Used to him, I let my mind wander as we left the compound, cursing the Jaguar’s quiet engine for letting me imagine I heard the rumble of bikes every six seconds.
Then I did hear them. One, at least, and a familiar Dyna buzzed my window.
Locke.
I couldn’t see his face, and I still missed Nash, but the sight of his hulking frame settled something inside me, drowning out River’s ominous words.
“He’s going to follow us.”
I glanced at Saint. “How can you tell?”
“He always does.”
Saint came as close to smirking as he ever did at me.
I poked him with my long nails. “If you’re going to act like Rubi, take me home.”
Saint didn’t take me home. With Locke in tow, he drove to a camping shop five minutes away from the compound and parked in a bay outside.
Locke rumbled to a stop beside my door, lifting his helmet with one hand and staying me with the other.
Wait.
Saint got out while Locke glanced around. Only then did they deign to letmeout of the car, but I knew better than to argue. I’d been a Rebel Queen my whole life—I’d been atargetmy whole life—and these boys would die for me whether I fought them or not.
I got out of the car and Locke’s hand came, as it always did when we were out, to the small of my back, not touching, just hovering. Teasing. Sometimes I ached to grab his hand and force it to my skin, but I’d never do it. Locke had choices. He deserved them—heneededthem, even if the reality of himpassingme to Saint made me want to punch everyone in the dick.
Locke steered me into the shop behind Saint, and I took Saint’s arm like we were lovers, not siblings-in-law or whatever. “Are you going to tell me what you want to buy?”
He led me to a shelf of hammocks and pointed at one. “I don’t want the stand.”
“Just the hammock? You could’ve ordered that off Amazon.”
He stared at me like I was a mutant. Then he pointed at the print on the hammock’s blue fabric. At first glance, it looked like fish. On my second, I realised it was mermen and pirates, and knew the significance of that should’ve meant something to me. But I wasn’t like him. I didn’t remember every little thing about everyone. It would come to me later.
Maybe.
I took the hammock bag from the shelf and detached it from the box containing the stand. Anyone else, I’d have questioned why they couldn’t take the stand home and use it for something else.
Not Saint. I let go of his arm and marched to the sales counter, dropping the hammock in front of the grebo at the till.
The creep looked straight at my boobs.
Why are men like this?
It was a sad fact that I was spoiled by the Kings I shared my life with.
“That comes with a stand,” the man eventually said.
“No, it doesn’t. This was by itself.”
“Are you sure? It definitely comes with a—”
“I’m as sure as I am about wanting your eyesup here.” I flashed a sweet and deadly smile at the same moment Saint came to my side. “I’m assuming that won’t be a problem?”
It wasn’t a problem. I bought the hammock with the cash Saint slipped into my hand, and we left the shop, unsurprised when the door slammed shut behind us, bolts shunting into place.
Locke cocked a brow. “Making friends again?”
