Chapter Two
Lilly
“Cass!”
Someone is yelling outside the door and knocking. I sit up, sleep-deprived and groggy. I look at my phone. Five-fucking thirty. Are you kidding me? I nudge a snoring Cass.
“Baby.”
Cass bolts upright next to me, looking around the room. Taking in his surroundings before staring at me with wide eyes. Then another knock on the door sounds.
“Cass, come on man.”
Cass pulls on the jeans that lay on the floor next to the bed before opening the door. Scott is standing there, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. I look between the two men in confusion, but they can’t see my face in the darkness of the room.
“Why are you so happy to be awake before six o’clock in the morning?” I ask, my voice scratchy and laced with sleep.
“He’s always up with the fuckin’ chickens,” Cass sighs.
“I am, but I’m happy about it because it’s time to ride.”
I roll my eyes and roll over, tugging the comforter almost completely over my head.
“Oh no, what do you think you’re doing?” Scott asks.
“Uh, sleeping.”
“Cass didn’t tell you?”
Cass walks into the bathroom adjoining to my room and flicks the light on. I shield my face from the bright lights that now shine directly on me.
“Evidently not.”
Cass’s laughter echoes from the bathroom. I flip the blanket down and give him an evil glare.
“What?” I ask.
“We’re going on a pack ride today and that means you too.”
I sigh and let out a few obscenities before I look at Scott, who’s on the verge of laughing at me in the doorway.
“Well close the damn door.”
Scott closes the door, and I get up. I go straight to the shower and get ready while Cass stays out of my way.
I’m not good at mornings and Cass is slowly learning that.
I finish up in the bathroom and dig through my closet.
I settle on a black Hounds support shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans with my favorite flip-flops.
I know I’ll get shit over my choice of footwear, but I don’t care. They’re my feet. If they get shredded to hell and back, then it’s my problem. Not theirs.
Once I’m completely ready, I meet the guys downstairs at the bar.
Cass and Scott are seated at the bar with Old School and Snapper, all four of them chipper and happy as hell to be awake.
It almost disgusts me, their pleasantness.
I sit down in the nearest barstool to the stairs and furthest from the group of happy bikers.
Linc is behind the bar, as usual, and it makes me wonder if he ever sleeps. He’s happy, too. I can’t figure it out, but something is definitely wrong with these men. No one should be so damn happy to be woken up.
I light a cigarette, taking a pull from it and exhaling slowly.
“Want some coffee?” Linc asks.
“Only if you have milk or creamer and about a pound of sugar back there.”
“Got you covered.” He walks to the other end of the bar and grabs a coffee mug, pours it, then sets it on the bar in front of me and walks off. He returns with a plastic container full of sugar and a cup of milk.
“Thanks.”
I pour half of the cup of milk into my mug until my coffee is a light tan color, then load it with sugar. How people drink it black is beyond me. Coffee is disgusting, but I do like a hint of it with my sugar and milk.
I sit in silence, sipping my coffee and smoking my cigarette while the guys laugh and joke at the opposite end of the bar.
Once I finish my cigarette and down the rest of my coffee, I’m a little bit more awake and think I can handle the energy in the room now. I step behind Cass and wrap my arms around his shoulders.
“Well good morning, love.” He reaches up and rubs one arm affectionately, running his fingers lightly back and forth over my skin.
“Good morning.” I rest my head on his while they continue talking about their plans for the day.
From what Old School is saying, we are supposed to be riding to Mississippi, but for what, I’m not sure.
An all-day ride doesn’t sound bad, especially not after everything that’s occurred over the last few weeks.
Freedom and an open road sound so much better than being stuck inside.
Now that I’m awake, I’m beginning to get excited about this outing.
“Let’s stop and grab a belly bomb before we hit the road. We can eat when we get there,” Cass says, removing my arm from around him so he can stand up. He heads out the door and everyone else follows.
“A belly bomb?” I question, raising one eyebrow at Cass as he clips my helmet under my chin for me.
“Yeah, something small to put in our belly so we can hold off before we eat an actual meal.” He shrugs his shoulders, returning my questioning look.
“Oh. Well, okay then. Sign me up!”
