Page 207 of Relentles
“Where the fuck are they?” Rebel grouched, finishing her cigarette, and flicking it onto the frozen ground.
Deep in the forest, it was cold and gloomy with not much sunlight streaming through the thick evergreens. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her Parka. She was glad she wore a beanie topped with an adorable pompom but regretted not bringing a pair of gloves.
Though Mattie was bundled in fur and cashmere, the cold air reddened her pale cheeks.
“Can you call those motherfuckers?” Rebel pressed, hunching down into her coat and bouncing from foot to foot for warmth.
“Patience is a virtue,” Mattie said, singsong.
Rebel rolled her eyes.
Mattie always knew where to get good bud. If not for that, Rebel would’ve moseyed her ass home and out of the cold weather. Yet, these opportunities didn’t present themselves very often.
Earlier today, Aunt Kendall and Uncle Johnnie went on a weekend getaway. Mattie took full advantage by freely indulging in her vices.
That didn’t mean they were home free. They hid as deep in the forest as possible, near the back entrance and amongst the swaths of trees so they wouldn’t get in trouble with their other aunts and uncles. Or, God forbid, her father. Even as disappointed as she was in him, she acknowledged that he afforded her a lot of leeway.
What hewouldn’tgo for was A.) Rebel hitting a bud with Mattie; and B.) Rebel rendezvousing with grown ass men.
No one had asked her to leave her childhood behind. It was a circumstantial occurrence, brought on by events mostly out of her control.
“There they are!” Mattie squealed, pointing in the direction of the back road. Thesecretone barely noticeable which should’ve only been accessible by a select few members.
Mattie waved, bouncing up and down so frantically her fur-lined hood tumbled down.
Unease swept through Rebel. Never mind their ages, something about the men accessing the private road unsettled her.
Once they reached her and Mattie, they frowned.
“What’sshedoing here?” the taller one demanded, nodding to Rebel.
Unperturbed, Mattie smiled at them and fluttered her thick lashes. “Hey, guys.”
Piercings and tattoos covered their faces and necks. In their mid-twenties, they wore Dweller cuts, long-sleeved shirts, and blue jeans. As club members, they knew Rebel and Mattie’s ages. Why that mattered to her, she wasn’t sure. The risk excited her. They didn’t seem particularly nice,andthey’d get beat to a bloody pulp if they were caught in their company. On the plusside, it encouraged them to keep their mouths shut. If Rebel and Mattie got into trouble, it wouldn’t be because the two bikers ratted them out.
“I asked you a fucking question, Matilda.”
Licking her lips, Mattie glanced at Rebel, quickly redirecting her attention to asshole. “Reb’s cool, Billy,” she said, the smile she attempted worth shit. “She’s my cousin and—”
“We know who the fuck she is,” Billy barked. “You said you wanted a little fun with me and Eric.” He nodded to the one who was just about a half inch taller than Mattie. “You didn’t say you’d have Outlaw’s daughter with you.”
“Right, because having Uncle Johnnie’s daughter protects you from a gruesome death,” Rebel snapped.
Mattie squeaked a laugh. “You’re so funny, Reb. Daddy wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Eric glared at her.
Folding her arms, Rebel thought quickly. She didn’t trust these two motherfuckers not to hurt Mattie when they got her alone. If Uncle Johnnie wasn’t…Uncle Johnnie, she’d tell. She could always go to her father, though again, she didn’t want to rock the boat.
Returning to her previous conclusion about men’s fickleness, Rebel lowered her lashes. “Boys, you don’t have to worry about me,” she purred, determined to protect Mattie, who, unlike Rebel confined her fights to girls. She angled her body toward Billy, the meaner of the two, theleader. “I’m here for fun with my cousin. Daddy is so wrapped up in Momma and Jo right now, he doesn’t care who I’m with.”
At the shifting of their expressions, Rebel hid a smile, ignoring the unease slipping into her.
Mattie’s brows furrowed. She opened her mouth to speak but changed her mind and sidled closer to Rebel instead.
Rebel gave Eric a half smile, then transferred the look to Billy, allowing her gaze to linger on his. He had sea-green eyes and movie star looks, even with piercings in his lips, brows, and nostrils. The ear gauges weighed down his lobes and they hung weirdly low. The bandanna covering his head hid his hair color, but his brows suggested it was dark.
“I stole four bottles of tequila,” Mattie announced, nodding to an insulated bag leaning against a tree. She grinned. “I sent Potter to the back for a Mexican Coke and swiped the tequila while he was on his fool’s errand. The club’s all out.”
