Page 43 of Havoc
She might be talking, but his mind isn’t on the conversation.
“He’s not fucking her,” Chaos says, following my gaze to Levi.
“I wouldn’t care if he were,” I lie.
Chaos hums. “And we’re the ones full of shit?”
Soul stretches his arm to cheers Chaos in front of me as if he’s in agreement.
“You’re as bad as the girls are. Always talking about relationships.” I lift off the bar, trying to divert the conversation. “Enough talking. Let’s do something more interesting.”
That catches Soul’s attention. “What did you have in mind?”
I shrug, and maybe I’ll regret it later, but I’m done caring. “Surprise me.”
14
Havoc
“He’s going to gethimself killed doing stupid shit.” I cross my arms on my chest, leaning against the railing that lines the front deck of the clubhouse. “Let me guess, you had something to do with this?”
Aimee smirks, watching Soul climb on his bike as Chaos lights a puddle of gasoline on the ground behind the back tire. “When I told him to make it interesting, I didn’t think he’d choose fire.”
If I hadn’t seen Soul do this at least ten times in the past, I might try to stop him. Instead, I stand at the railing with all the other people who have started to filter out of the clubhouse to watch, and hope this isn’t the prank that finally sends him to his grave.
At least Aimee seems entertained by Soul’s antics. She breathes out a laugh as the flames start to grow.
She’s built an unexpected camaraderie with Chaos, Soul, and Venom while I’ve been busy this past weektrying to track down information on her father. And while I’d like to be the one bringing a smile to her face, I sense the lack of expectation from that particular group of guys is what is helping heal her right now. So I’ve hung back and given her the space she needs.
Besides, the distance seems to draw her closer. Aimee doesn’t immediately glare when I walk into the room lately. And while I was getting used to her treating me like her emotional punching bag, the hits have been fewer and farther between. Yesterday morning, she even went as far as to sit beside me and drink her coffee on the back patio.
The girl I remember is starting to flicker. A girl who may never show herself quite like she used to, but there’s proof she still exists.
Aimee shifts closer, her arm brushing mine, and she doesn’t pull away.
I swear every fiber of my being is desperate to drink in every bit of her.
Lavender and jasmine fill the air, and I wish I could wrap my arms around her like Legacy is doing to Reagan beside me. Caging her against the railing and kissing the top of her head.
It’s like I’ve been spinning for years; I couldn’t figure out how to slow myself down until I saw Aimee again. My heart knows she’s my home, even if her heart doesn’t feel the same.
“He’s going to kill himself.” Aimee’s eyes widen, a hint of worry in her voice.
“I can’t watch this.” Reagan covers her eyes, turning her face to Aimee.
Aimee simply looks up at me, the silent question pressed between her pursed lips.
“He’ll be fine,” I reassure her, dropping my hands to the railing. “Promise.”
My pinky brushes hers, and I expect her to pull back. But she creeps her finger closer, relaxing it against mine as we watch Chaos clear the scene and grab a fire extinguisher.
At least they’re doing this in front of the clubhouse, where all the brush has been cleared from the dirt. The last thing we need is to set the desert on fire.
Soul revs the engine so the back tire spins, slowly wrapping it in flames. They cover the rubber until a circle of fire burns bright in the night. Only once it’s consumed does he burst forward, drawing a path of flame down the road. He rides until he’s just a spinning wheel of orange and red in a dark night.
He continues the length of the front drive before cutting a hard left to spin himself around.
Everyone cheers and hollers as he heads for us, and when he pulls to a stop, Chaos steps forward and puts the flames out.
