Page 25 of Mile High With the Bikers
“No, it wasn’t like that. I just… there was never the right time, and I was worried that you'd…” She purses her lips tight and her chin wobbles a little.
“This is why you were so worried about Whittaker; why you felt so guilty.” Diesel leans back. “You weren’t worried about your boss. You were worried about your father.”
“Yeah,” she whispers, looking down at her lap before drawing a breath and meeting our eyes. “He’s always been paranoid that people will try to use me against him, so when we need to travel for work, he likes me to look like just another employee. It lets him keep me close without too many questions.”
“That’s kinda fucked up,” I say.
Rory glances my way with a sheepish smile. “Right? It’s not all bad. It lets me stay in the background and nobody pays much attention to the stewardess or his personal assistant.”
Shrapnel laughs, “Bullshit. We could barely keep our fucking eyes off you.”
“I wasn’t trying to trick you or anything, honest. Not the way you think. Things just spiraled really fast, and once we were…” She licks her lips nervously. “Right, you probably remember. And then there wasn’t exactly a good time to stop and chat while the plane was going down.”
Diesel gets up and sits down to wrap his arm around her. She looks up for a moment then leans into him, accepting it. It annoys me, but only because it’s another reminder that he seems to have a connection with her that we don’t.
Rory takes a deep breath. “I should’ve made you leave me there, but?—”
“Hey, chuckleheads!” Viking pokes his head into the common room. “It doesn’t take three to watch one girl. I need two of you to come with me over to Blackworth and convince Luca you’re real fucking sorry for getting Whittaker on his case.”
“Rock paper scissors?” I suggest.
Shrapnel wins.
“I got her. You boys go and play nice with the mobsters. I’d probably end up pissing them off anyway.” He stands and looks down at Rory. “Guess it’s just you and me, princess.”
13
RORY
Shrapnel looksat me like I’m a puzzle he isn’t sure he can solve.
And I look right back.
Of the three of them, he’s the one I have the least sense of. Physically, I felt an attraction to all of them right away, but physical attraction only gets you so far. Bull is so open, friendly and protective that it was his whole energy that lured me in on the plane, and Diesel showed me so much depth and compassion that I find myself trusting him, but Shrapnel is a mystery. He’s a bit of a joker, but underneath is barbed wire, warning everyone away.
It makes me want to peel it back and see what he’s protecting.
“Like what you see?” he asks sarcastically. “Or is the heiress sorry she ended up with the consolation prize?”
I school my expression not wanting to give away how well his barbed comments hit. Being disliked for who people think I am is something I’m used to. It hurts, but it’s a familiar pain.
“Fuck.” He scrubs his hand over his stubble and sighs. “Ignore me, my mouth moves before my brain sometimes. C’mon, my bike’s acting up. If you’re good I’ll let you grease my hardware.”
I remember the garage from when they brought me into the courtyard, but it’s even bigger than I thought. Inside it feels more like an airplane hangar. Heavy guitar riffs combine with the sounds of power tools and the occasional engine, echoing off the cavernous ceiling. We wander past walls covered in posters of naked women, motorcycles, or often both. He catches me staring. I’m almost afraid to meet the actual biker wives, considering the over-the-top sexy women they seem to surround themselves with.
It makes me wonder why they bother with me. Maybe it really was the uniform.
“She the one causing all the trouble?” a guy shouts as we pass.
Shrapnel snorts. “Not her fault her father’s an asshole, Crash.”
Crash wipes his forehead with a rag, leaving a splotch of black on his cheek. “Fucking know that feeling.”
“Yeah, well, we’re going to try not to kill him anyway.”
“Good luck with that.”
I’m still trying to decide if they’re joking or not when we stop in front of Shrapnel’s bike. It's pretty, all shiny black with sleek yellow details. I've ridden it, but this is the first time I actually get a good look. The colors scream bee, but the design is sharp and masculine. It's up on a lift, making it easier to get at the engine. A couple of panels are already off.
