Page 47 of Ride or Die

“Awww, come on,” Wheeler drawled. “Aren’t you even a little curious?”

“Nope.”

“Liar. You should come, it’ll be fun.”

“You keep using that word.” Saint scrubbed a hand over his mouth and ignored the pinch of curiosity. Mechanics didn’t help with these kinds of things. “I can’t,” he reminded him.

Wheeler winked. “You shouldn’t. Not the same thing.”

“Leave him alone, Wheeler,” Aaron said, and they both jumped. He stood at ease in the doorway, backlit by the bright clouds, and Saint could not say how long he’d been there. Cookie let out a low growl that cut off when Aaron looked at him.

It was why Aaron had been selected for their unit. He was part ghost.

“Saint’s got a girl. Even stayed for breakfast, but she snuck out on him.” Wheeler walked past Aaron towards the gravel yard out front where his truck was parked.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Saint growled and pivoted to face the open bay doors. Fucking gossips.

Aaron’s black eyebrows rose, and his cheek twitched in a subtle smile.

Saint joined Aaron in the doorway, and they watched Wheeler load his truck, double-checking every weapon was unloaded before transport.

“How’d you meet her?” Aaron’s voice was soft, relaxed. He looked like he’d come right from his tech startup downtown, sneakers glowing white against the oil-stained floor.

“Cookie slipped his collar and took off. She caught him.”

Aaron smiled. “Brave.”

“Yeah,” Saint said. “She’s a civilian.”

Aaron’s eyes cut to his. “And?”

“So am I.”

Aaron let out a soft exhale but didn’t challenge him on it.

“What’s the job?” Saint asked quietly. Wheeler straddled his truck, one foot on a rear tire, the other in the bed, playing eenie-meenie-miney-mo with assault rifles.

“Moving money for the farm,” Aaron said, just as softly.

Saint groaned. “Coop’s gonna come down on him for that.” The cannabis producers were still struggling with banking even though it’d been legalized for years, and usually escorting profits was in the biker’s jurisdiction.

“He might, but the Eighty-Sixers have bigger shit to worry about right now.”

“Is that what the announcement about the Italians was about?” Saint shouldn’t have been asking. It wasn’t his business, and Aaron didn’t answer him.

“Coop contracted out.” Wheeler beamed at them, thumbs pointing at his shoulders, and Saint almost forgot why he was pissed with him. Wheeler jumped off the truck and sauntered over, joining them in the mouth of the shop. “The job’s big enough to get our name out there, and that’ll help keep the lights on a little longer.”

Saint snorted. Wheeler’s business was growing rapidly. They already had the lights on. All of them.

“So, tell us about this girl.” Wheeler’s grin became sly.

“No.”

Wheeler turned on Aaron, and the shorter man shrugged. “I don’t know anything about her. You’re just going to have to be patient.”

“None of us are patient,” Wheeler grumbled and crossed big arms over his chest. Saint waited for him to stamp his foot.

“The Italians are expanding ops, and Cooper’s trying to keep his guys from fighting them on it, so stay sharp.” Aaron’s midnight eyes were on Wheeler.