Page 103 of Unveiled Wounds

I didn’t know what to say. My chest tightened, my breath exiting in little puffs. I would have done the same thing for them, but I was having a hard time believing my friends had moved to be closer to me and my growing family. “They moved,” I squeaked, hitting Grizz in the arm. “They’re going to be in our village.”

Grizz wasn’t having a problem with this news. He sat next to me, sipping his beer, as if creating a scene was normal.

“What the fuck?” Dead was swinging his leg to sit next to Stella when he caught the end of my statement. Dead knew exactly what he was doing when he straddled the bench, boxing her in with this large body. She’d have to turn to the other side to stand, and it would have been difficult with Pumpkin.

“Charlie and I rented an apartment in town, so we’re only fifteen minutes away.” Stella shrugged, knocking her elbow against his crossed arms. “If you want my undivided attention, ask me to dinner.” Dead’s face paled at the suggestion. If he hurt my friend, he was going to be the first one reminded why they had named me Buster.

We’d never heard Stella speak so forwardly before, and it had thrown us. Charlie gripped my hand, needing the support, and I didn’t hesitate. My mouth was wide open and my eyes bugged out. Charlie laughed, her eyes just as wide as mine, but when no one else was laughing, she tried to hold it in. A chuckle would escape, and Charlie would cover it with a fake cough. Shocked didn’t even begin to describe how we were feeling.

“The owners are going to let you walk away from the center? They love you.” I quickly regrouped. I wanted to know all the details, and if I didn’t do something, I was going to lash out at one or both men at the table. Dead hadn’t stopped staring at Stella, his color not improving. Grizz was still sipping his beer, as if this was a daily occurrence.

“They’ve been working on a new center here. It’s set to open in August, but they haven’t hired a director yet, so the last time I saw the owner’s wife, I asked. Transferring me would be easier, then they can simply promote my assistant. I’ll hire and train the staff this summer, and then we’ll be ready when they are.” Stella dropped her gaze to Pumpkin. “When you’re old enough, you’re going to spend the day with me. I can’t wait.”

“Oh god. She can’t grow up that fast.” My face fell, thinking about when Pumpkin would be old enough for daycare.

“I’ll recruit some brothers to help with the heavy lifting. You just need to tell me when.” Grizz patted my back, making me crush on him a little harder. He would have never offered unless he thought they were family. They were, and I was glad he saw it the same way I did.

“No need. We got it done.” Charlie unscrewed one of the water bottles. She took a drink before setting it back on the table.

“What about you?” I asked her. “You love to fly.”

“The other airport is closer from here, so I transferred. Get this? They have a red eye route, and you know how much I love those.” She smiled genuinely, and I didn’t need to question herhappiness. “Most people sleep through the snacks, so I call that a win.”

The tears streamed down my face as I laid my head on Grizz’s arm. He didn’t hesitate to wrap it around my shoulders, comforting me with the heat of his body.

Everyone told Grizz and me that Pumpkin was a lucky girl. Grizz had claimed her, and she’d never want for anything. I couldn’t describe it, but I knew exactly how that felt. My friends had uprooted their lives for me, and while I didn’t consider it a win, I was definitely a very lucky girl.

Chapter 38

Meredith's First Ride

Meredith

My pulse skyrocketed as Grizz made the turn into the motorcycle dealership’s lot. I had passed the license and the skill exam, only to be disappointed when Grizz didn’t cave. I had patiently waited for Mondays to roll around, only to be disappointed by Friday. Today, I’d had enough joking. It was a good day for a ride, but I’d never suspected we would wind up here. There was no way I was walking out with nothing.

He parked in the designated area, and the minute he flipped the key, I was swinging my leg over. I had my helmet off in record time, but when I went to leave Grizz in the dust, he grabbed my hand. Wrapping his other arm around my waist, he used the momentum to trap me against him.

“We’re here,” I huffed. “You can’t say no.”

“I’m not, but why? You hardly leave the clubhouse, and if you need to take a meeting, Grease rigged Aunt E’s car for you.”

“I want one, and as my husband, you’re supposed to fulfill my every whim. You know? Happy wife, happy life.” We’d talkedabout this. Well, I had talked and had assumed Grizz was listening.

“I don’t care if you want a bike, but you need to be safe. If something happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Fear crossed his face, and that was when I understood how seriously he was taking this.

Grizz was a biker, and I’d been in some close calls. This was our life, and I had accepted there would always be danger. I just hadn’t realized that Grizz had been coming to the same conclusion. I wiggled my hand from his and threw my arms around his neck. “Same goes for you. You better come home safe to me every night.” I leaned forward to kiss him, when I caught a silver SUV pulling into the spot next to us.

“Did you tell anyone where we were going? They’ll never sell us a bike if Pretty shows up begging for baby ones.” I pouted.

“He didn’t tell us.” Sabre rounded the hood and opened Grace’s car door, lending her a hand. “We were at the banquet center and saw you pass us. It wasn’t hard to figure out where you were going.”

“Mer, the track is going to work out beautifully.” Grace smiled, looping her arm around Sabre’s.

“Of course it is.” I was in a mood. After I’d finished the new garage, I’d gone back to developing the center. Figuring out what the average room dimensions would be for a particular function. Where to place the tracks to make sure the walls would slide. The materials. The design had been better than anything they would have paid for, and I didn’t give two fucks what they thought. I was here for a bike.

Turning my back on the three of them, I walked towards the smaller bikes. I was strolling the first row when the salesman exited the front door. He headed straight for Grizz and Sabre, probably to fangirl over their club cuts. I ignored all of them, squashing my hurt feelings as I moved down the line.

I was standing in front of a neon blue bike when a hand looped around my arm.

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