Brook

“Hey, sis.” Jason’s voice comes through the speaker, and tears instantly spring to my eyes. My hand flies to my mouth to try to keep the gasp from leaving my chest.

“Jason?” I haven’t talked to him since I left. We might not have been two peas in a pod, but we always had each other’s backs when it came to dealing with Mom and her boyfriends. “Are you okay?”

“No. Not really,” he sniffs. “Dad got shot, Brook. They shot him right in front of me and I couldn’t do a damn thing.” His voice, somewhere between sobbing and anger, squeezes my heart. I swallow down the tears that threaten to come up. “You need to come home.”

“Jason…” I start, trying to argue my point.

“Grace is a mess, and I can’t help. I got shot too.” My eyes flare and flick up to where Sage is intently watching for my reaction. He knew and didn’t tell me. Asshole. “It was only a hit in the shoulder, went right through, but it still hurts. I’m trying to help out with Tanya, but—”

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”

“Good.” There’s a slight smile in his voice as he tells me to drive safe before he hangs up. Still staring at Sage, I end the call and hand the phone back over to College, who takes it without a word and steps out of the room.

“You son of a—”

“Hey now, I know you’re mad, and you have every right to be, but you ain’t goin’ to go spouting off and calling me names, kid. Not the way this shit is going to work. Get your shit packed and we’ll get on the road.” He starts to leave, then turns back around. “Make sure you have your head covered or hair dry. Don’t want you catching a cold. And put some fuckin’ clothes on.” With that, he’s gone, his heavy booted feet making thumps along the hardwood floor.

Taking in a deep breath, I try to calm myself. Jason needs me to come home. Not home—to Cental. He got shot. I let just one little tear slip past my barrier for only a second as pain crawls through my chest. Both my brother and Gin were shot, and Gin might not make it. My anger toward the club grows even more. It seems to take and take, until everyone is either dead or dying. I swear to myself I’m only going to go back there to make sure my brother, stepsister, and stepmother are okay. Then, I’m gone.

* * *

Sage gave me all of an hour to gather my things before planting me on the back of his bike. He said College would stick around until morning so he could have my car towed to Cental.

Now, at almost six in the morning, we are pulling into a motel off the freeway somewhere in Utah. I lost track of where we are, or how long we’ve been riding.

“I’ll go in and get a couple rooms. Wait here,” Sage says before turning to walk away. Two steps later, he swings back around. “Actually, come in with me. I’d rather not have you alone with my bike.”

“Really? You think I would run off with your bike?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“I seem to remember a time when you took off with your dad’s truck.” I laugh at that. It wasn’t long after my mom dumped me and my brother off with our long lost daddy.

“I can’t even drive one of these things.”

“Which is why I don’t want you alone with her.” Oh good god. Her.

“Really?”

“What?”

“Her. Does she have a name?” I laugh and start toward him, leaving the helmet he handed me before we took off on the seat.

“Maybe. Not going to tell you, though, so don’t even try to get it out of me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He goes to open the door to the lobby, and I try to make myself look away as he rolls up his sleeves, exposing his strong arms. One reaches out to pull the door handle, holding it open for me to walk through. I have always had a thing for forearms. And if I’m being honest, I’ve always had a thing for Sage. Right now, looking at the arm attached to the man in front of me, an American flag proudly tattooed across tanned skin—it only adds to the appeal. He didn’t have that particular one last time I saw him.

Clearing my throat, I walk past, trying not to let any part of my body touch him. I have been pressed up against his back and my arms have been wrapped around him long enough. I’m not sure I can handle much more contact. I forgot how the man can set me on fire. I thought maybe it was a silly, childish crush back then, but now, seeing him once again in the flesh brings those same tingles he always gave me back—even though he’s an asshole, and definitely not someone I should be touching with a ten-foot pole.

