Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
The three bikes pulled into formation with practiced precision. Oktober led the pack with Mia behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Rip and I followed while Knuckles and Hannah brought up the rear. The two of them had met us an hour outside of town and escorted us in. Hannah had been my biggest cheerleader and hadn’t wanted to wait until we’d gotten home to see me after the weekend.
Road dust coated our jeans and leather cuts after the weekend trip through the back roads. My ass hurt from hours in the saddle, but I wouldn’t trade the feeling for anything in the world.
We parked and I swung my leg over the bike with practiced ease, my boots hitting the gravel with a satisfying crunch. The leather cut on my back now was a comfortable weight and a constant reminder that I belonged here with Rip. I knew the back of my vest held the words “Property of Rip” in proud black letters on a white background of the patch. Words that once would have sent me into a panic now filled me with pride. This wasn’t ownership. It was belonging. Besides, he was my property as much as I was his.
“Good ride, baby?” Rip asked as he killed the engine and dismounted.
I ran my hand over his shoulder possessively, my fingers curling around the worn leather of his cut. “The best. Though my thighs might never forgive me.”
He grinned that wolfish smile that still made my stomach flutter. “Never heard you complain about sore thighs before.”
Oktober laughed as he helped Mia off their bike. Her photography equipment had been carefully packed into his saddlebags. She immediately pulled out her phone and started scrolling through pictures.
“We need to do that run again in the fall,” Oktober said. “The leaves will be changing.”
I nodded as I watched Rip unstrap our bags from the back of the bike. “As long as we hit that diner again. Those were the best waffles I ever had.”
“You should have seen her,” Rip said to the others, chuckling as he tattled on me. “Three plates. The waitress thought I was starving her.”
“Fuck you,” I said without heat. “I was hungry.”
Mia bumped her shoulder against mine. “Jade. Look at this one.” She held up her phone, showing me a photo she had taken at one of our stops. I stood leaning against Rip’s bike, my head tilted toward the sun with my eyes closed. The wind had blown my hair back from my face and the leather cut hung open, showing my tank top beneath. “Look at this badass bitch.”
I stared at the image, my breath catching slightly. The woman in the photo bore almost no resemblance to the broken shell who had stumbled through Haven’s doors more than six months ago. That woman had hunched her shoulders trying to disappear. She had kept her eyes down and flinched at sudden movements. She had been terrified of her own shadow. This woman stood tall. Her face lit by the sun. Her body relaxed and confident.
“Send me that one,” I said quietly. “I want to frame it.”
Mia nodded, understanding in her eyes. Our friendship had taken time to rebuild. We both carried scars from Eric’s manipulation. But here we were on the other side of it all, stronger together than we had been before.
Oktober wrapped his arm around Mia’s waist and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Whatever had passed between them this weekend had clearly strengthened their bond too. They fit together like puzzle pieces, his rough edges smoothing out around her softness. It made me so happy Mia had found such devotion and love with Oktober.
“You coming to the clubhouse?” Oktober asked. “Tiny said he was firing up the grill when we got back.”
Rip looked at me with a raised eyebrow, silently giving me the choice. That was another thing I loved about him. He never answered for me.
“Hell, yes,” I said, shouldering my bag. “I could eat a whole cow.”
We all laughed as we walked toward the clubhouse. Rip held my hand in his just as possessively as I clung to him. The compound bustled with activity as it always did. Music drifted from the open windows of the main building. I’d grown to love this place almost as much as the people in it.
Two prospects approached us, nodding respectfully. “Need help with those bags?” one asked.
“We got it,” Rip answered. “But you can grab us some beers inside.”
As we approached the clubhouse door, several members lounged outside smoking. They called out greetings. I raised my hand in acknowledgment, comfortable with the attention. These men who had once seemed so intimidating now felt like extended family.
Inside the large common room, Tiny stood behind the bar serving drinks. He raised a bottle in our direction. “Good timing. Food will be ready in twenty.”