Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
I whimper into the wind, and my hands scramble to grab onto his shirt under the leather vest. I can’t hear his laugh, but I can feel his chest vibrate, and a big, warm hand covers my fingers, squeezing gently before going back to the handlebars.
Instead of making a left at the end of the block and going straight to the club, we turn right, heading down the street towards the water and merging onto the local parkway that follows the coast. I'd ask where we're going, but there's no talking over the howl of the wind and I trust that the guys know what they're doing. At this hour, traffic is light, but there's enough that we weave a little in and out of traffic, overtaking it with ease. Over time, I relax into the feeling of the bike growling between my legs, and lean my head against Blackout’s back to watch the moonlight glistening on the water.
No wonder people love motorcycles. There's a feeling of meditation and total freedom, like we own the road. The rushing wind makes me feel like I'm soaring in a way that sitting in a car never could. An excited laugh bubbles out of me and I sit up straighter, closing my eyes and letting the wind beat at my face. I feel alive. Like I've been underwater and just surfaced to fill my lungs full of clean, fresh air.
We’re only out for maybe fifteen minutes before the guys pull off the parkway, run a red light, then circle back towards the club. The front gates are open when we get there, and the guards wave us through. They drive past the church and into the courtyard between the buildings. When we come to a stop, Skyhigh lifts me off before I can figure out how to maneuver my stiff legs out from behind Blackout.
He looks down at me with a mischievous look in his eyes. “Welcome to the jungle, baby.”
10
WILLOW
Last time I was here, I went straight into the church, so I didn’t get to see anything else. This time though, I look around. In addition to the church is the old elementary school, the priest’s house, the nuns’ house, and a big warehouse style building that must be new. It has sliding doors on the front that are wide open, and inside I see bikers hanging out and working on their motorcycles in a massive garage space.
“I remember this place before you moved in.” I point over to the field past the church. “They used to do barbecues after mass on the first Sunday of the month. My grandparents would bring me up here for the chicken and salt potatoes. I guess those days are long gone.”
Skyhigh shakes his head. “Might not be as family friendly as you remember, but we set up a tent over there during the summer and grill most nights.”
“And the school?” Lights are on in a lot of the windows, so they are clearly using it for something.
“Barracks, storage, meeting rooms. Whatever we need. Most of the brothers live here inside the walls.”
“Hey, boys.” A husky female voice comes from behind me.
I spin to find the redhead who I saw having sex at the party. Up close, she’s younger than I thought. Prettier, too. Probably about my age. I hate that I feel a little jealous.
Dragon nods at her. “Blaze, this is Willow.”
“Hi,” I say softly, with a tiny wave.
“Nice to meet’ya.” She looks me up and down, assessing. “You guys joining us tonight? Sinner and Jackal are waiting for me inside.”
“Yeah, we’ll be in in a minute,” Skyhigh agrees.
“Sure. You want me to see if Ocean’s around? We can make it a party.” She licks her lips, and from the look in her eyes, I get the feeling the party she’s talking about would involve very little clothing.
Blackout shakes his head. “Not on our accounts. We’re with Willow tonight.”
“Suit yourself.”
I watch her hips shish away in a micro mini-skirt that shows off her great legs and tiny waist, with her hair hanging down her back. “If you guys want to go hang out with her and your friends, I would understand. The motorcycle ride was already a lot of fun. You don’t need to babysit me.”
I mean it when I say it, but at the same time, if they ditch me to follow her into the church, I’m going to go home and eat every scrap of leftover cake and ice cream in bed while I binge-watch Stargate, my comfort show.
Surprisingly, it’s Dragon who slides his fingers through my windswept hair and tips my head up to look at him. “Do you think she’s got something you don’t?”
“Y—yes?”
“What?”
“She’s…” I’m a writer, but how do I even put what I’m thinking into words? “She’s good at this.” I gesture all around. “Men. Herself. Sex. I’ve never even—”