Page 37 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

The woman swung wildly. But Rebel slipped the punch like she’d done it a thousand times before and drove another shot into her ribs, causing the woman to fold over, gasping for air.

“Security!” somebody yelled.

“Call the police!” another person yelled.

I hurried over and wrapped both arms around Rebel’s waist before she could throw another punch.

“Rain! That’s enough!”

She fought against my grip.

“Nah, Crow! She spit at me!”

“I know!”

“She disrespected me!”

I know!”

“Then let me finish!”

Rebel tried to lunge again, but I tightened my hold. The woman scrambled backward across the pavement, finally realizing she’d picked the wrong person to provoke. Around us, the crowd had doubled in size. Everybody wanted to see the rest of the show. Then Rebel suddenly stopped fighting me. She looked past the crowd, and a slow grin spread across her face. Before I could ask what she was looking at, she elbowed me in the ribs just hard enough to make me loosen my grip so she could slip free. The next thing I knew, she sprinted toward a black motorcycle parked near the curb. The owner had been recording the fight on his phone, his keys dangling from his fingers. Rebel snatched them right out of his hand.

“The hell?!” he yelled.

“I’ll bring it back!” she shouted over her shoulder.

Without breaking stride, she swung a leg over the bike and fired it up. The engine roared to life. Watching her impulsive ass, my eyes damn near bulged out of my head.

“Don’t you take that!” I yelled at Rebel.

Instead of listening, she laughed and revved the throttle. The rear tire chirped against the pavement as she launched the motorcycle forward. The crowd scattered in every direction. Within seconds, Rebel disappeared into the night. The motorcycle owner slowly turned toward me.

“She just stole my bike,” the man said.

I rubbed both hands over my face and let out the longest sigh of my life. “She ain’t stealing it.”

He frowned. “The hell you mean? She is gone.”

I pulled one of my business cards from my wallet and handed it to him. “My shop’s on there.”

“What am I supposed to do with this?” he was confused.

“Come see me tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Knowing her, she’ll probably wash it before she brings it back.”

The man stared at me like I’d lost my damn mind. Who the hell is she?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “My biggest headache.”

It took about an hour, a wad of cash, and the promise of free service at my shop for a year before I convinced him not to call the police on Rebel. When I finally got home, I was tired as hell. I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the shower. As the hot water poured over me, I couldn’t help but think about Rebel, who had once again showed her ass. Even after all that chaos, I’d still had fun.

Hell, I couldn’t believe I’d kissed her. Chuckling, I closed my eyes and let the water run over my face, replaying the moment over and over. Her lips were softer than I’d imagined, and for the first time in years, I found myself wondering what would’ve happened if that damn Kiss Cam had never stopped on us. I finished my shower, climbed into bed, and shook my head. That woman was gonna be the death of me.

The Next Morning…