Sage

The little shit might be trying to kill me—or get me killed. Either way, I can’t stop myself from watching her tight little ass climb into her bed. White cotton fucking panties barely cover the globes I very much would like to slam my hand down onto again. She may be older now, but still sure as fuck isn’t something I should be thinking about touching, especially with her old man laid up in a hospital bed. If I didn’t need to get riding again in a couple hours, I would go down to the bar I passed on the way to this motel, drink myself into oblivion, and, my cock willing, find something wet to sink into for the night. Maybe even a couple somethings.

Brook doesn’t make another sound, so I continue stripping my clothes off. The heavy thud of my boots makes me look her way, but she doesn’t stir. I toss my jeans to the floor, along with the rest of my clothes, but decide keeping my boxer briefs on would be best, though I normally sleep without. No telling what she might think about doing. Or what I might do if she were to try to wrap that body around me while I slept. Son of a bitch. I brush off the thought and climb into my bed, trying my best to fall asleep before I need to go rub one out just to get some sleep.

* * *

The alarm dings, and I shoot up in bed, my eyes immediately going to Brook to make sure she didn’t high-tail while I was asleep. I damn near lose my shit when I see she’s no longer in her bed. “Little fucking shit,” I grumble while pulling myself from the bed to get dressed, taking stock of the room to find her bag is gone too. It takes me no time before I’m outside looking for her. By some chance, I hoped maybe she would be sitting on my bike waiting for me, but no such luck. The brat ditched me.

I’m about to get on my bike and try to track her down before she gets too far when a flash of silvery blonde hair catches my attention. She’s walking from the lobby, a cup in one hand and something wrapped in a napkin in the other, her backpack firmly on her back.

“Leaving without me?” she quips, her smirk becoming more visible the closer she gets. Probably hoping I had left without her. “It’s black. Figured you bikers didn’t take it any other way.” She extends the cup of coffee toward me. I’m so shocked, I almost don’t take it.

“Thanks.” The coffee is hot and welcome. “What else you got?” I nod to her other hand.

“Oh no. This is mine.” She takes a bite of the cream cheese covered bagel and chews it down. “I’m not sharing,” she says around another mouthful.

“Well, hurry the fuck up. We need to get going if we want to make it there before the sun comes up.” Fifteen more hours to drive might be pushing it for her, but I live on my bike. When the fucking sky isn’t dropping shit piles of snow, that is.

“Who says we want to?”

“Brook,” I warn, taking another sip. “Don’t be a shit.”

“Just saying.” She shrugs.

It takes her a few minutes to finish off the bagel, and when she does, I toss my coffee aside and start up my bike to get back on the road and the torture of her arms wrapped around my middle.

The day drags on. By the time the moon is shining bright in the inky night, we reach the outskirts of Cental. I park my bike and lead Brook into the back entrance of the hospital Ari told us to use.

When we reach Gin’s room, it doesn’t surprise me to see Jake outside his door and Grace hunched over his unmoving body. “Still no change,” Jake whispers to me as I walk through the door, Brook right behind me.

“Hey, Grace. Brought someone to visit.” I place my hand softly on the center of Grace’s back. They were married almost three years ago, and she’s already at his bedside while he fights for his life. Her tear-soaked, red-rimmed eyes meet mine, then drift to Brook.

“Oh, Brook,” she sobs. “You came.” Grace rises from her perch on the bed and throws her arms around the unsuspecting girl to my right.

“Yeah. Wouldn’t miss it,” Brook says, making me damn near smack the back of her head on reflex. Grace pulls away and looks at her, a stunned expression on her wet face. “Oh, no. Sorry. Shoot, I didn’t mean it like that.” Brook tries reversing her words and I calm slightly. “I’m sorry. I only meant…I’m sorry,” she tries again. Grace forces a smile and grips Brook’s arms tight in her hands before returning to her place by Gin’s side.

“Where is my brother?” Brook asks, turning to me, but Jake is already there answering.

“Should be here in the mornin’. Kid passed out after takin’ the pills the docs give him,” he rasps, swallowing heavily, then taking a swig of water.

“He’s at home.” This from Grace. “You are welcome to stay there too, Brook. For as long as you need.” She lifts her head long enough to speak, then goes quiet again. Brook doesn’t respond, just walks out the door. Jake shoots me a sucks-to-be-you look and proceeds to guarding the door as I follow the stubborn little shit out of the hospital and back to my bike. I was hoping to leave her here and head to the clubhouse.

“You want a ride home?”

“That house isn’t my home. I don’t want to stay there.”

“Well…where should I drop you off? You got any friends around here you can stay with?”

She laughs, but it sounds sardonic. “Yeah, it’s past midnight. I would like to roll up to a long lost friend’s house and say, ‘Hey, remember me? Can I crash on your couch?’ That would go over well,” she snorts.

“How about Vin and Ellie’s? You like them, don’t you?” I need to get her dropped off somewhere.

“Take me to your place,” she states, as if it wouldn’t be the most inappropriate thing in the fucking world—which it fucking is.

“Fuck no. Wouldn’t do that, even if I had one. You know what?” I grind my teeth together, thinking quickly. “Get on the bike.”

“Where are you going to take me?” I don’t answer. Instead, I pull her over to my bike and shove the helmet at her.

“Put it on and let’s go,” I demand, swinging my leg over.

“No.” The look I give her must be enough to bring on fear because she stops her defiant stance and slowly climbs onto the back of the bike.

About fucking time she listened.