“You’re going to make a fool out of your husband,” Nellie whispers urgently, as if I should care so much about Beast’s supposed reputation that I commit myself and the three other men I love to living in shadows forever, just for the sake of it.
“I doubt that. What moron in this club would dare call him a fool?” I query, and then I grab Sin’s hand, dragging him away from Nellie even as I know I haven’t heard the end of this.
“Wow,” Sin says finally, pausing just out of hearing distance as I turn back to study him. That nervous feeling that came over me when he first stepped out of the SUV isn’t gone. If anything, it’s amped up a little. I feel anxious. Almost … well, shy isn’t exactly a word in my vocabulary, but something like it. What if it’s Sin’s baby? I wonder, going over different scenarios in my head. It could be, couldn’t it? “Can I just say that I like it when you stand up for me?”
“I will always stand up for you,” I assure him, but even as he reaches for me, I make sure to add, “but I’ll call you out, too. Don’t forget that.”
“Oh, trust me,” he says, pulling me close again and putting his hands on my hips. I tease the bald eagle tattoo on his arm with a fingernail. “You wouldn’t let me forget that if I tried.”
“Let’s go back to the farmhouse,” I suggest, and Sin exhales raggedly.
“Shit, I’d love that,” he whispers, stroking my hair back. “But I’m not sure how useful I’ll be. I’m still pretty sore.”
“I’ll take care of you,” I promise him, glancing over at the white Indian Chieftain parked near the clubhouse steps. It wasn’t there yesterday, so one of the guys must’ve moved it for Sin. “Can you ride?”
“I could ride half-dead, blind, and with a missing arm. Come on.” He moves over to the motorcycle and exhales, running his palm along the side of it. “It’s been too long, my friend,” he murmurs, swinging one leg over and then groaning. “Fuck. Remind me not to do that again.”
Sin pauses for a moment and then glances over at me.
“I’ll be careful holding onto you,” I promise, but he shakes his head, reaching up and ruffling up that gorgeous blue faux-hawk of his. He’s always gotten shit from the other Daybreakers about his hairstyles and colors. I’m glad it hasn’t been enough to break him of his spirit. He did shave that kick-ass purple Mohawk off once, but I guess that was enough of a lesson to tell him to give zero fucks about what other people think.
“It’s not that. I just wanted you to know that if I could let you drive my bike right now, I would.” He gives me one of those crooked smiles that I love so much, and then turns to face the woods. I don’t quite know how to respond to that, but my throat closes up, and I climb on behind him, gingerly putting my arms around his waist until he lets out a bemused snort and reaches down, pressing my hands against the tautness of his lower belly.
My own body responds, and I scoot forward, rubbing against him.
Sin curses at me, his hands squeezing even more tightly around my own.
“You’re going to break my resolve if you keep doing that,” he warns me, and then he kickstarts the engine and off we go.
I think about what he said, about me driving a bike. It’ll never happen within the confines of the club. Never. Because I could change the vice president’s mind maybe. I could change the enforcer’s, the sergeant-at-arms’, the road captain’s. Hell, I could even work with all the local members.
But what about the other thirty-three chapters of Death by Daybreak?
I could, however, leave the compound and go riding with my men on my own. That could happen for me.
It doesn’t occur to me until we’re actually at the house that I forgot to let Crown know that I was leaving. As soon as Sin shuts the engine off, I’m sliding my phone from my pocket.
“Fuck, that felt good,” he breathes, shuddering like a trapped animal just let loose from its cage. He rubs both hands over his face as I smile and turn my phone screen on to see that Crown has taken the initiative and texted me.
Always let your commanding officer know about a change in plans, regardless of how small or inconsequential they seem.
He’s right, of course, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him being right.
I shoot back a quick ‘kk’ which I’m sure annoys the shit out of him, but too bad. I have other things to do right now. I’m up and off the bike before Sin even gathers it together enough to join me.
