Page 14 of Stone

He popped a kiss on my forehead, placed an earphone in my ear, and gently lowered my helmet over my head. Throwing a leg over his bike, he held a hand out for me to grab and helped me get on behind him.

“Everythin’ alright?” he asked, putting his helmet on and pulling the chinstrap tight.

“Perfect,” I replied, grinning at what had just happened as I slid my arms around his rigid torso.

He turned his head forward and started the bike. “Hold on tight, Duchess,” he ordered, revving the bike and setting off slowly to join the main road leading out of town.

I resisted the urge to give Monica the finger as we drove away. Instead, I pressed my cheek to John’s back until all the tension left his body.

Riding always relaxed him; it was in his blood, and he got so much pleasure from it that the enjoyment also rubbed off on me. It connected us not just physically but emotionally. I never felt closer to John than when I sat behind him, holding onto him tight with the wind whipping all around us.

John’s hand rested on my knee, and my heart fluttered as the opening bars to Springsteen’s ‘Glory Days’ sounded through my one earphone. His fingers tapped lightly in time with the bass.

I leaned in closer, my front aligned perfectly with the curve of John’s spine, marveling at how well we fit. The lyrics to the song made my chest warm as I thought about how the song reflected how I felt right then, holding tight to the man I loved.

Three years without him would be challenging, but it was three years out of our whole lives. If John didn’t leave, we’d get married and have babies. Waiting and going to college would give me time to find myself and learn to be more independent. As much as I’d miss him, maybe it would even be good for me.

But as much as I tried to convince myself John's leaving was a good thing, I couldn’t ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d had this feeling ever since John told me he was enlisting on his twenty-first birthday.

I knew I had to smile, be a supportive girlfriend, and encourage him to live his dreams—and I was fully prepared for it. Except I couldn’t shake the feeling that if John left, something terrible would happen, and nothing would ever be the same.

John’s enlistment went well.

He passed the security check and did well in his aptitude test. The recruiter arranged for him to go down to Denver the following week for his physical. After that, he’d be sent to boot camp.

He came out of his interview, almost vibrating with excitement. As we walked back to where he’d parked his bike, he couldn’t stop babbling about everything the recruiter had told him about the life of a U.S. Marine.

On the ride home, my heart ached so hard my chest hurt, but you wouldn’t have known it by the broad smile I kept in place. John needed to get away from the MC if he wanted to discover who he really was, and I had to admire his independence.

My dad told me the Speed Demons were trouble, but they’d always been respectful toward me. Constance was like my second mother, and even though Bandit scared me a little, I admired him for how he kept all those crazy bikers in check.

Even though my mom made me do pageants, I was shy, especially around men. On my first date with John, I was so nervous that I could hardly speak in case I said something stupid. Thank God he could see I was struggling and talked enough for the both of us.

All too soon, we drove onto the road toward the farm where John lived and where the Speed Demons had their home. Bandit, Constance, and John lived in a farmhouse set back from the road next to the clubhouse, a huge, old barn onto which they’d built a kitchen and bathroom.

Even though I’d heard Bandit was a millionaire, the place looked pretty run down. Johnny always told me how when he was prez, he’d buy the huge old warehouse on Lincoln Way and expand the club by offering the brothers room and board. He even talked about starting legitimate businesses.

We took a left and rode into the club’s courtyard, which was full of bikes because Friday was always party night for the Speed Demons. John didn’t let me stay after eight, which a part of me was thankful for—I’d heard the rumors of the debauchery that went on there—but John wanted to celebrate his enlistment, soinstead of taking me home early, we were going to the club for a change.

Constance and Iris would be there, so that put my mind at ease, but I couldn’t help the tightening of my stomach as my nerves set in.

John steered his bike past the house and down a dirt track toward the barn before finally stopping at the end of a long line of bikes. Then he reached back to help me as I hauled my leg over the saddle and dismounted.

“You okay, Duchess?” he asked, getting off his bike and placing it on its kickstand.

“Yeah,” I replied quietly, studying his face curiously. “You never usually want me here late. What’s changed?”

He closed his eyes, his face lowering until he studied his boots. “The place gets a little rambunctious at night, baby. I made a decision when we started dating that I’d keep you away from it for as long as possible, But you’re nearly eighteen now, and I want you to be comfortable coming here when I’m away.”

“How rambunctious?” I inquired, my head cocking to one side. “I know the brothers get drunk and unruly.”

His hand went up to clasp the back of his neck. “There’s a little more to it than drinking, Leesy.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my stomach sinking at John’s reddening face.

He winced slightly. “Remember when I explained how the club lives by its own moral code and how it often clashes with what society sees as decent?”

I nodded silently.

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