Loving Me, Trusting You(6)

“You might've been divorced on paper, but it was never made official in the group, Mrs. Walker. By all right and reason, you belong to Bested by Crows. Now, why don't I make you an offer you can't refuse? You tell me where Tray is and you come ride along with us and forget your busted bike. We'll call it all even and the rest of y'all can go on your way. I don't give a f*ck what you did to Kent Diamond or anybody else.”

I laugh then, eyes focused on Will, waiting for that perfect moment when he realizes that I'm not kidding around, that I really did take that blade that Beck gave me, that I slid it along Tray's stubbled throat.

“Will, you're living in a world of your own creation, a disillusion so strong it's got its hands wrapped around your throat. One day, you'll wake up and you'll realize what it is that you've been missing, but by then, it'll be too late.”

I pull the tire iron out of my jacket and get rewarded with a chorus of hammers clicking back, ready to pump me full of holes. I lay it on my shoulder and turn around, watching the toes of my boots as I move forward towards the row of gleaming metallic beauties before me. In the past, I might've climbed onto the back of Austin's bike, but today, that's no longer an option for me.

I raise my chin and spot Gaine staring at me, dark hair almost red-brown in the sunlight, eyes hard and unyielding. Nobody moves and nobody speaks as I drop my weapon back into his saddlebag and climb up behind him, sliding my arms around the hard body of the nicest man I've ever met.

The one I refuse to fall in love with.





The intercom stays quiet for awhile. Nobody's willing to weigh in on what just went down between the two MCs. There's a lot of bad blood between us, and now, it's startin' to spoil like roadkill in the hot Southern sun. This can only end bad, we all know that. Our only goal from this point forward is going to make sure that it ends worse for them than it does for us. My only goal is to keep Mireya safe, mentally and physically. Right now, with her wrapped tight around me, fingers twitching gently on my belly, I can almost pretend she's gonna let me, that she's going to smile up at me and touch her hands to my cheeks.

“First stop in the next town, I'm getting myself a new ride,” she growls through the crackling microphone, shattering my illusion with a single sentence. Mireya Sawyer is tough, I get it. And she doesn't need anybody to watch over her. Doesn't mean I don't want to though.

“I don't think so,” Austin replies, taking the lead, playing Road Captain just the way he's always done. I think he's going to have to learn to delegate, but I haven't had the chance to bring that up yet. Right now, Beck and I are just trying to make sure he stays afloat as President. It's not easy to fall in love, kill an old friend, and take over a motorcycle gang in a single week. “Mireya, you need to learn that there are boundaries for a reason. You damn near got yourself shot back there. You're riding with Gaine until I decide otherwise.”

“The f*ck, Austin?” Mireya screams, and I swear, I see a few bikes swerve at the outburst. “I'm not taking any Goddamn orders from you.”

“Then you're out, Sawyer. This isn't a game. You'll listen to what I have to say or you'll leave. That's the way it is. And don't even say what I think you're gonna say. This has nothing to do with Amy and everything to do with you.” Austin pauses. “And this isn't a man/woman thing neither, so don't even start on that.”

“You cock sucking son of a – ”

“Ain't that a little harsh, Austin? I mean, it isn't Mireya's fault she got her bike trashed.” Maybe I shouldn't speak up, but I can't help myself. Austin might be my best friend, but when it comes to Mireya, he never knows what to do, never has. He's been stringing her along forever without even realizing it. Man's as dense as a week old loaf of bread, but just as tough. I know I should cut him some slack, but I just want to see Mireya happy. That fear I felt when I got that phone call from Amy really lit my ass on fire. I can't rest until I convince her to take me – mind, body, and soul. I'd like to call her mine, too, but I'm not holding out for that. Mireya isn't a woman that wants to be owned or tamed.

“Fuck off, Gaine,” she snarls, squeezing me tight. Wish it was out of affection and not anger, but hey, I'll take what I can get. I can feel her full breasts smashing against my back, can practically taste the heat between her thighs. She's crushed so tight against my spine that I can't miss the warmth contained there in that blessed domain. Like a needle to my veins, Mireya gets into me and swirls around my bloodstream, poisons me with need and desire. I'm so wrapped up in her that I barely hear the rest of the voices coming through the intercom.

“I think I'm going to be sick,” Amy whispers softly, and Beck starts laughing like he's trying to cough up a damn hairball, making highly inappropriate pregnancy jokes while he's at it. Austin tells him to shut the f*ck up, but it's Mireya who finally puts a stop to the nonsense.

“Beck, you insensitive sack of shit, this is Amy's hometown. Show some respect.”

The group goes silent as we approach the faintly lit sign on the side of the road. It's just about dark out now, so it's hard to make out the words Welcome to Wilkes, Friendliest Little Town There Ever Was, but there isn't really a need to. Amy breathes them against the mic like a curse, and I swear, I can hear her heart pounding from back here. Or maybe that's Mireya's. Maybe she's remembering the moment she laid eyes on the little brunette and lost her chance at Austin forever. I clamp my hands tight on the handlebars and resist the urge to reach down and curl my fingers around hers.