“That’d be great.” I threw some money down on the wooden bar top. Turning to Raine, I thanked her for everything. “I really do appreciateit.”
“Don’t mention it. You know where I’ll be most of the day if you decide to come back in for dinner or something. It’s not often we get women in here, and it’s kind of nice to not be the only set of tits in this place.” She giggled as Ryder eyed her for asecond.
“You’re not a set of tits, babe, even though this pregnancy thing really has them looking nice thesedays.”
She hit her husband in the shoulder before waving goodbye tome.
“Ready?” the other memberasked.
As I started to follow Mr. Sex-on-a-Stick out of the bar, he turned to me. “I’m Trent, by theway.”
I walked through the door he was holding for me. “I’mSloan.”
Chapter 3
Trent
It wasn’tevery day that a gorgeous woman who ten of my brothers hadn’t railed at some point walked into the bar. I was really getting tired of the damn cut sluts who just wanted to lick the tip of a biker’s dick. It was like a badge of honor to them, and it repulsedme.
Don’t get me wrong, I did fall prey to my primal desires from time to time—what guy wouldn’t? I just didn’t want to continue on that pathforever.
I walked a few paces behind Sloan as she made her way over to her beat-up Camry. Red spray paint was faded on the side of the white car. I could tell she had done her best to get the profanity off, but the wordwhorecould be made out if you looked close enough. I didn’t want to call attention to it, but I couldn’t let this poor woman drive around like that. I thought about it for a second and decided that keeping my mouth shut about the paint was just not going tohappen.
“Hey, what do you have planned the next couple of days?” I asked while trotting up next to her to open the driver’s door forher.
“Putting as many more miles between me and Boston as I possibly can.” Her tone was flat as she rolled hereyes.
I held on to the door once she got in, racking my brain for a good reason to get her car to our shop. I didn’t have one, so I just spit out what was on my mind. “I’ll repaint your car if you don’t mind sticking around these parts for the rest of the week. I’m a mechanic over at a garage about a mile away. We have some really talented body workguys.”
“Thanks, but I have been dealing with this for over a year now. I don’t even notice it anymore. Besides, I don’t have that kind of money right now.” She pulled on the door handle; apparently our conversation had come to anend.
I didn’t want to push her too much. I hopped on my bike, made the two turns toward the motel, and drove into the parking lot. I waited for her to pull in and walk into the office. She didn’t wave, didn’t even acknowledge me, not so much as a thank you. For some reason, that made me want to know her more. There was something so dark and troubling in her, a storm brewing deep down. It felt like she needed rescuing, and I recognized it because it mirrored the tempest withinme.
* * *
After beingat the garage for a few hours, I still couldn’t get Sloan out of my mind. I had barely gotten three oil changes done by the time Red came in from lunch with bright yellow mustard in the whiskers at the corners of hismouth.
“Slacking off today, kid.” He rolled his eyes, picking his teeth with the side of a businesscard.
“Just a little fogged today, brother. I’ll pick up the pace.” I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand before diving back under an Chevy Silverado to get the air filteroff.
“It’s that random broad, isn’t it? The one that was at the bar a bit ago?” Red knew me all too well. He spit on the ground next to my feet as he slouched into a foldingchair.
I rolled back out to grab another tool. “Yeah, man. There’s something about her. I can’t quite put my finger onit.”
He let out a forced laugh. “There’s always something about everyone with you, Tre. She was a hot little filly,though.”
“Yeah, she is pretty. It’s not just that. She seems different than the shallow bar flies that buzz around this place.” The need to defend Sloan was consuming andcompelling.
“I guess, but be careful. They all turn into whores at some point. Look at me and my old lady—she won’t even give me the time of fucking day. My daughter ain’t even talking to me rightnow.”
Bitter old man.“Once I’m done here, will you help me with something?” I had a plan. No one was going to like it, but it was going to work. Well, I needed it to work,anyway.
“Fuck it. Why not?” He threw another pinch of Red Man in the back of his jaw before offering the bag to me. I declined; chew had never been my thing. I loved smoking cigarettes but had kicked the habit when I dried out. Being an ex-junkie put a label on my back in the club. I still drank, but never as much as the guys thought I did. Without maintaining control, I was worried I would fall back down the rabbit hole. That was something I refused to ever let happenagain.
I finished up with the truck’s oil change and stood to stretch out my back. “You ready,brother?”
Red nodded, setting his reading glasses on the desk. He had been slaving away doing invoicing all damn day and was due for a little ride. I hopped into the driver’s seat of the tow truck and Red slid into the passenger’sside.
