32. Kali
32
KALI
W e started out riding with most of Shane’s club, but then we turned south for Fallen Crest as they continued somewhere else.
I didn’t ask where. I didn’t want to know, but riding behind Shane, feeling nothing between us and the wind and nature, I knew the exhilaration they felt. I understood why people dedicated part of their lives to being just on their bike.
It was addicting, thrilling, and dangerous.
We rode in, keeping to the outskirts of Fallen Crest and pulling in behind an auto repair shop. An older guy—lean, weathered skin, bald—came out and waved us through to the back. Shane led the way, and we entered a backyard with a small house. There were also patches of dirt and gravel, sandwiched between abandoned vehicles, a few bikes, and grass that didn’t look like it’d been cut in a decade. A propane tank sat on the far side of the house, which looked more like three motel rooms put together with a cement sidewalk in front of the doors.
Shane drove right up to the house and parked.
The older guy came over, his hand in the air. Shane met it, and they pulled each other in for a backslapping hug.
“Ghost. It’s good to see you.” The guy’s gaze skimmed over me, but didn’t linger. He turned to the others as they parked next to us. “Good to see you, Corvette. Roadie.” There was a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll make note to warn Tracey, though maybe I should warn you. My girl’s visiting from West Virginia, and she’s got a man now. Hands off.”
Roadie came around the back end of his bike, frowning at the older guy.
I’d finally put two and two together and realized who Roadie was minutes before we took off from the barn. Roadie and Corvette were the bikers fighting in the grocery store that first day. He gave me a sheepish look while Corvette’s eyes turned hard.
Corvette approached from the other side, pulling off his road gloves. “Nah. No warning needed. This one’s fucked up so much with the ladies, he’s on dick lockdown.”
The older guy’s head tilted. “That right?”
Shane grunted, grabbing my bag and his. “That’s almost too bad to hear about Tracey. She would’ve eaten him up and spit him out. Maybe he would’ve learned a lesson.”
The guy’s smile was blinding, and took me back a little. He laughed. “Maybe, but my girl’s in love. He’s a big fella too.”
“He’s here with her?” Corvette asked.
He shook his head. “She came to help with her aunt for a bit. We made the decision to put Helen in a care unit.”
All the guys sombered.
“We’re sorry to hear that, Granddad,” Shane said. “Helen’s a good woman. Spitfire.”
Granddad blinked a bit, before he coughed and turned away. “Yeah. You know how it is. Those diseases take the brain and all, but she’s still a spitfire. Got a call just this morning that she’d locked two nurse assistants in her room while she beat an escape.”
Corvette grinned.
Roadie chuckled.
“Tracey went in to help them out,” Granddad continued. “Found Helen on the road, trying to hitchhike. I gotta get there myself. Helen’s throwing a fit, and she’s still able-bodied, so who knows what kind of damage she might do in the meantime.” He gave another cough and nodded to the house behind us. “Rooms are yours as long as you need ’em. When I get things cleared up, I’ll give Maxwell a call. Miss the old fella.”
Shane nodded. “Thanks, Granddad.”
Corvette and Roadie stayed silent, letting Shane speak for them.
Granddad held up a hand, heading inside.
I didn’t know the history or who this guy was, but it was obvious all three men were concerned. No one spoke, not at first, but then Corvette smacked the back of Roadie’s head.
“Ow!” He twisted around, rubbing at the back of his head and scowling. “What was that for?”
Corvette shook his head, eyes still where Granddad had gone. “You’re just an idiot. You need reminding every now and then with a smack. Thinking I’m going to take that on as my job.” He bent, grabbed his bag, and headed to the back house. “I’ll be in my room, thinking of more ways to add to my new role with the club.”
Roadie continued rubbing the back of his head, glaring at Corvette. “What a douche.”
“Heard that!” Corvette pumped his fist in the air before going through the door to the room on the right, the screen slamming behind him.
“You were supposed to!” Roadie shouted. “What’s the plan, Boss?”
