Chapter 25 #2
Moose had headed to the pawnshop the moment we’d gotten back.
Since that night at the warehouse, he’d relaxed much more around me, but he was still a man of few words, and I appreciated that.
I’d wondered about his decision to head in the opposite direction to The Hut for all of thirty seconds.
Standing in the door of The Hut and staring into the darkness, all I could smell was the vomit permeating from the trash can sat by Rubin’s sprawled out body on one of the couches.
One of the girls was laid out on the adjacent sofa, but it was easy to see she’d been looking after him rather than attempting to seduce the kid.
She was wearing a black T-shirt that was too big for her.
Rubin had apparently lost his stomach contents on what she had been wearing.
I eased over to where he was snoring quietly, his mouth open, and I smiled as I pulled one of the worn blankets from a small stack and draped it over him.
“Time is it?” he whispered, sounding rough.
“Early. Go back to sleep, Rubik Cube.”
“My mom–” he said, attempting to sit up, groaning. I pushed him back gently and brushed the strands of hair from his young face.
“I called her before I went out earlier. Told her you and Tate fell asleep playing video games. She was pissed, but I cleared it. Call her when you don’t sound like you’ve inhaled a quart of bourbon and cigarettes.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rubin winced and threw an arm over his eyes, the snore coming back just as quickly as it had stopped.
“I’ll tell him again when he wakes up,” April, the girl on the other couch, said sleepily.
I pulled another blanket from the stack and draped it over her. “I appreciate it, April.”
She nodded and curled up under the blanket, mumbling about him being a good kid.
She was right about that. I just hoped he stayed that way and would maybe rub off on Tate a bit more.
It was unusual for Rubin to drink as much as he had, but after Drew’s explanation of the revelation the night before, I guess it made more sense, which was why I’d called his mom on his behalf.
She hadn’t known he wasn’t in his own bed at that point, but knowing how late the boys slept around here, she’d have figured it out soon enough.
I made my way back to our room through the club and met Drew at the door. He smiled down at me, his hand pushing under my hair to grab my neck and angle my head so he could reach my lips. I hummed in appreciation, even as he released me and slid his hand down my back to pat my ass.
“Gonna let Slate know we’re heading out. Meet you outside.”
I nodded in agreement and stepped into our room to grab our overnight bag.
I scribbled out a quick note to Tate and then left, pulling the door closed behind me.
I slipped the note under Tate’s door as I passed.
He was going to be pissed when he woke up and found his bike gone, which was why I hadn’t told him where the bike was, and I’d sworn both Moose and Autumn to secrecy until I got back.
I knew Tate wouldn’t call Drew or me to find out where I’d taken it, and no one else around here knew, which lessened the probability of him figuring it out.
I’d meant it when I’d told Drew that Tate had to make his own decisions.
I understood that Tate would probably get drunk to spite me.
He’d probably screw Libby seven ways from Sunday in inappropriate places to make his point, but the more control I tried to hold over him, the more he would rebel.
Losing the bike was temporary this time, but every time I had to execute that right, he would lose it for longer and longer.
The damn thing was in my name, and this seemed to be the only thing that would penetrate that thick skull of his enough to leave a message, especially if the guys went for a ride this weekend without him.
I slipped out of the front doors as quietly as I could and smiled at Drew as he glanced up at me from his parking spot.
I don’t think I’d ever spent a night with him outside of The Hut before.
We would be away from Babylon, away from his brothers, away from the shit that weighed him down, and I was excited about that.
Dallas wasn’t that far from where we were, but tonight it might as well be a continent away.
I didn’t think a desert island would hold this much appeal for me.
I loved my life with Drew and the club. I loved every one of the guys in varying degrees for various reasons because they were my family, but the selfish little girl inside of me was plain giddy at the idea of having Drew all to myself for one whole night.
I pulled my helmet on as I reached the bike and swung my leg over the back, tightening the straps of my backpack to keep it in place.
The moment Drew kicked the bike to life and got himself comfortable, I pressed myself against his back and held on as he pulled away and slipped out of the yard and onto the smooth highway.
I’d made this trip so many times on those lonely nights I’d spent in my truck, my radio turned up, windows down, and air filtering into the cab.
I only realized now that this was the feeling I’d been trying to achieve.
That feeling of flying you could only get on a bike.
I lifted my head and closed my eyes, arms wrapped around my man while a smile played on my lips as Drew pulled onto the interstate and took off.