Page 15 of Raven
“Only if you’re going to have something,” she said and I gave her a peck on the lips before guiding her into the kitchen.
We both snacked on some meat and cheese from the fridge while I gathered items from the cabinets for dinner. I might not be the best cook, but I could make an edible meal. I wanted to show Sydney that I wasn’t expecting her to be the person who took care of the house and our meals. It was a task my father shared with my mother and I hoped it was a task she and I could do together for years to come.
For the next hour, we chatted about likes and dislikes, along with simple things about us. I told her how I learned to ride and fix bikes from her uncle, and she told me about how she always loved to tinker with things. When Billy saw her natural talent, he taught her everything he knew.
Her eyes lit up when she talked about building bikes and I set a plan into motion to see exactly what she was capable of.
If Sydney was happy building and working on bikes, then I was going to give her a project that could skyrocket her name in the bike community. I’d do whatever I needed to make my woman happy.
Chapter 8
Sydney
2 Days later
Ithought I’d be well enough to come back to work yesterday, but Raven wanted me to take another day off to get better. He had gone to the shop long enough to deliver the Harley we worked on last week, but insisted I stay on the couch and rest.
Driving up to the shop this morning, I was worried about how the guys were going to treat me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was trying to get ahead by lying on my back. I worked hard and didn’t want my skills to be brushed aside because Caleb and I were together.
Joel approached me as I got out of my truck. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” I replied, then added, “Sorry for being out. I hate to miss work.”
Calab pulled up on his bike and parked in his usual spot as Joel watched him drive past. He turned back to me and reasoned, “I thought for sure you two would ride into work together.”
I looked down as I admitted, “He wanted to, but I insisted on driving myself. I don’t want anyone to think I’m getting special treatment.”
Joel wrapped his arm around my shoulder and turned us toward the shop. “No one would think that. Not about you.” Raven looked out at us as we approached and shook his head with a smile as Joel added, “I’m just happy to see the two of you pulling your heads out of your asses. You been tap-dancingaround each other for months and we’re all happy you finally figured things out.”
I lowered my voice and said, “He wants me to be his woman. I . . . I don’t know how I feel about being property.”
Joel stopped us about twenty feet from the open shop door, and he was smiling at me as he explained. “The Sinners Revenge love their women above all else. You need to spend some time with them and all your fears will be eased.”
“Really?” I asked.
“I promise. They are good men.”
“That’s what my Uncle Billy said too. I just thought he was trying to talk them up.”
“He was right. And so am I,” Joel exclaimed as we started walking into the shop.
Caleb was waiting for us when we stepped inside and he looked at Joel and said, “Stop man handling my woman.”
Joel raised his hands in a mock surrender and gave me a sly wink as he turned to walk across the shop to his workstation. Caleb smiled at me as he asked, “What did Joel want?”
“He was just telling me he was happy we stop messing around,” I answered.
“Me too,” Caleb said and took my hand into his as we walked to my workstation. He placed a kiss on the back and said, “Don’t push yourself too hard today and make sure you’re taking breaks.”
“Thanks,” I replied as I grabbed my coveralls from the hook by my toolbox.
Caleb walked away and the sounds of the shop coming to life began to fill the air. The smell of oil, rubber, and grease filtered across my nose as I checked the work order and began to tear apart the front end of a crotch-rocket that needed new struts.
Music filtered through the air as I got lost in the work, pulling each piece off and lining them up to reassemble later. This iswhat fueled my soul. Getting my hands on a bike and taking it from broken to perfect. Most women don’t like to fix things, but I loved to see how something worked. I guess that’s why I didn’t have many female friends.
Lunch was sandwiches from a shop in downtown and it was nice for the whole shop to eat together, laughing and cutting up as a group. The sound of a motorcycle pulling up echoed into the shop and we all looked up from our food to see who was there.
A large man with a Sinners Revenge cut on pulled into the open bay door and turned off the sickly sounding bike. Caleb stood with a smile and offered me his hand. I took it and stood to join him as a man with brownish hair kicked his leg over the bike and stood up. As we got closer, I saw his cut said Roughstock and President and I gave Caleb’s hand a squeeze.