Shane touched my hip. “Go to your room, shower, and change. We won’t be wearing cuts tonight.”
Roadie frowned, but headed to the left door.
Shane had our bags and took my helmet, stowing it away before we went into the middle room.
It was like a motel, except our room opened to a hallway, and I could hear the guys moving around in their rooms from there. Shane came up behind me, touching my back and shutting the door. “Can’t see it from the outside, but there’s a back section that extends. Living room, kitchen, and behind that there’s a whole bonfire eating area outside.”
He went to the front, shutting that door too, and clicked on a fan.
I almost melted because the fan was super loud, which I liked—reminded me of riding and also, privacy.
Shane put the bags on the bed.
He glanced over his shoulder. “You okay?”
I closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted. “Yeah.”
He put the bags aside and reached for me, drawing me to his lap.
I climbed on, curling up, and he angled his head back to see me better. “What’s in your head?” His frown deepened. “You okay to see your friends?”
I nodded. I’d texted Harper and Aly before leaving, and pulling out my phone, I saw they’d responded.
Aly: YOU’RE COMING BACK?! SCORE. HELL YEAH. TOUCHDOWN.
Harper: It’s GOOOOOAAAL, not touchdown. Kali, don’t mind Aly, otherwise formerly known as our Best Friend. She watched a hockey game with her new man and also Justin and now they’re trying to teach her the terms.
Aly: Formerly known? Wtf? Don’t be butthurt because you’re choosing not to acknowledge the man of your life, who TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA FOR YOU! That’s on you. He’s here. Justin is amazing and you’re just jealous because we’re enjoying him. Yolo, Harp. YO-LO
Oh boy.
Me: We’re here. Where are you guys?
I wasn’t expecting an immediate response so I tossed my phone on the bed, but it started ringing.
Aly calling.
I showed Shane the screen and started to climb off his lap. He held me in place.
Oh, okay . I hit accept and settled back, yawning. “Hehhhlo?”
“What kind of greeting was that? You must be tired, huh?”
Warmth rushed through me. It was good to hear her voice. I smiled. “Hi, Aly.”
“Hey yourself.” I heard her own smile through the phone. “Girl, have we missed you. I know Harp’s been on the phone with you, and you’re getting reports on what we’re doing, but how are you? How’s your sister? What’s going on with you and Shane? The husband of Manny’s owner is a bounty hunter. I don’t think it would take much to get him to do some pro bono work and find you.” She paused. “Kidding.”
She wasn’t.
We both laughed, but Shane tensed at the mention of the husband.
I frowned. “Um, well…”
Shane looked back at me, and whatever he’d been thinking, he’d moved on. The tension left him, and he gave me a soft smile, his eyes warming.
I reached up, touching the side of his face before another yawn left me. I wasn’t able to stifle this one.
“Oh, man. I can hear how tired you are,” Aly said. “Why don’t you take a nap? Let me know where you are and we can swing by? Maybe we should do a meal in? Netflix and chill, that sort of thing?”
Shane shook his head, just slightly.
“Um…” I searched his eyes and made a decision. “Can I call you back in a second? I want to get on the same page with Shane real quick.”
“Okeley-dokely.”
We hung up. “I know they can’t come here.” Shane looked ready to talk, but I kept going. “I’m also guessing you don’t want them to know about this place.”
He settled down to hear me out.
“But I know not wearing your cuts is a big deal, so what about if I went there and hung in their room for the night? They’re at the hotel at the country club, totally safe. You guys can go have a beer or something?”
His eyes had a soft, but knowing slant to them. “First.” He reached up, taking the phone from me and putting it on the bedside table. “That’s considerate of you, thinking about us and knowing what it means for us to go without our cuts. I really do appreciate it, but it’s unnecessary. Second…” He kept a hold of me and stood.
I gasped, but Shane had me firmly in his arms.
