Chapter 15
Jordan
Grabbing my purse, I stepped outside my door and turned to lock it. A smile made my lips twitch as I remember Ricochet barging in the other night. I’d waffled back and forth about walking over to Gwen’s house and telling him I’d changed my mind. In the end, I didn’t bother.
I seemed to have no willpower when it came to that man, and seeing him face to face I knew he’d convince me to still go with him today. We were supposed to be leaving in an hour. There was something else I needed to do first.
It was Gwen’s day off as well, so I walked next door and knocked. When she pulled open the door and frowned at me, I smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey. Come on in.” She patted her pockets, looking for her cell. “Did we have something scheduled for today? I thought you were going with Gage to his party?”
“Party?” I asked, eyes widening. “He said I was just meeting some of his family.”
She laughed as I followed her back to the kitchen. “You will be.” The way she said it held some mystery and my nerves were back full force.
“Um… I just- Hi, Sweetie,” I said to Grace when I saw her at the counter. They were baking cookies. The house smelled divine and my mouth watered. I had a soft spot for chocolate chip cookies.
“Hi, Jordan. We were going to give you cookies later,” Grace chirped, giving me a wave. There was more flour down the front of her shirt than in the bowl sitting on the counter.
Gwen and I grinned at each other. “Thanks, Sweetie. I love your cookies.”
“Uncle Gage does, too,” she said with a giggle.
“What brought you by?” Gwen said as her daughter turned back to the bowl of flour.
My eyes strayed back to her, unsure if I should say anything.
“Don’t worry about her. She’s mashing the flour.” Gwen gave me a mischievous smile.
“Mashing the flour?”
“It’s the secret of the cookies,” she informed me with a serious look on her face. Her eyes danced with laughter. “Gives me a few minutes to get the mess cleaned up before we start baking,” she muttered under her breath.
“Ah.” Laughing, I sat down at the table. “I…wanted to talk to you about Ricochet.”
She sat down next to me and put a hand over mine. “I think it’s wonderful.”
“Really?” I asked, relief making the word nearly catch in my throat. “I wouldn’t want to do anything that would strain our friendship.”
“You’re going to be in my life even if things were to go sideways with my brother,” she promised. “You’re stuck with me.” She squeezed my hand. “But Jord, he’s not going to let this go sideways. I haven’t seen him look this… light… in years.”
Frowning, I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
“That’s his story to tell you. Just know that you’re good for him and I’m completely on board.
He’ll give you everything you’ve been searching for.
That relationship you said you’ve always wanted?
The one your parents have? You’ll have that with him.
He’d put you first before almost everything in his life.
He’d die to make you happy. Kill to protect you.
No one would ever hurt you again.” She gave me a rueful smile.
“He’s still a man, so I’m sure he’ll make some mistakes along the way, but he’d never do what Dan did. ”
The sigh shuddered out of me as I admitted the dark secret I’d been holding onto for a long time. “I’m terrified of finding that kind of love.”
Concern filled her eyes. “Why?”
“Because if a man loves me that way and leaves…”
“I understand.”
“You would. I guess I can take hope from you that I’d be able to move on and make it work,” I told her with a smile.
Her laughter made me blink in surprise. “I wish I could tell you that’s what happened.
I never felt that way about Trent. And he never loved me like that.
I was just deluding myself all those years.
And I was more miserable than I could admit.
Even to myself.” She shrugged. “I’m still looking for that kind of love, Jord.
Don’t deprive yourself of something that’s so hard to find just because you’re afraid. ”
I nodded. “That’s why I’m doing this. Despite my fears, I have this feeling that he and I can be so good together.”
“I think so, too. Plus, then I get to officially have you as my sister.” She grinned. “There’s still a lot you need to know about him. About his…lifestyle, but that will come in time.”
“Or you could tell me.”
“Oh boy. I don’t even know the half of it, but if I told you what I knew it’d send you running.”
“That doesn’t ease my mind…”
“Just remember what I told you. He’d die for you. More importantly, he’d kill for you.”
“Metaphorically… Right?”
Her smile was alarming as she stood to go help Grace mix the final mashed flour into the rest of the ingredients.
* * *
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I said, eyeing the motorcycle like it was a coiled snake ready to strike. “We could take my car.”
“Why would we want to do that?” Ricochet asked. “There’s nothing like being on a motorcycle.” He looked over at me, arching a brow. “You can’t tell me you’re scared of something you saw my four-year-old niece doing just last week?”
