Page 52 of Ride Forever
Gasket threw me a look. “He said that?”
“It’s a Christmas miracle,” I replied. “You really going to let Chaser punch the guy?”
Gasket shrugged. “Men like to work things out with their fists.”
I rolled my eyes and strode forward. I’d seen enough violence to last me a lifetime, a great deal of it happening that morning. Monroe looked as threatening as a kitten in a basket of cotton buds.
“Chaser,” I said, standing beside the two men. “Let him go.”
Chaser’s lip curled.
“Don’t be a bully,” I said with a pout. “Because if this guy screws with us again, I’ll blow his balls off with a shotgun.” I directed my gaze to Monroe, who began shaking like a leaf. “I’m Sloane, by the way. Aka, the woman he loves.”
Behind us, Gasket started to laugh, the sound echoing around the kitchen. “She’ll do it, you know.”
I slapped my hand on Chaser’s shoulder. “The guy’s been sufficiently scared to hell and back. You can let him go now.”
He glanced at me and let Monroe go, taking a few steps back.
We stood there in silence for a moment until things began to get a little awkward. The guy sure knew how to keep his mouth shut, which was a good start. The second item on the action list was food.
“So…” I craned my neck to see what was cooking in the pot on the stove. “Where’s this gumbo Gasket wants to marry?”
* * *
I opened the door to my bedroom and breathed in the unfamiliar scent. Why was it that after so long away, a place that had become familiar felt so alien when you went back to it?
Stepping inside, I guessed I was just thankful for a place to rest that didn’t include looking over my shoulder. It had been a long time since I felt completely safe somewhere. It was the ultimate irony that it was the Fortitude compound.
“I never thought I’d be back here,” I said, looking around. “At least, not this soon.”
“We know this place,” Chaser said, sliding his hand over the small of my back. “We can defend it if we need to.”
“Hopefully, it won’t come to that.” I turned and curled my fingers into his shirt. “We better take the fight to them.”
“King will be expecting it.”
“I know, but we can’t wait for them to come looking. We won’t win that parade.” All of the Hollow Men’s resources, paired with the Hollow Riders, against forty bikers looking to get on the straight and narrow? Yeah, no chance.
I shook my head at the memory of King’s presence. He’d been overwhelming, controlling, and slightly insane. Killing him would be an honor. Not only that—it would be my civic duty as a member of the female race.
“So,” I went on. “What was that ten days thing? You never got a chance to tell me about it. I’m still curious.”
Chaser shrugged. “It was the plan I was going to follow when I was undercover. Before they…” He coughed and made a face. “I knew things were getting dicey, so I made provisions.”
“You can talk about her, you know,” I said. “All that stuff I said…” I felt my cheeks heat, and I lowered my head. “That was just my insecurities talking. I mean, I’ve never had this before. I was afraid it would never be like…”
“Shh,” he murmured. “We worked that out.”
I nodded. “Shit, I’m embarrassed.”
“Don’t be.”
I looked up at him and smiled. “When did you get so…soft?”
He made a face and tugged me close. “Don’t say that word out loud.”
“Soft,” I declared. “Soft, soft,soft.”
