Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)(68)

Olivia admires her nails like we aren’t discussing topics that could harm Emily. “She really did do a good job. You’re tasked with protecting Emily, correct?”

“Yes,” I say with exasperation. “And you’re making it harder.”

“If you want to keep Emily out of trouble, then help her discover the truth.”

My muscles lock up. “You mean tell her what I know.”

“No, I mean help her find out. Even you don’t know what it is that Eli and Meg are hiding and, you’re right, Emily asking about Honeysuckle Ridge will get her in trouble. If you want to protect her, then help Emily discover the truth. Become her ally.”

“If you want Emily to know so badly, then you tell her, but stop messing with my future. If I help her then I lose my shot at the security company and the club.”

“I can’t tell her. I promised Eli I wouldn’t.”

I swear to God fire is shooting out of my eyes. “And I gave Eli my word she wouldn’t find out. You can’t betray Eli or the club, but you don’t mind if I do.”

“You aren’t part of the Terror yet. You have a grace period. The three-piece patch is not on your back, otherwise you would have already told Eli I gave Emily the picture.” Olivia lays a fist over her heart and drops her voice. “I’m asking you to save my granddaughter and yourself.”

I narrow my eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Olivia rests her freezing hand on my arm. “The club has never been a herd.”

My mind mulls over her words, searching for her meaning, but I come up blank.

“At its heart, it’s about the individual’s search for freedom.” She squeezes my arm.

“I know.”

“I don’t think you do, and Emily doesn’t know this, either. If you help her, you’ll save her. If you help her, then maybe you’ll find yourself.”

Dammit. “I already know who I am! You’re the one who can’t accept it.”

Olivia doesn’t flinch from my words. She smiles instead and puts her hand on my face. “You know what I find amazing? How much alike you and Emily are.”

Her words are a fist to my gut. “What does that mean?”

“You’re both afraid to find out who you might be.” She lightly pats my cheek then lowers her hand. “That’s the type of fear that can damage your life. Help Emily and I promise you’ll be helping yourself, as well.”

Emily walks onto the porch wearing an old pair of Olivia’s boots, a skintight pair of jeans, thanks to Violet, and a T-shirt. A thin piece of blue ties at the back of her neck.

“I’m ready to go.” Emily warily takes in Olivia and then me. “Is everything okay?”

No, it’s not, but there’s not a damn thing I can do to fix it. I look Emily over and begin to imagine her in a bikini. Parts south of my brain start spinning fantasies that will never happen. I run a hand over my face. I’m looking forward to this too much. “I need your helmet, Olivia.”

“Don’t have it.” She turns her back to us as she returns to the living room. “It’s a short drive. Some wind in her hair won’t kill her.”

Eli might if he finds out I permitted Emily to ride without one, but it’d take longer to head to my house for Mom’s helmet than it would to go straight to the pond. “Let’s roll.”

I’m down the stairs and pulling my keys to my bike out of my pocket. Emily’s behind me. I straddle the bike then gesture for her to hop on. She sweeps her long bangs away from her face and massages her neck. “Seriously, are you and Olivia okay?”

Seriously, we are not. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough.” Emily nudges at the gravel with her toe. “She wants you to help me find the monsters haunting my past.”

Yeah, she does. “I can’t help you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“That is a f*cked-up question because it means the same thing.”

“No, it doesn’t. One means you can help but you’re refusing to. The other means you would love to help, but you don’t have the ability to.”

I insert my key into the ignition. “Emily, when it comes to you, can’t and won’t share the same definition. Now get on the bike.”

Emily tangles her fingers near the end of her hair and hesitates.

“Are you scared?” I ask.

Furious dark eyes stab right through me. “No.”

“Have you ridden before?”

She shrugs a maybe then her shoulders roll forward. “No, but how hard can it be?”

Driving one? Harder than she thinks. “Direct blood of Eli McKinley has never been on a bike. It feels sacrilegious.”

“I’m a Jennings,” she corrects.

“So you’ve mentioned and you just told me you’re a virgin so let’s go over the basics.”

Her mouth slacks. “I never said I was a virgin.”

“Never been on a bike before, right?”

She nods.

“As I said, virgin. I’m in a hurry, otherwise I’d be willing to swap sex stories, but you can dominate that conversation because I’m more interested in yours. When you do tell me, talk slow since I’m a details type of guy.”