Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Three dots blinked again before his replies came through.
Ethan
Sorry if I was harsh.
Ethan
You push me sometimes.
Ethan
Don’t be mad.
Ethan
See you at noon.
I stood and got ready for bed, telling myself I’d handled it. One last meeting in a public place, and I’d reset my boundaries for good.
When I finally drifted off, my phone was on the mattress beside me, screen facing down and notifications turned off.
The morning light was too bright when I woke. I’d forgotten to close the blinds last night.
“Ugh.”
I dragged a pillow over my face before forcing myself out of bed.
After coffee and a shower, I felt a little more human. By the time I dressed, put on a little makeup, pulled my hair into a loose knot, and grabbed my keys, I had rehearsed what I needed to say to Ethan a dozen times. But I still didn’t feel quite ready to meet up with him when I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped outside.
The universe seemed to agree. I slid into the driver’s seat of my little beat-up car and turned the key, but nothing happened.
I tried again, and still nothing.
“Seriously?” I muttered, giving the steering wheel a half-hearted smack.
I sat there for a moment and considered my options. Calling Jaxton was out because I didn’t want to interrupt his honeymoon. He’d added a few of his club brothers to my contacts before he left, just in case I needed anything.
But before I resorted to playing the damsel in distress, I wanted to at least try to take care of this myself. I spent half an hour trying various things, including using jumper cables with my neighbor’s car—which resulted in nothing except a brief flash of light before the car coughed and flatlined again.
Sighing, I knew I couldn’t avoid it any longer.
Pulling my phone from the cup holder, I scrolled through the list. One name jumped out to me—Drift. Because of course my brother used his road name since that was what I was supposed to call him.
With my crush and how he’d been avoiding me, he should’ve been the last person I called. But I pressed his name before I could talk myself out of it. The dial tone filled the car, each ring making my heart beat a little faster.
It clicked, and a low, rough voice came through the line. “Alanna?”
4
DRIFT
Iwas in the small garage, finishing a tune-up, when my phone buzzed on the workbench.
Alanna’s voice tumbled through the line, too quick, tripping over itself. “Hey—sorry, I know this is random. My car won’t start, and I have a meeting with my research partner at noon that I can’t miss. Or…well, anyway, Jax is on his honeymoon, and I didn’t want to bother Kane or Edge because they’re probably busy with their wives and kids and stuff, and I don’t really know anyone else yet. You're probably busy too—”
“Breathe, Alanna,” I cut in, amused at her rambling.
She paused. “Oh, um. Sorry. Anyway—”
“Your apartment?”
“What?”
“You’re at your apartment?”
“Yes. I already tried jumper cables, and the lights still come on, so it’s probably not just the battery, but—”
“Sit tight, babe. I’m on my way.” Babe? Well, that was stupid, Lawton. Hopefully, she missed it.
“Drift, you don’t have to—”
I was already moving down the hall, grabbing my keys and cut when I interrupted her again. “On my way.” Then I hung up.
Outside, the August air hit thick and wet, summer pressing down with no reprieve in sight. But that was Florida.
My bike waited under the awning, matte black catching the glare. I shoved on my cut, swung a leg over, and started the engine. The roar cut through the stillness, and something in my chest settled the moment I twisted the throttle.
A few minutes later, I turned into her complex. Midmorning light poured across the parking lot, bright enough to burn the edge off my anger. Alanna stood beside her car, hood popped, hazard lights flashing weakly like a heartbeat about to give out.
I tried not to notice how her gray T-shirt hugged her curvy frame, or the golden blond hair pulled into a messy twist that the wind kept tugging loose. She had one hand on her hip and the other gripping jumper cables.
Relief hit first because she was safe. Then irritation.
I killed the engine and dismounted. “This the problem?”
She blinked, startled. “Drift. I didn’t think you’d actually—”
As I got closer to her ride, I realized the situation was worse than I’d expected. “What the hell is this piece of crap?”
Her mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”
“This fucking death trap.” I tapped the hood harder than necessary. “Jax lets you drive around in this?”
“Jaxton doesn’t let me—”
“He should’ve bought you a new car years ago.” Jax was a tech genius and fucking brilliant. He could afford to buy his sister a fleet of cars and not put a dent in his worth.