He turned and lowered me to the bed, stretching out next to me. He propped his head on his hand to look down at me. “No place is safe from the people we were initially hiding from. No country club, nowhere, and we’re not operating as if they’re a risk anymore. They’ve moved on. They’re in a whole other state by now. But you and I are new. I’m possessive. Not in a bad way, but I caught feelings and I don’t want to lose you so soon. Because of that, you’re going to have to indulge me. There’s no place you can go that I won’t worry about you. You got me?”
I cocked my head, raising an eyebrow. “How many times have you done this before? Catching feelings for a woman where you’re possessive of her?”
That wasn’t jealousy stirring inside of me. Nope.
I was fully lying to myself.
His eyes smoldered, and a faint grin showed. “None before you.”
None.
Before you.
Oh… oh man !
Warmth sizzled inside of me.
He watched me, waiting until I let out a small gasp of air.
“You serious?”
He nodded. “You’re the only one, Kalista.”
“You’re telling me you have feelings for me?”
He smirked. “I think that’s a given, based on what I just said and how I’ve been acting. You know that.”
I swallowed, feeling a lump there. My voice dropped low. “I wasn’t aware that this wasn’t a usual occurrence for you.”
I felt like a schoolgirl here.
“I’ve laid claim to you,” Shane said. “In our world, that means a lot. But I meant what I said this morning.” His eyes looked through me, slipping right through any walls I had. “Your heart—I’m aware you hold it precious. But babe, it means something to me what we did this morning. What we’ve been doing the last few days.”
Oh.
Wow.
That wall he referred to? It wasn’t as thick as it used to be, but I didn’t know if I dared share that. Not yet. It’d be giving too much away.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
He was still studying me, seeming to know my insides better than I did.
I squirmed in bed, stretching and letting out another yawn. “I’m thinking I like you.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Maybe a whole lot.”
He gave me a searing stare. “Same, Kali. Same.”
My phone rang, and he glanced at it. “It’s your friend again, but what I was starting to say is that no matter where you go tonight, we go too. You want to grab a pizza and movie in their hotel room? Fine with us, but we’ll be close by. Parking lot. I might stick Roadie to hang out in the end of your hallway, but hotel or grabbing a beer at Manny’s, either works for us. You do what you want. These are your friends, your time to catch up. Sounds like a lot of drama needs to be shared, and I get that.”
The phone kept ringing.
We ignored it.
“The owner’s husband. Is that history I need to know about?”
He shook his head. “Nope. In the past. We picked guys who wouldn’t be recognized, if that’s your worry. He don’t know me. I don’t know him. That’s just club business, and with our club, that’s going to happen in a whole lot of places. It has nothing to do with you, or even me, really.”
That didn’t quite make sense, but I was getting how the club was its own entity.
The phone stopped ringing.
A beat later, it started again.
Shane waited for me.
I gave him a nod, and he reached over giving me the phone.
I hit accept. “Hey, I’ll meet you at Manny’s. I want to meet this man of yours in a more official capacity.”
I hit call on my phone.
“Daughter! It’s been forever. Felt like a year. You alive? Married? Pregnant? You better not be any of those, by the way. Not without your pop’s blessing. So. Tell the haps. What’s going on out in Cal-i-for-nia?”
“Aly’s got a man.”
“Aly’s got a whattie?”
“A man.”
“His name isn’t JustinBanana, is it?”
“His name is Brandon.”
“Whooee. A Brandon. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Brandon. Stevie’s here. Hold on…. STEVIE!”
From his end, “WHAT?!”
“YOU EVER MET A brANDON IN YOUR LIFE?”
“WHO?”
“brAN-DON. brANDON. LIKE LONDON, BUT WITH A brA INSTEAD. LIKE THE FEMALES WEAR.”
Silence. Then, “Nah. I’ve never met a Brandon. Met a Caden one time. It was the most hipster name I’d ever met in my life. I thought he was going to challenge me to a smoke-off, on the account that I like my cigarettes and he was smoking one too, but not what I was smoking. You get my drift?” He dissolved into laughter. “Oh, and he was a white boy too. I kinda wished I’d hung out with him more. He seemed real cool.”
My dad coughed into the phone. “Nope. He never met a Brandon either.”