I grumbled under my breath about that four-year-old being fearless, but moved closer to his bike. “What if we fall?”
He chuckled. “Trust me. We’re not going to fall. Just hang onto me. Lean into the turns with me. Other than that, just enjoy yourself.”
I watched the powerful muscles of his thigh flex beneath his jeans as he straddled the bike.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The engine rumbled as he started it up. Knowing he wanted to have me ride with him I’d opted for a pair of jeans and a cute flowy top.
I’d stuffed my phone, ID, some money, and my lipstick into the pockets of my jeans so I wouldn’t have to hang onto my purse.
I’d backtracked to my house and tossed it through the door before locking up.
He was watching me with an amused look on his face while he waited for me to make up my mind.
That was something I appreciated about him.
I knew he was a take charge kind of man.
He’d proven that. Yet, time and again he’d given me the opportunity to make up my own mind.
I always decided to go along with him. How did he know it was what I needed?
So many men were afraid to let a woman decide for herself, he just knew I would choose him.
I nodded in agreement to riding the bike.
He reached out and took my hand, tugging me closer so he could put a spare helmet on my head. His fingers brushed over my jaw and throat as he adjusted the strap, making me shiver. I wanted to feel them there again as he kissed me.
I swung my leg over his bike as he put his own helmet on.
My hands went to his hips, tentatively hanging on.
My gasp was loud inside the helmet as he grasped my wrists, pulling me forward until I was clutching him around the waist. It caused my breasts to flatten against his back, so I jerked backward, going back to my previous position.
His head turned and though I couldn’t see his eyes behind the shaded visor of his helmet, I could tell he was scowling at me. He didn’t say anything, just pulled out onto the street. Without any warning he hit the brakes.
Squealing as I slid forward on the seat toward him, I wrapped my arms around him like he’d shown me. It was that or fall off. My breaths were loud in my ears as I tried to process what had just happened. It was his way of showing me why hanging on tight to him was safer.
He reached back and patted the outside of my leg. “Good girl!” He shouted so I could hear him through our helmets and the engine.
Jerk.
Still, I bit back a smile. He got the bike moving again and soon we were zipping along the roads, heading toward the freeway.
After the first few minutes, I relaxed the stranglehold I had on his waist and started to look around.
Everything was flying past and it was so strange to see it without the windows and steel of a car between me and the landscape.
My heart soared along, leaping when he’d lean into a turn. I’d glued myself to his back, so whatever he did, naturally I was forced to do the same. No wonder these guys liked these machines. It was exciting and fun riding through the desert on the back of one.
I didn’t know much about motorcycles and hadn’t ever thought I’d ride one, but being with Ricochet somehow made me feel safe.
It was like nothing could touch us while I was hanging onto him.
We darted in and out of traffic and once we made it onto I-10 he poured on the speed.
My laughter and wonder was whipped away by the wind. I could stay on here all day.
The ride ended too soon as he pulled into a parking lot.
The property was surrounded by a chain link fence.
On one side there was a huge brick building sitting there.
The name on the side read The Bunker. The other building was three times the size and didn’t have any distinguishing marks.
Beyond that was a field of grass, brown and dormant for the winter months.
When spring gave way to summer, if they maintained it, I knew it would be lush and green.
People were everywhere. My heart leapt into my throat as I saw them. There were families with kids spread out on the grass. Two huge dogs romped around with the children. The doors of the bigger building were open and music blasted out through the air.
Men wearing leather jackets like Ricochet walked around with beers or cups of alcohol.
There weren’t as many women, but there seemed to be two kinds.
There were those dressed like me. In jeans, or even cute sundresses, despite the fact that it wasn’t summer yet.
And women dressed in… My eyes widened as a girl sauntered past in heels so high I worried she’d break her neck in the gravel parking lot.
Her skirt was as short as her heels were tall.
I climbed off the bike and handed my helmet back to Ricochet. Trying to smooth out my hair, I watched as he put them away in the bags attached to the side of his bike.
“You said there would only be a few people,” I told him, eyes wide, surveying everything.
“Looks like they invited a few more friends,” Ricochet replied with a shrug. There were at least fifty people here. He put an arm around my shoulder. “No need for you to be nervous, Sunshine. They’re going to love you.”
Normally, I wasn’t a shy person, but that was when I was in my element. I had no control over this situation. This was his world and I was about to find out whether I really belonged, or not.