Page 36 of Mile High With the Bikers
A girl like her? Eventually she’ll realize that she’s slumming it here even if she’s having fun, but I’m not a pure enough gentleman to pass on the opportunity to have that fun while it lasts. She’s an intriguing combination of innocent, curious, and fearless.
“I say we roll with it. If it turns into more, we deal with it,” Shrapnel adds. “Agreed?”
“Agreed.” I nod while I wonder what something more would look like.
18
RORY
I wakeup feeling like someone's ringing a church bell inside my head with a sledgehammer. It reverberates through my skull, making my teeth rattle and my brain hurt. Am I dead? Is this hell? It sure feels that way.
My eyelids scrape over my eyeballs as I force them open with a wince. It takes a long moment to puzzle out that I’m in one of the boys’ apartments. It takes an even longer moment before I start getting an inkling of how I got here. Cherry, Opal, margaritas, going to the bar. Something stronger from… from… Badass? Bull coming to find me. Trying to make him dance with me. Badly.
God, was that me?
Maybe I should just pass out again. Or die. That sounds nice right now. Except there's a heady scent of cooking food tickling my nose, something… breakfast-ey and, is that coffee? My stomach rumbles in response. Or maybe it's the alcohol still settling. I'm honestly not convinced that I'm sober yet.
I force myself to sit up. I'm naked. Did Bull… No. I vaguely remember waking up sweaty in the middle of the night and tearing everything off.
What I wouldn't give for painkillers.
I can't decide if food is something that I really, really want right now, or if it'll just make me throw up. Could go either way, but I need to shake this headache. Throwing the covers aside, I slide off the bed and grab a big hoodie I find hanging over the laundry basket, slipping my phone into the pouch.
Are they going to be mad at me about last night? I was supposed to find Shrapnel, but if I ever did, I don’t remember.
Voices drift in with the food smells. Sounds like all three of them are out in the living area. Hopefully there'll be sympathy instead of yelling. I don’t know if I can handle yelling without my brain exploding. I push the door open.
Diesel notices first. “Morning, sunshine. You look like death warmed over.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I'd roll my eyes at him, but even that feels like it'd hurt right now. There’s a couch. I curl up on it and lean my head back on the cushion behind me. “Anyone have painkillers? And I'll take a double helping of that coffee.”
Bull is the one at the stove, frying up something. He talks over his shoulder while he stirs. “I'll have tofu scramble up in a sec. The coffee's just about done. Your timing is perfect.”
“Tofu?” I mean, that sounds fine, but with this crowd I kind of figured it'd be beef, beef and more beef.
Shrapnel shrugs with a lopsided grin. “All Bull, no beef.”
“I’ve been vegan since I was sixteen,” Bull explains, stirring the scramble. “And since I’m the only one who can cook, they don’t get a fucking say in it.”
“Joke’s on him,” Diesel mutters. “I'll eat anything that tastes good. Beef, beans, pussy…”
Well, so much for the idea that you can't build muscle and strength without meat. I dare anyone to tell Bull that. “Sure. Sounds delicious. Especially if there’s a side of ibuprofen.”
“Bathroom, under the sink,” Bull says, and Shrapnel goes to get it.
He comes back and slides the bottle across the table to me.
“Oh thank God.” I twist the cap off and pop two in my mouth, just in time for Diesel to bring me a glass of water. I wash the pills down, then put my head back again, closing my eyes—gently—and waiting for the painkillers to work.
The clink of the plate being put down in front of me rouses me from my half doze. Curious, I force my eyes open to see. Wow. Scramble, toast, raspberries, blueberries and some greens are artfully arranged on a plate, looking and smelling amazing. And next to it, a mug full of coffee. “I got soy milk and oat milk, and sugar if you want it.” Bull holds up two cartons.
“Oat milk, please.” I draw a long slow breath, pulling the scents in deep, and deciding yeah, maybe some food would settle my stomach.
I end up asking for seconds, both of breakfast, and coffee. Good thing he made enough to feed a small army, because that’s how much just the three of them can put away. They let me eat inpeace, and by the time I'm scraping the plate, my belly is full and my headache isn't gone, but at least reduced to a dull throb.
“Feeling better?” Bull smiles with concern.
I almost nod, but catch myself. I force a smile instead. “Much, thank you. I could learn to live with this kind of wake-up service.”
