Rake's Redemption (Wind Dragons MC #4)(7)

Lana and Anna share a speculative glance.

“What?” I ask, dragging out the word.

Anna grins, her eyes lighting up. “Rake’s going on a run next weekend. He’ll be gone for a few days. We can catch up for a drink or two. He won’t find out; it’ll be fine.”

“Famous last words,” I say with an exaggerated sigh, even though all three of us knew damn well I was going to go out with them. “Is he here to watch Clover?”

They both shake their heads, but Anna answers. “Nah, Sin and Tracker are here. The rest of the men had shit to do.”

I look behind the girls and see Tracker sitting on the hood of a black four-wheel drive. Next to him is a man with dark hair. His arm is around a woman who is waving her hands in the air in Clover’s direction. The two men are wearing the vest things I’ve seen bikers wear, and both look extremely imposing.

In fact, all the other parents have given them a wide berth.

Lana pulls out her phone and hands it to me. “Give us your number.”

I put my number in and save it. “I guess he’s going to find out you two saw me here today anyway.”

“Can I ask you something?” Anna says, a serious expression on her pretty face. I already know what she’s going to ask, but I nod my head anyway.

“What happened between the two of you? You were the best couple. I’ve never seen young love like that in my life. Everyone thought you’d get married.”

So did I, but life doesn’t always turn out how you expect it.

I lick my suddenly dry lips. A few words flow through my mind.

Utter devastation.

Heartbreak.

Tragedy.

Pain.

A lot of f*cking pain.

“I guess it just didn’t work out,” I tell them, shrugging simply. Understatement of the f*cking year.





THREE




NEXT weekend comes around faster than usual. Lana texted me a few days ago and asked if I could meet them at Rift, which was the last place I wanted to be. When I told her as much, she told me that we could meet at a bar called Knox’s Tavern instead. Tia offered to keep Cara for the night so I could go out and enjoy a night with my old friends. Still, I’m feeling a little unsure.

I love Anna and Lana, but being with them brings back so many memories. Having them in my life brings back Adam. My Adam, not the biker badass known as Rake. The Adam I loved, before he broke me. I keep trying to find a love like what we shared, but it just never measures up. And it makes me hate him even more. I need to get over it, I know. But I’ve tried and I can’t. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get to the point where I can see him and not feel anything, good or bad. I wish I could.

I’d love to see him and feel absolutely nothing, to be numb. For my heart not to race, for my chest not to get tight. For me to be able to breathe freely, not feel like tears are about to drip down my cheeks.

Maybe one day.

I glance at my reflection in my full-length mirror, looking from side to side. My dark hair is down and curled at the ends, and I’d done a red lip and winged eyeliner. My brown eyes are nothing special, but I’m lucky to be blessed with thick, long lashes. Lashes that Cara inherited from me. With a final inspection, I grab my black clutch and slip my feet into my black strappy high heels.

Then, I call a taxi.

*

“Do they only hire sexy men here?” I ask with wide eyes, as I take in the hunks around me. “And twins. Seriously?”

How are they real?

Was being sexy a requirement for working here?

Anna looks toward the bar and laughs. “I used to work here. Reid, Ryan, and Tag, they’re all good guys. Reid can be a pain in the ass though.”

She says that fondly.

“He can be a pain in my ass any time he likes,” I say, leaning my cheek on my palm and studying him from the safety of our booth. When Lana and Anna break out in laughter, I realize how what I just said could be interpreted. If you have a dirty mind, which these girls clearly do.

“That isn’t what I meant,” I say, giggling. I then blurt out, “I’m still an anal virgin.”

They laugh harder.

I roll my eyes and suck on my straw, letting the chilled drink fill my mouth and slide down my throat. When I notice a rough-looking man standing by the door watching us, I ask, “Who is that guy?”

Anna looks at the man and purses her lips. “That would be my compromise. Bringing him along was the only way the men would let us out without them.”

“I see,” I reply, checking the man out. “He’s hot though.”

Lana leans back in the booth and grins. “His name is Ronan; he was just patched in. The men have started calling him Shark, although no one will tell us why.”

“So do you call him Ronan or Shark? It sounds confusing.”

“We call him Ronan because we’re used to it,” Anna replies. “I don’t get the whole road-name thing either. There obviously aren’t any rules to it, because we still call Vinnie, Vinnie.”

Lana’s brows furrow in though. “Vinnie’s road name is Wolf, didn’t you know that?”

Anna looks confused, wrinkling her nose adorably. “How the hell do you know that?”

Lana shrugs her shoulders, pushing her glasses up on her nose. “I pay attention when people talk.”