Page 159 of Reckless

I close the distance between us, and the second I stop in front of her, some of the tension leaves her shoulders. ‘What did you say to them?’ she signs.

I shrug. ‘Told them how much of a badass I was and not to mess with my girls.’

She studies me for a long moment, longer than the joke deserves, then she smiles, steps forward, and wraps her arms around me.

I hug her back without thinking.

When she pulls away, one eyebrow arches. ‘Your girls?’

I snort. ‘Don’t make it weird.’

She laughs, and I hand her the spare helmet. “Get on, brat,” I say out loud.

She slips it on while I swing a leg over the bike. A second later, her hands settle around my waist, light at first, then tighter as I pull away from the curb.

The ride back is only four minutes, just long enough for my pulse to finally start slowing, but not long enough to stop looking.

Every few seconds my eyes find the mirrors. The sedan never appears.

At the first set of lights, I check the cross street.

Nothing.

Another intersection.

Still nothing.

I don’t trust it.

Not yet.

People paid to watch don’t usually quit because someone tells them to.

The clubhouse comes into view ahead, and only when the gates slide closed behind us do I finally let some of the pressure ease out of my shoulders.

Not all of it, just enough.

Piper climbs off behind me, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze before pulling off her helmet. I don’t miss what she’s saying. ‘Thank you.’

I answer with a nod.

No words needed.

I spot Sin standing at the clubhouse doors, watching, but standing back, giving us the space we need. Sage reaches us before I’ve even pulled my gloves off. She doesn’t look at me, because she’s too busy running like a maniac toward her sister. “Piper!” She’s across the parking lot in three strides, cupping Piper’s face between both hands before running her gaze over every inch of her like she’s expecting to find something hidden. “Are you okay?”

Piper smiles, trying to sign around Sage’s hands. ‘I’m fine, chill out.’

‘You sure?’

“Sage…” Piper says out loud.

Her hands slide to Piper’s shoulders, turning her one way, then the other, checking her arms, her jacket, her face again. ‘I swear to God, Pipe, if they’d touched you…’

Piper catches both of Sage’s wrists, gently stilling them. ‘They didn’t.’

Sage searches her face for another long second before finally letting out a shaky breath and pulling her into a fierce hug.

Piper hugs her back just as tightly.