Chapter 41
CHAPTER
FORTY-ONE
JULIETTE
The warm sun beats down on my skin as I stand outside the motel room, my bag in hand. I need to load it up into the cleaning car and head on over to Slade’s place. I’m checking out of here, though.
There’s no need to go back.
I’ve already signed a lease and don’t have the money to pay for both the motel room and the new condo anyway. Opening the back-seat door, I slip my bag inside. The trunk is filled with cleaning supplies and appliances, so there’s no room there.
The sound of a motorcycle growls in the distance, but when I close the back door of the car, that’s not what has me pausing. It’s not the sound of the motorcycle, because I know that’s going to grow closer.
It’s heading straight toward me because I’m going to follow him to his house. But it’s not the motorcycle.
It’s something else.
A familiar chill slides down my spine. I try not to look obvious, but my gaze scans the empty parking lot, and the one across from me, too. I don’t see his car. I’m probably only feeling his presence because I’ve been thinking about him. I talked about him last night with Slade.
That’s the only reason I feel him. The memories he evoked, the pain I felt all over again, as if it were happening in real time by just speaking about it.
Almost as if I manifested him.
But as I gaze at the surrounding area, I don’t see his car anywhere. Sure, he could have rented a different car or something, but Victor is too proud for that. He is too cocky. He thinks he knows everything and that he is the big man.
He’s an asshole.
The biggest asshole.
But I don’t think he’s anywhere near here. At least not yet. He’ll make his way here, I know that much, but I just don’t think he has yet. When the motorcycle sounds grow louder, my lips curve up into a grin.
There he is.
Slade.
All thoughts of Victor and him stalking me vanish at the sight of him. At the sight of Slade. He’s straddling his bike, his hands gripping the handlebars, his dark eyes focused on me and nowhere else. They sparkle and dance as he watches me. Then he jerks his chin in my direction.
“You ready?” he shouts over the sound of his bike’s motor.
My lips curve up into a big smile because I am.
So ready. I’m excited for something good to happen in my life.
I just hope I’m not making another colossal mistake.
And even if I am, there’s something about this place, about these people, that I don’t think it would ever turn out the way it did with Victor.
At least that’s what I tell myself.
Sinking down into the front seat of the car, I start the engine and close the door. Slade revs his bike and then backs out, and I do the same. All I know is that I’m going to his place, and I have no idea where it is.
It doesn’t take long to get there. I don’t know why, but I expected him to live out in the country, maybe because that’s where the clubhouse is. But this is smack dab in the middle of town.
A little ranch-style house with an attached garage. Nothing special to look at but nicer than anywhere I’ve ever lived, with or without Victor. Everything about Boulder City has been better than anywhere else.
If I were being negative, I would say that it’s all too good to be true, but I’m choosing to think positively and view this situation—this place—as being what was meant to be. Maybe that’s just because I want it to be perfect so badly, want it to be mine, that I’m throwing all caution to the wind.
“Caution be damned,” I whisper to myself as I pull into the driveway behind a nice-as-hell Dodge Charger that’s parked in the garage.
Turning my head, I look over to the bike that rides up next to me and then slides into the garage. I don’t move an inch as I watch him. He climbs off the bike, then turns to me and makes his way toward me.
Touching the engine button, I turn the car off as he reaches for the door handle. He tugs the door open, and I shift my legs over the side. “Welcome home for the next few days,” he murmurs.
Standing up, I lift my hands, curling my fingers around the back of his neck as I rise to my toes. Touching my mouth to his, I don’t deepen the kiss, but I do speak.
“I’m happy to be here, Slade. And I’m excited to meet Cade.”
I press my mouth against his, my tongue sweeping across the seam, then I release my grasp, albeit regretfully, and take half a step backward. Slade watches me for a moment, those black eyes dancing, and then he smirks.
“He’s pretty pumped to meet you, too, Jules.”
And there it is. A whole new world just opened up to me, and I never even knew it was possible.
A dream I never allowed myself to dream is coming true.