Years ago, I took a gamble one night when I climbed into his bed, and if I had only kept quiet, it may have gone farther than a drunken kiss. Now, though, when I think back on it, I’m glad things were stopped. Having sex with a drunk biker at the age of fifteen shouldn’t be the way to lose your virginity, even if that drunk biker is Sage. Well, especially if that biker is Sage.

“I need two rooms, not two beds,” Sage growls at the man behind the desk. He sneers down at the Hell’s Riders patch on Sage’s cut with disgust and gives him such a stink eye, it makes me think he has a death wish.

“If you would like, there’s a motel down the road that rents by the hour.” Oh snap. Definitely a death wish.

“We’ll take the room.” I come forward, trying to block the idiot behind the desk from the biker who’s about ready to tear his head off. “No need to spill blood over a room,” I say, lowering my voice and looking pointedly at Sage. It cools him a little, but not enough to stop him from ripping the key out of the clerk’s hand and storming off, back out to his bike.

“And you think I have a temper.” I laugh at the broody biker throwing a tantrum. His eyes narrow on me as he starts his bike. He doesn’t wait for me as he kicks the stand and rides off to park the bike closer to the room. I follow behind, rolling my eyes at him. “Bikers,” I mumble to myself, pulling my backpack farther up my back. It’s starting to weigh on me, and I’m beginning to regret packing as much as I did. I mean, how long will I be gone anyway? If Gin is on his deathbed, he shouldn’t take too long to kick the bucket. I ignore the small tug in my chest when I think about him. I’m going because of Jason and Tanya. They are the ones who need me.

Once upon a time, Gin was my knight in shining armor—until he abandoned me and my brother to start a new family. I couldn’t fault him for leaving Mom. Even at a young age, I knew what the fighting between him and Mom meant. They didn’t love each other, but I thought he at least loved us. I was wrong on that account. The club meant more to him than his family.

I push all thoughts of Gin from my mind and speed up my steps toward the room Sage is already walking into. “You can take that bed.” Sage points to the farthest bed as he tosses the keys onto the table alongside the wall.

“There isn’t a TV,” I complain, looking around the room. At least it seems clean enough. The bedspreads have that ugly design you would find in most outdated motels: some weird green and gold floral pattern.

“You don’t need to watch TV. Get some fuckin’ sleep. We’ll be riding again in a few hours.” He pulls his cut from his back, and I try not to look, but my eyes are drawn to him. The long sleeves that were rolled up to his elbows are now unrolled. Next comes the unbuttoning of his black flannel. I discretely watch as his fingers undo each button until the shirt is pulled from his body. It’s like a present being unwrapped in front of me. Suddenly, I’m a kid again, at a friend’s birthday party, and they are opening their present. I want what’s inside, only I can’t have it because it isn’t mine. “You got a little something there on your chin, kid.” His voice interrupts my not so discrete staring, and my eyes fly up to meet his. His full lips have a slight smirk to them, and that smattering of stubble gives his pretty boy look an edge. His bright blue eyes flash something my way before he pulls them from me—as if he was thinking something he shouldn’t.

“I like to fall asleep with the TV on,” I complain. Probably something stemming from my mom letting me watch TV until I passed out on the couch every night. Apparently, I never went to bed when I was told.

“Bad habit, kid.”

Frustration flows through me at him using that name again. “Stop fucking calling me that,” I snap.

“Watch your mouth, little girl,” he warns, pointing his finger at me for emphasis. “It’s a brand new day, let’s try to get through it without me taking you over my knee.” My face heats, and for a moment, I want to swear again just to see if he really will spank me. Instead, I toss my bag onto the nearest chair and start taking off my jacket, followed by my sweatshirt. I still have my tank top on, sans bra, so I just kick off my shoes and pull off my socks and jeans. Not wanting to sleep with my hair tied back, I pull the tie away, letting my hair fall over my back. Pulling down the covers, I climb into bed and settle onto my side, facing away from Sage. The last thing I need is to get caught looking at him again.