Page 7 of Truck Up

Other than Amelia, I may be the only other person who knows what he tried to do to her. I don’t think she even told her closest friends.

I hate that she’s forced to see him all the time because Linden is too blind and stupid to see that his best friend is a piece of shit.

“Hey!” Linden gives me a shove, dragging my eyes back to him. “I’m talking to you. Stay away from my family’s shop. You hear me?”

“I hear you.” I keep my voice calm and measured. “I just don’t give a shit.”

With one more glare in Badger’s direction, I slide my sunglasses back down over my eyes. Then I push past Linden and head toward my bike.

The last thing I want to do is leave. But if I stay, this won’t turn out well. Seeing these assholes feeds my urge to kick some ass. But if I did that, Amelia would be pissed. I don’t want her pissed. I want her satisfied and screaming my name for an entirely different reason.

But I can’t stand knowing Badger is this close to her and I can’t do anything to protect her from his presence. All I cando is trust she’s safe with her brothers close. Badger won’t do anything as long as her family is around.

If the circumstances were different, Badger wouldn’t get close enough to Amelia to breathe the same air as her.

When I reach my bike, I hear the little bell above the door ding. I look up and see Amelia is standing there glaring at her brothers with her hands resting on her hips. I slide onto my bike and wait. I love it when Amelia stands up for herself. She doesn’t do it often, but when she does, it’s hot as fuck.

“Why are you here?” she asks her brother.

“Mom texted me. Said you were having trouble with a Mutter.”

Amelia rolls her eyes and groans. “There’s no trouble. He was just ordering flowers for his grandma’s birthday. There’s no crime in that.”

“You took his order?” Tanner stiffens and clenches his fists like he’s going to punch something. He isn’t quite the same level of asshole as Linden, but he’s a hothead and unpredictable.

“Of course, I did.”

“Why?” Tanner stumbles back like her words slapped him in the face.

“Because I like Grams.” Her lips turn up in a mischievous smile. The smile that I love the most. The one that makes me want to kiss her forever. “And I don’t put any stock into that stupid feud. It has nothing to do with me or how I runmybusiness.”

Linden growls and his expression turns indignant. Kind of like a grumpy cat that everything and everyone pisses off. “How can you say that? The feud has everything to do with you.”

Amelia rolls her eyes again. “Oh, grow up. Sometimes you act like a bratty toddler.”

I can’t stop the chuckle that rolls out of me. It’s such an unusual act for me that every one of them turns to me with a surprised look on their faces.

“You got something else to say?” Linden calls out to me.

I don’t answer him. Instead, I grab my helmet and slide it over my head. Amelia and Linden go back to arguing, but I can’t make out all of their words with my helmet over my ears. So I focus my attention on Badger.

He’s keeping his distance, but his eyes are trained on Amelia like the fucking predator that he is. I don’t trust him. Given the chance to be alone with Amelia again, I know he’d hurt her. If he did that. I’d kill him.

She swears he won’t try anything again, but she’s wrong. I see it in his eyes. He’s waiting patiently for his chance, and I’m going to make sure he never fucking gets it.

I can’t stop pacing

Thirty minutes stretch into forty, each agonizing second a hammer-blow against my patience.Where the fuck is she?

I pace the length of the room, my nerves a caged beast clawing at my insides. The door—a mocking barrier—taunts me.

The urge to shatter it is strong. I’m so close to tearing this place apart in my frantic need for Amelia. I need to see her, to know she’s safe, to feel the tremor of her breath against my skin.

It doesn’t help that I’m jonesing for a high. One hit would calm me down and satisfy my nerves. It’s a battle I struggle with every single day. It’s been two years since I got clean, and I can’t go back. I’d lose everything if I did.

Instead, I grab a cigarette and head outside. It’s a warm August afternoon. Maybe the fresh air combined with nicotinewill calm me down. It’s doubtful, but I can hope. Regardless, if she doesn’t show up in the next ten minutes, I’m heading back to town.

I take one drag when I see her car turn the corner and clear the trees that hide my small cabin in the woods.

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