I reluctantly pried myself away, moving to stand and straighten myself. “Yeah,” I agreed.
“Here,” he said, handing me my long since discarded shirt.
“I’m still so hot. I’m just headed to the showers anyway.” I wrinkled my brow.
His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. “You’re not walking through the gym like that. Put it on,” he ordered.
“Fine,” I huffed, snatching it out of his hand and pulling it over my head. “Put this on then,” I challenged with a raised brow, handing him his own shirt. If I had to cover up, then he did too.
He rolled his eyes but took the shirt from me, yanking it down over his head. “Happy?”
“Thrilled.” I grinned as his phone rang.
“Hey, Ry,” he greeted his brother, his eyes trained on me. I watched his brow crease before his expression grew hard. “No, I’ve got Soph, but I’ll take care of it.” He paused for a minute, his stance tense. “No, Ry, I got it. Call you later.”
“What is it?” I asked quietly after he ended the call.
“Some shit with my ma,” he grumbled. “I’ll drop you at Sal’s and head out for a while,” he told me.
I studied him for a moment, taking in his guarded expression and stiff posture. I knew his childhood had been dysfunctional at best. Aside from that, I didn’t know much. He was always protecting everyone else, even his brother. I wanted him to know he could rely on me to do the same for him.
“I want to come,” I replied firmly.
“What? No.” He shook his head as he stalked past me.
“Kat will watch Mad a while longer,” I grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face me. “Let me come, please, babe,” I practically pleaded.
His hand went to the back of his neck in a gesture I recognized as stress. “Why?” he asked, seeming positively bewildered by my request. “It’ll be a total shit situation. I can pretty much guarantee that.”
“That’s why I want to come,” I explained gently.
We regarded each other for a moment in a battle of wills before he sighed. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Deal,” I agreed, trying not to tap dance in satisfaction that I’d won this round. We’d both be better for it; I could feel it.
We rode for a good thirty minutes, passing the club on our way out of town. I loved being on the back of his bike, the motor humming beneath me and the wind whipping through my hair.
We entered a part of Nevada I’d yet to see. The area grew more remote as we sped along the highway, pulling off along a long dirt road.
The dilapidated houses I caught glimpses of fought with the desert for survival against the intensity of the sun. The bike slowed as we pulled onto a dusty drive that led to a small single-story house. It must have been yellow at one time but the paint had long since faded with the power of the sun. The front yard was littered with weeds, a bit of trash and a lone garden gnome.
It was the saddest goddamned gnome I’d ever seen, despite his tenacious smile.
“Wait here,” Axel growled, clearly not pleased I’d practically demanded I come along.
He swung off the bike, stalking toward the tiny house, practically swinging the front door from its hinges as he pushed his way inside.
I got off the bike, removed my helmet and eyed the house with morbid curiosity.
Was this where he’d grown up? The thought made my heart clench.
I sat, leaning against the bike for what felt like forever with the sun beating down on me.
I heard some sort of commotion inside that sounded like breaking glass and immediately grew concerned. I hadn’t come along to be kept at arm’s length and decided I’d given him enough time before I joined him.
All I could hear from the front stoop was a low grunt of effort and what sounded like a quiet murmur. It didn’t sound like any sort of struggle or imminent danger so I pulled the screen door open, the creaking sound echoing through the vastness of the desert at my back.
“Ax?” I called softly.
