Page 39 of Foxx
“Yeah, it is,” I argue. “It’s good to mix it up, Mia, every once in a while. Taste everything together instead of one thing at a time.”
“Is this life advice from the outlaw biker?”
“No, it’s life advice from a man who’s seen things you can’t even imagine.”
Something in her eyes shuts down at my words. She goes from semi-relaxed and conversing like an actual person to completely loathing me.Interesting.
“Tell me why you’re so comfortable on a bike.” I change the subject, and this time, she doesn’t fight me.
“My dad rode. He’d take me for hot chocolate every Sunday. I grew up riding with him.”
Something settles in me. At least that stops me from having to find some ex-boyfriend she rode with and slitting his throat. I accept her answer and don’t press her any more.
“Are you going to let me go home first? Get my toothbrush?” she asks as she leans back against the booth and folds her arms over her ample breasts, eyebrow raised.
I peel enough cash out of my wallet to pay the check. I might technically own the place, but I always pay and tip well.
“No. Not tonight. I have everything you need.” And I wouldn’t put it past Dagger to have someone watching us.
“You heading out, honey?” Ruth Anne makes her way over to our table as I stand.
I kiss the top of her head and hand her a hundred-dollar bill. “For the service.”
She smiles and takes it from me. “Thanks, darlin’.”
Ruth Anne turns to Mia. “Nice to have you here. Beats him sitting there alone grimacing at his food.”
“He still grimaced.” Mia smiles fully at Ruth Anne, and something foreign comes over me. What would it be like to have her smile at me that way more often, to sit here with me when I’m not forcing her to? I run a hand through my hair.
Who the fuck am I?
Merve stands and says good night as we pass. He lives in a small cabin the next road over and walks here every night. It’s his only real social interaction since his wife died three years ago. The staff knows he eats for free, and when his son is in town, he brings him too. Just the thought of what he went through when his wife died reminds me of why I’ll always be alone. I’ve only lost one person I cared about, which taught me that with this life, anything I touch is at risk. It taught me never to care about anyone else again, ever.
“I can’t wait to see your selection of non-chemical face creams and shampoos, since you have everything I need,boss,” Mia tosses over her shoulder as we head out the door.
I remind myself I don’t need to care about her to tear those fucking yoga pants to shreds and sink my cock into her ass just to shut her up.
Chapter 23
Mia
Seeing the first crack in Aiden’s armor as he kissed that sweet woman on the head and patted Merve on the shoulder isn’t helping me stay focused on the idea that he’s a monster with the capacity to hurt my sister. As we ride even farther from town, I realize I shouldn’t be surprised a man like Aiden lives so far from where he does business. It’s no different from my father choosing to live in Lakeside, in my mother’s family home, while working with the club and at his job in Harmony.
But I am surprised when we turn off onto a dirt road heading into the woods along Wilmington River. The long driveway, sheltered by trees on either side acting as a canopy, leads to a ranch-style home. A mid-century modern that’s all angles and peaks and tinted glass. It has deep-brown brick and black siding and is shaded fully by trees and shrubs surrounding the front porch. It’s not overly large, but it’s pretty, and the property is wide and expansive, making me wonder just how much land he has here.
Beside the rather beautiful house sits a barn-style garage that has seen better days. It has raw, untreated board and batten siding from top to bottom, and the brown-shingled roof is peeling in spots. It’s the kind of place where you just know a full colony of bats has taken up residence.
I pull my phone out and realize just how remote we are. “No cell service?” I ask, caution creeping up my spine.
“My Wi-Fi works better in some places than others.” He takes my helmet.
“Is this the speech you give all your victims before you haul them into that barn?” I huff out, masking my tension.
“If they’re my victims, they aren’t saying anything, darlin’.” He walks ahead of me a step.
“That’s comforting.”
The odd thing is that as I look around, I almost feel comfortable. I need to focus on working myself into his good graces if I want to learn as much about him as possible while I’m here.
