Page 124 of Devil's Due

“Where?”

I haven’t thought that far.Do we need to have a destination? “Just take off. See where the road leads us? Stop somewhere for lunch?”

She’s jumping up and down like an excited child, her smile is like the sun coming out on a rainy day. “I’d love that, Beef. It’s been so long. Will Pyro look after Max?”

“Someone will. Put clothes on suitable for a long ride.”

Now I know a little about her family I understand better why she loves being on the back of a bike. “You ever go riding with your Dad?” I ask, “Or, your sister?”

“Yes, but Dad’s more often got the bike apart than it being suitable for riding. And Susie’s not had her bike long. I just love riding. I feel freer than at any other time.”

Same way that I do. Could this woman be more perfect?

We grab a bite of breakfast, tell everyone we’re heading out, getting a warning from Demon to be back in time for church, then as we’re walking out of the door, Melissa comes running up.

“Here,” she puffs, “Just out of the oven. Put them in your saddle bags in case you get hungry.”

“Mmm, muffins.” Steph breathes in deeply and sighs. “Chocolate?”

“Chocolate chip.”

“Perfect. Thanks Mel.” She holds out her arms and Skull’s woman steps in for a hug.

“Best thing that boy did bringin’ you to the clubhouse, Mel. Though you may get us fat.”

Mel swipes at Pyro’s arm as he walks past. “And where do you think you’re going?” she shouts after him.

“Someone said muffins,” he yells back over his shoulder.

She throws up her hands in mock exasperation. “I better get back to the kitchen. He’ll eat the lot otherwise.” With that, she hurries off.

Steph and I both laugh. Yeah, Skull did well with that one. She’s a good fit for the club, and they seem to go well enough together.

I put the muffins in the saddle bags carefully so they won’t get squashed. Then we’re ready to head off.

I love the feeling of Stevie’s arms as she puts them around me. Having started the engine, I wait, doing nothing more for a few seconds than enjoying the feeling of her holding onto me as if she was meant to be there. Then, with a shit-eating grin on my face, I turn the bike and head out west.

I’ve decided to go toward the mountains. Stevie won’t be able to see or appreciate the scenery in the same way that I do, but I’ll give her the experiences and sensations that she can enjoy. The warmth of the sun on her face, the air rushing past, the smell of pine, the thrills of leaning with the bike as I take the curves. I know she’ll be mapping the road in her head as we go over the different terrain, my hand twisting the throttle and then backing off as I expertly navigate each twist and turn.

My bike is up to the job, responsive enough so it feels like an extension of myself, not a machine I’m riding on. My mind flits back to that suggestion I get one of the touring bikes. Nah, not for me, and Stevie doesn’t seem to mind she’s got just a small sissy bar at her back.

There’s a piece of straight road, Steph must have realised when I opened the throttle as her hands leave my waist, rise in the air, and she shouts out into the wind rushing past. She’s in her element, and I, in mine. I realise it will always be like this, her and I, riding together. Another good reason not to have kids, we can focus on us, with no one to say we’re being selfish.

We stop and eat muffins, me kissing away the chocolate from around her mouth, then we’re back on the bike again. We have lunch in a small café. It’s a day to remember, and one I see us repeating time and time again. Us, the open road, and nothing to worry about.

As we ride back to the compound, I feel her relax against my back. It’s been a long ride, and unused to it, she must be tired. I concentrate on the road, but part of my mind is thinking about our future, and where we’ll be living it.

Drummer said I can go back to Tucson, and I admit, I miss the place. What I miss most is having somewhere I can call home. Here I’m only a temporary visitor, though I couldn’t have wished for a better reception or a better group of brothers to have my back with all the trouble I had with Steph. They even go out of their way to look after the fucking dog, for God’s sake. A good group of men here. I find I’m now as reluctant to leave them as I originally was to leave my real brothers in Tucson. But it would feel great to get this nomad patch off my back. At least Drummer wasn’t sending me on to another club.

As I told Drummer, though, I don’t like leaving things unresolved. Until Demon gets a VP, I need to be here. Now that Steph’s safe, I can concentrate on that. I’ve approached the other prezes who’ve put out feelers, but so far, no one’s come back with a definite answer. Red had said in his latest contact that he might have someone, but he doesn’t want to lose him. Maybe this week I’ll follow that up and see if I can twist the Vegas prez’s arm.

I still haven’t given up on pressuring someone from here to step up. Bomber, Ink or even Pyro are capable of working with Demon, if they had the ambition. Hmm. I’ll bring it up in church, force the issue. These past weeks have emphasised there’s a gap that needs filling, and no one can argue with that.

Chapter Forty-Four

“Did you have a good ride?” Vi asks as Steph collapses down on the sofa with a groan, then sits slightly forward and rubs her ass.

Max immediately trots over and puts his head in her lap, his soulful eyes seeming to ask why she left him. He makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a purr when she rubs behind his ears.

---