Page 24 of Crow's Haven
The engine roars to life beneath us and vibrates right up my spine. The boys cheer as we roll down the driveway and onto the street. Even though we’re not going far, the wind in my face feels amazing. And for a minute, I forget that I’m a woman on the run from the law, lying to the man I’m falling in love with.
All I feel is the weight of Crow’s back against my chest and the carefree joy of the moment. I turn my head to look down at the boys, thinking how much I wish that I’d met them before my life blew up. I’d trade my old life for this every single time.
***
We pull up to the school five minutes early. Kids and parents are swarming the parking lot and sidewalk, all vibrating with nervous energy. The moment Crow cuts the engine, Scout jumps out like he’s ready to face the day. Chase lingers in his seat, fidgeting with the strap on his backpack.
Crow crouches beside the sidecar and offers a hand. “Come here, son.”
Chase climbs out but presses himself close to Crow’s side, half-hiding behind his dad’s leg. I come around the other side, kneeling beside him.
“You okay, Chase?” I ask softly.
He nods, but his grip tightens on Crow’s leg.
Scout rolls his eyes. “Don’t be a baby. It’s just school.”
Chase glares at his twin brother. “I’m not a baby!”
Crow raises a brow, stepping in before the teasing escalates. “Hey. Let your brother take his time. This is all new. He’s just taking it all in.”
“You think so?” Chase asks, his voice wobbling slightly.
“Yeah,” Crow says, smoothing a hand down his son’s back. “But listen up, son. You’re gonna love kindergarten. You’ve already met your teacher, remember?”
Chase’s face lights up. “That day we came to check out the school. Mrs. Moran was nice.”
“Yeah, she was. She’s got a lot of cool activities planned for you, like reading books, building stuff, painting and making new friends. You get snacks and story time.”
I say, “That all sounds like fun, right?”
Chase rolls his head back and forth in gigantic nods, as his expression brightens.
Scout elbows him gently. “C’mon. Let’s find out where the Legos are. That’s where the cool kids will be hanging out.”
Chase takes a tentative step towards his brother. Crow gives him a pat on the back and we watch as they wander into the building. I can’t help but notice that Scout struts, while Chase is a bit more cautious.
Crow exhales next to me. “Well, they made it into the building. I hope it turns out to be as great as we made it out to be.”
I glance up into his handsome face. “It doesn’t have to be. In case you haven’t noticed, your boys tend to make their own fun.”
He chuckles, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s true.” He reaches out and puts his hands on my hips, tugging me closer. “You wanna ride out with me for a bit?” he asks, giving me an admiring look.
I can’t look away to save my life. “Where are we going?”
“Out to the clubhouse,” he says casually, like it’s no big thing. “Gotta drop off a carburetor for Ghost. He’s rebuilding an old shovelhead in the shop.”
This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, him to invite me into his world, just the two of us. This is us getting to know each other outside of the house.
I nod before I can overthink it. “Sure. I get to ride on the back of your bike again, right?”
He smirks. “You sure as hell aren’t going to fit in those tiny bucket seats my boys fit into on the sidecar.”
“No, I like riding with you better anyway.”
The Savage Legion clubhouse sits behind a line of trees just off a back road I wouldn’t have thought twice about. From the outside, it looks more like a large brick building with modern doors and windows with a cement porch and steps running along the front of the building. There are cute miniature potted trees on either side of the front door. It looks more like a bar than a biker clubhouse.
There’s a garage off to one side, big enough for three bays, and a wide paved lot already filled with parked bikes of every type.
