Chapter Three #2
Wrecker shook his head. “You and I have other shit to handle. We need to talk to the brothers checking the roads and figure out what the hell the Reapers are doing after losing another man.”
“I can go with Oliver,” Thorn offered.
“No,” Wrecker said. “You’re taking Fox to check the cameras at the Social Club.”
Fox groaned. “Why am I involved?”
“Because you know how the system works.”
“I know how to press play.”
“That’s more than Thorn knows.”
Thorn lifted his middle finger.
Wrecker didn’t react. He focused on Jude and me instead. “You two are going to the Dairy Bar, assessing the damage.”
Lark raised her hand.
Wrecker stared at her. “What?”
“I would just like to say thank you, sir.”
Wrecker stared at Lark for a beat and then turned to Alice. “You seeing this?” he asked her.
She took a sip of her coffee and shrugged. “I mean, yeah, though I don’t see anything wrong. Seemed respectful to me.”
“Seems like deja-fucking-vu to me,” Dad laughed.
Wrecker looked toward Jude. “Ever doesn’t leave your side.”
Jude nodded. “She won’t.”
“And Oliver,” Wrecker continued, shifting his attention to me, “Lark sticks to you like gum on a boot. I don’t care if she wants to check the freezer, the bathroom, or climb onto the damn roof. Where she goes, you go.”
Lark’s eyebrows lifted. “Gum on a boot?”
Wrecker looked at her. “You prefer glue?”
“I feel like there are more flattering metaphors available.”
“I’m not trying to flatter you.”
“Clearly.”
Alice laughed softly.
I folded my arms across my chest. “I’ve got her.”
Lark turned toward me. “Do you?”
The question sounded innocent, but her expression wasn’t.
My jaw tightened. She had absolutely no intention of making this easy.
“I’ll keep an eye on you,” I corrected.
“That sounded less confident.”
“Lark,” Ever warned, though she was fighting a smile.
“What? I’m agreeing to the buddy system.”
Wrecker pointed toward the hallway. “Get whatever you need and leave before I decide locking all four of you in separate rooms is easier.”
Ever didn’t wait for him to reconsider. She grabbed Jude’s hand and pulled him toward the stairs.
“Come on,” she said. “I need my purse.”
They disappeared down the hallway, but Lark stayed where she was.
I glanced at her. “You need anything from your room?”
“Nope.”
“You’re ready?”
“Born ready.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
She looked down at herself, spreading her arms slightly. “Jeans, shirt, shoes, phone in my pocket. What else do I need?”
“Wallet.”
She shrugged. “I know the owner of the Dairy Bar. She’ll float me anything I need.”
It wasn’t like we were going anywhere but the Dairy Bar, so I wasn’t going to argue with her to get her wallet. “You’re riding with me.”
That stopped her.
Her eyes lit up. “On your bike?”
“No. On a lawn mower.”
She grinned. “You made a joke.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did. It wasn’t a great one, but we can work on that.”
I opened the closet near the front door and found a black zip-up hoodie hanging inside. It looked like one of the generic club sweatshirts people kept around for guests. I pulled it off the hanger and held it toward her. “Put this on.”
She glanced at the sweatshirt, then back at me. “Bossy.”
“It’s cold on the bike if you’re not used to it.”
“And you care about my comfort.”
“I care about not listening to you complain for the entire ride.”
“That’s almost sweet.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
She took the hoodie and slipped it on over her shirt. It was too big, the sleeves covering most of her hands, but she pushed them up and zipped it halfway.
“How do I look?”
“Warm.”
Her smile widened. “You noticed.”
I turned toward the door.
Behind me, Mom laughed.
I paused and looked back. She had one hand pressed against Dad’s chest, her eyes dancing with amusement. Dad’s expression was harder to read, but I knew him well enough to see the approval hidden beneath his usual stern look.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Mom replied.
“It wasn’t nothing.”
She shook her head. “Go assess the Dairy Bar.”
I looked at Dad. He shrugged. “Listen to your mother.”
Mom smiled brightly.
I sighed and pushed open the front door.
Cold morning air rolled into the clubhouse.
Lark stepped outside beside me and inhaled deeply. “Smells like adventure.”
“It smells like wet grass.”
“You have no imagination.”
“I have plenty.”
“No, you have plans. Different thing.”
Before I could answer, the door opened behind us. Ever and Jude walked out, Ever carrying her purse and a notepad, while Jude slid his cut over a long-sleeved shirt.
Wrecker followed them onto the porch.
“Phones on,” he ordered. “Location sharing stays on. You call when you arrive, and you call before you leave.”
Jude nodded. “Got it.”
“If you see anything that feels wrong, you don’t investigate. You get the women out and call us.”
“Understood,” I said.
Wrecker looked toward Ever and Lark. “And you two listen to them.”
Ever nodded immediately.
Lark saluted.
Wrecker closed his eyes briefly. “I’m already regretting this.”
“You’ll be proud of us,” Lark promised.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Jude led Ever toward his bike. She climbed on behind him without hesitation, wrapping her arms around his waist as he settled in front of her.
I walked toward mine and pulled the helmet from the handlebar. When I turned around, Lark stood a few feet away, staring at the bike with open excitement.
“You ever ridden?” I asked.
“On a motorcycle?”
“No, on a unicorn.”
“There’s joke number two.”
“Answer the question.”
“A few times, but not recently.”
I held the helmet toward her. “Put this on.”
She took it and studied me. “What about you?”
“I’ve got another one.”
“Good. I’d hate for your pretty face to get damaged.” Lark slipped the helmet onto her head like she hadn’t said anything at all.
Jude started his bike. The engine roared through the lot, and Ever leaned closer against his back.
I grabbed my spare helmet, pulled it on, and swung one leg over my bike. When I straightened it, Lark climbed on behind me. Her hands settled lightly against my sides.
“Hold on,” I told her.
“I am.”
“Not like that.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms securely around my waist. Her body pressed against my back.
Every muscle in my shoulders tightened.
“Better?” she asked near my ear.
I stared straight ahead. “Yeah.”
Her laughter was nearly lost beneath the sound of the engine when I started the bike.
Jude pulled out first, Ever behind him. I followed, turning onto the road with Lark holding tightly around me and the damaged Dairy Bar waiting across town.
I told myself the tension in my chest came from not knowing what we were going to find when we got there.
It had nothing to do with Lark’s arms around me.
Nothing at all.