Tipping The Scales: Knox (Mate Craze)(27)

“No. It’s a place out of the way a little bit, a local joint.”

Her steps faltered a little, but she continued on. I knew she knew what I was talking about. After all, it was the place where Kallie had tracked me down last year.

“What’s it called?” she asked, pretending to be innocent.

I grunted at her question. The place didn’t have a name. If it had a name, people would talk about it and recommend it and try to take their friends to it. The place didn’t have a name for a purpose, the purpose of secret. Technically, it was Dolly’s per legal records but that neither here nor there.

“Doesn’t have one, now that I think about it. We don’t really want it publicized. Like I said, it’s locals only.”

By the time I’d explained the no-name place, we were back downstairs. “Wait, how did you get here?”

“That.” I pointed down the street at the Ducate that I rarely let myself drive. I’d forgotten how much I loved that machine.

It was the first time I’d seen Kallie speechless. Yet, I knew it wouldn’t be the last time she’d be speechless tonight.

“I-I didn’t know you liked those things. Aren’t they dangerous?”

I held her hand. It was the first time I’d seen even the slightest bit of fear in her eyes and I hated every single second of it. “Hey, it’s not dangerous if you know how to ride it, and I do. We can take the truck. I’m not asking you to ride it.”

Her eyes finally left my motorcycle and returned to meet mine. “I didn’t know you were that kind of— I mean you’re like a…”

There were a thousand ways I could’ve finished that sentence. Idiot-moron-dork?

“What?”

She blinked and the fear was gone, replaced by something I recognized from earlier in the day. “You’re like a nerdy bad boy.”

I winked at her. “I don’t like labels, darlin’.”

“Really? It looks like you kind of enjoyed that one.” She reached out and stuck a finger in my dimple at the side of my mouth.

“I did, actually. So what’s your poison? Motorcycle or truck?”

She looked at them both. “Motorcycle, please.”

Thank goodness I’d remembered to bring more than one helmet, not that I usually wore one.

“Here. Strap this on. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

She looked at me while she put the helmet on and fumbled with the strap. I reached out and smoothed the hair from her face, attempting to help.

“Thanks. I’m nervous and I have no idea why.”

I didn’t answer her—couldn’t. My stomach was churning at a mile per minute. Most shifters didn’t have to do this. They didn’t have to worry about explaining what they were to a human, much less one they expected to love them despite who they were and the fact that they turned into mythical beasts.

“Get on. Hang on tight.” I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding while her hands rounded my waist and enfolded above my belt. Her hands on me was all I needed, and I took in the sensation, not sure if she would ever want to repeat the motion again.

We rode through the winding streets that turned into roads that few knew. Halfway up the mountain, I turned onto the street with no name and drove until we arrived at the place that looked as if it didn’t belong.

“Here we are,” I said casually, knowing that she knew exactly where we were.

“It’s nice,” she mumbled.

“Same as you remembered?” I questioned as casually as I could possibly get.

“What? I? What?” Kallie wasn’t one to lie or ever be the littlest bit dishonest. I knew that purely from instinct.

“Come on, darlin’. I know you were here last year and you know it too. You and I go back further than three days ago.”

Even in the dim light outside the bar, I could see her blush perfectly. She needed some calming, I thought, and honestly, so did I. Grabbing both of her hands in mine, I waited for her eyes to rise.

“Hey, it’s okay. There’s actually a lot we need to talk about tonight. This is just the beginning. This is where we began.”

“How did you know? The girl at the diner?”

I laughed and put a hand on the side of her neck for my own selfish need to feel more of her skin on mine. “Yeah, that and some other things. Relax, okay? I promise, it’s fine. I’m glad you were curious that night. Otherwise, I might’ve never found you.” I pressed one kiss, sharp and quick, to her lips and slowly pulled her toward the entrance with a deep breath. This was it. Kallie, my mate, the other half of me, was about to find out everything.

We walked in to the darkened joint, lit only by the neon signs above the bar and the single-bulb fixtures above each table. To a human, it was probably grainy and shady, but to us, we could see just fine.

Every head bowed a little in response to my entrance. It was out of respect to the Alpha of the clan. An Alpha was nothing without the respect of his clansmen—nothing.

“What the hell was that?” she whispered.

“Come on. Best burgers you’ve ever eaten.”

I made sure she sat down in the corner booth before turning to our audience, and with a tilt of my head, responding to all of their acts of respect. The place went back to usual as soon as I did. We would be under a good deal of scrutiny here, but at least I was among my own.