed,gripping the handlebars to keep it upright.
“Oh, hush, baby. Selene could survive an apocalypse.”
“Selene?” I asked, still caught up in the hug, my body at a weird angle. I turned my head to look at Deeks, who was more amused than pissed off.
“That’s his bike, darlin’. He won’t admit he gave her a name to anyone else, but you’re family so you get all the good gossip.”
“Why Selene?”
“She was a goddess, said to be the embodiment of the moon.”
“Makes sense.”
“That’s what I said.” Autumn looped her arm through mine and swung back to link her other through Deeks’. “Y’all come on inside. I have some fresh brewed iced tea, some coffee, and I’ve made cornbread.”
“Baby, I told you we weren’t gonna be here long,” Deeks said, kissing the top of her head and reaching forward to open the door for us both.
“Are you telling me you can’t escape that clubhouse of yours for the day?”
