She shook herhead. “That’s not what I meant. Her father’s like the head honcho of amotorcycle club or something. I highly doubt you’ll be able to get anywherenear her.”
“Knowing you andwhere you get your information from, he’s probably the third-ranked salesman ofcertified, pre-owned Honda ATVs in the Pacific Northwest.”
“Shut up,” sheretorted. “No, seriously. I’ve seen him around here before. He’s got the beardand the leather vest, the whole nine yards. And even though I haven’t met him,he looks like the kind of guy who’d put his cigar out on your eyeball if you somuch as looked at his daughter.”
“I’ll make sureIride easywhen I’m around her,” I said, making the revving gesture asI said, ‘ride easy.’
“Oh my god,don’t ever do that again,” she admonished. “You on a motorcycle is about asbelievable as Mom on a zipline over a volcano.”
“What?” I cockedmy head. “I’m cool.”
“You’rejockcool. That’s way different than being hot, motorcycle cool… and riding dirtbikes around grandad’s farm doesn’t count.”
“What? Now youdon’t think I’m hot enough for her?”
“Oh my god, I’mnot about to talk about where my brother rates on the hotness scale.” She madegagging noises as she pretended to choke. “Now, finish your beer while I pullthe pie out of the oven to cool.”
I took a swig ofbeer and stared at the front door as my sister walked back into the kitchen. MCprincess, hm? Daisy didn’t look like a biker woman. Not that I knew the firstthing about biker culture, but she was blonde, curvy, obviously knew fashion,and soft in all the right places. She didn’t appear to be hard or tatted out,and if she knew how fucking gorgeous she was, she certainly wasn’t acting likeit.
There was aninnocence about Daisy, and I intended to find out more about her… used ATVsalesman father or not.
Huck
THE NEXT MORNING, I had just stepped intothe hallway with two bags of trash when I heard an angry male voice growl, “Whatthe hell, Ducky? Why the fuck were you at Elixir without us at your back?”
I looked up tosee two men crowding Daisy at her door and saw red. I didn’t notice the patcheson the backs of their jackets, didn’t notice the motorcycle boots or the factthey might be carrying weapons, just reacted to the fact they appeared to bethreatening her.
I dropped thetrash and rushed to the bigger of the two, checking him face first into thewall, and forcing one arm behind his back.
“What the fuckdo you think you’re doing?” I snarled.
Daisy gasped,while the other guy pulled out a gun. The guy I was holding just chuckled.
“Oh my god,Arch, put that away.” Daisy turned to me and reached for my arm. “It’s okay,Huck, these are—”
Before she couldsay anything further, cell phones pealed in the silence of the hallway.
The guy I washolding struggled, albeit not particularly hard. “Get the fuck off me, man.”
“No,” I snapped.
“Hi, Mama,”Daisy breathed out as ‘Arch’ said, “Hey, Pops.”
I heard an angryvoice coming from the man through the phone, but Arch walked away while Daisycontinued to speak with her mother.
“Hold on, Mom,”she said, and focused on me again. “Huck, that’s my brother, Cash. Can youplease let him go?”
I gave him onemore shove before releasing him, and Cash scowled as he pushed off the wall.
“Thank you,”Daisy said, then went back to her call. “Okay, Mom, it’s all good now. Can Icall you back? Yes, Archer’s talking to Daddy now.” She sighed. “Will youplease talk him down off the ledge?” She glanced my way. “Daddy absolutely doesnotneed to come here. No. I have finals next week and I have to study.If he comes down here beating his chest, just like Cash and Archer did, thenI’m going to lose my ever-loving shit, and I’ll be forced to forget I’m alady.”
I bit back alaugh as I watched this glorious woman spear her brother with a look I knewshe’d hoped would kill, but only made her look cute as a fucking button as shedid it.
“Okay, Mama.Thanks.” She smiled. “Love you, too. Bye.” She hung up and slid her phone intoher pocket, then crossed her arms. “Cash, this is Huck. Huck, meet Cash.”
We both glaredat each other, and Daisy sighed. “Jesus, why can’t I just have quiet, meek menin my orbit?”
Archer camejogging up a few seconds later and Daisy turned to him. “Did you talk himdown?”