It takes no time at all for everyone to put helmets on and be ready to hit the road. They all line up, bikes pointed in the direction of adventure and mischief. Cass and Scott are in the front of the pack, followed by Old School, Snapper, and Gater in the back.
Cass turns onto the highway, and I lean back against the sissy bar that was placed here just for me, or at least that’s what Cass said last week when he installed it. The thought makes me smile, plus it’s comfortable so it’s a win-win.
For people that have never ridden a motorcycle, whether it be actually riding or simply on the back, I feel a sense of sympathy for them.
They will never know how the wind feels blowing in their face without anything to block it out or how everything smells different when you’re out in the open air.
I’m falling in love with Cass all over again and the only thing that he’s doing is riding and being himself.
I smile as I outstretch my arms, like I’m flying and lean my head back, soaking up the sun and the fresh air and the rumble of the motorcycles. Cass leads the pack into a truck stop near the interstate and kills the bike.
“You want something to snack on before we get on the road?” he asks as I steady myself with his shoulder.
“Hell yeah. I’m starving.” I smile and grab his hand, dragging him along beside me.
There’s a hot deli inside with fried chicken, meat pies, and stuffed taquito looking things.
I decide on one of the taquito looking things and a bottled water.
Cass chose the fried chicken paired with an energy drink.
Once we’re checked out, we wait outside by the bike for the rest of the crew to get their things.
I climb onto the bike, using Cass’s seat as my table with my feet on the footpegs while I scarf down the taquito things that turn out to be delicious. I’m amazed at how good food from a truck stop can be.
Cass annihilates the two chicken legs he got and stands next to me while I finish my belly bomb.
The guys come out of the store laughing and I watch as they talk and eat.
After they’re done, it’s time to get on the road.
I didn’t know it until now, but my favorite part of riding is getting on the interstate, or taking off in general.
On the on-ramp, Cass slams the throttle and the gravity of it makes my stomach somersault, but not in an I’m-gonna-puke kinda somersault, more of a holy-shit-this-is-amazing kinda somersault.
The interstate is mostly lax, void of traffic which is odd for a Sunday morning.
I figure most people would be heading to church or at least getting ready to.
The ride through Louisiana is peaceful and quiet aside from the roar of the engines.
I watch as Cass rides, paying attention to everything.
It’s like his head is on a swivel and it has to turn every two point eight seconds.
He’s constantly looking at what’s going on around him on both sides of the interstate, although nothing is going on.
Scott doesn’t look around everywhere. He looks like a man driving a nice, comfortable Cadillac. He’s leaned back slightly with his feet on the foot pegs, wind blowing back his beard and eyes dead ahead.
I wonder what he might be thinking. He has to have thoughts.
Cass’s head turns again, drawing my attention.
I have to quit looking every time his head turns because there isn’t anything in particular that he’s looking at other than everything.
I’m fully convinced that if a squirrel moves in a tree that we’re passing, he’d see it.
We ride on the interstate until we reach the Slidell exit. Cass and Scott lead the guys to a gas station right off the interstate where eight or ten bikes are parked at. I know by the patches on the front of the men’s cuts who they are. Hounds.
I recognize Shorty and Leo, with Lucy and Carrie riding bitch, and a few of the other men look familiar but I don’t know who they are, and they all have a lady riding with them.
I look over the faces of men, and one in particular catches my attention.
Linc is here, but that isn’t the one that has stopped my gaze from traveling.
Mindy’s riding on the back of Linc’s bike.
I don’t have time to go ask Mindy what she’s doing here before we take off again. Evidently, we only stopped to grab the guys and the one woman out of a car and onto Scott’s bike. Must be one of his pin cushions.
She’s the only woman I get a good look at since Scott is side by side with us while we ride. She’s slim, not too much make-up caked on her face, and she isn’t dressed like a slut.
I catch a glimpse of Carrie and Lucy in Cass’s mirror.
They’re both leaned back and enjoying the ride.
Old School’s beard is split in half from the wind and is nearly touching his ears, making me chuckle.
It isn’t often I see a beard split in half.
The day is pretty and warm and we’re riding slower than we normally would if it were just us and Scott, but since they’re pulling a pack, it makes sense.
The sound of the rumbling from the engines is comforting and makes me feel at home as we ride down the interstate.
Once we cross into Mississippi, I lean forward so I can talk to Cass.