Page 58 of Soulless Saint

This was insane.

Huge speakers were set up all around the road on both sides, the music ricocheting all around the canyon, rising to meet us, thumping in my chest. At least two hundred people filled the valley floor, broken off into groups. Dancing, drinking, hollering, smoking.

Neon and leather.

The smell of good weed and even better booze.

“Right?” Toby said, leaning in to rub my shoulder with his. “Nobody misses Race Night, baby girl. You’d be a fool to.”

“Come on!” Kate squealed, snagging my hand from my side to drag me down the hill. Her excitement seemed to be contagious because the large group of us who’d walked most of the distance together, whooped and hollered, all but running down the hill to the valley floor in a wave. Bodies jostled me on both sides, laughter filled my ears.

I reached out a hand in search of Toby, afraid to lose him or that he’d be trampled by the stampede, but his fingers twisted with mine, and he let out a wolfish howl as we all hit the bottom of the hill and scattered, our group merging with the whole.

And just when I thought I couldn’t get any more pumped, I saw a shock of black hair over near a truck bed on the side of the road. Tattooed fingers slid through the inky locks, and I would know him anywhere.

“Oh my god!” I shouted, releasing Toby and Kate. “I’ll be right back!”

I pushed through the throng, the pulse of the music in my ears carrying me forward. The smile on my lips wide and genuine. “Rook!“ I called. “Rook!”

I basically tackled him from behind, wrapping my arms around his upper back.

“Shit,” he cursed, all but flinging me off him. I almost fell on my ass, but he caught me when he whirled around, recognition flaring in his dark eyes. “Becca?”

“In the flesh! Fuck, it’s good to see a familiar face.”

Even if the sight of him brought back some not so pleasant memories.

Rook leaned back to look me up and down, a slow, devious grin spreading on his lips. “Damn. I hardly recognized your scrawny ass.” He lifted his hand, hollering over the music. “Hey! Grey, get your ass over here.”

Grey?

My lips pulled even wider as the crowd parted for Greyson Winters. His dirty blonde hair had been cut shorter since I’d last seen him and it made me glad to see he wasn’t using it to hide his eye anymore.

He wore his patch tonight as opposed to the glass eye Ava Jade and the guys got him last Christmas, and it gave him an added air of danger and mystery.

If he was here too then maybe…

I lifted myself up on my toes, my heart in my throat as I scanned the crowd for my best friend. “Is Aves here?”

Grey pulled me into a hug, and I let him, even though I was still peering over his shoulder in search of Ava Jade.

“Nah,” Rook answered, leaning in to shout in my ear as Grey pulled away. “She’s still on tour.”

I tried not to look too disappointed. I really was happy to see them both. When I turned back to face Rook, I found my flask in his tatted hand. He winked at me as he took a swig from it and passed it back. I hadn’t even felt him take it. The sneaky bastard.

I took another sip too even though I was already feeling the effects of the whiskey. I offered it to Grey next, but he shook his head.

“I’m driving,” he said and I cocked my head at him.

He didn’t mean…

“Just couldn’t stay away, could you?” The familiarly frustrating sound of Kaleb St. Vincent’s voice boomed above the sound of the music and I had just enough time to step out of his path as he crashed into the area where we all stood. Hardin was hot on his heels and Toby and Kate were making their way over, too. Toby’s haughty stare fixed on Kaleb’s perfectly sculpted ass.

Kaleb drew Grey into a massive man hug, thumping his back with a palm before turning to slap Rook’s hand, drawing him in for a quick side hug. Hardin did the same, leaning in for half hugs with each of them.

I should’ve known they’d be here. It was race night in SoCal and they were the self-proclaimed Kings of the land. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Grey’s dark blue eye flashed with mischief as he fixed his stare on Kaleb. “How could I deny the chance to leave your ass in the dust?”

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