Page 12 of Joyride
Seconds after we hang up, I get the text. I save the number as Little Bird and save Sienna’s number, too. Kicks isn’t in the room. He must have gone next door to Diesel and Clutch’s room. I grab a set of clean clothes and walk into the bathroom to shower.
Once the water heats up, I step in. I hang my head between my shoulders, letting the water rain down on my neck. The little sleep I got in the recliner last night has my body feeling stiff. After a few minutes of hot water hitting my neck, I already have some relief. I move on autopilot for the rest of the time.
When I’m done, I shut the water off, grab my towel and dry myself. Once I’m dressed I go back to the main part of the room. Still no sign of Kicks. I check my phone. No new notifications. Sliding it in my pocket, I check to make sure I have my room key, then walk next door to Diesel and Clutch’s room. I rap my knuckles on the door and wait for one of them to open it.
“Hey, Sweet Cheeks. Get enough beauty sleep?” Clutch pokes fun.
“Ha-ha, asshole.” I push past him into the room. Kicks is sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on the table while Diesel is lounging on the furthest bed.
“What time are we meeting with these guys,” Diesel asks.
“They’re having a BBQ around three. Gator said to show up whenever we want,” I tell him.
“Fuck,” Clutch mumbles. His eyes are glued to his phone. “I need a shower before we go anywhere.”
“Something or someone got you worked up?” Kicks smirks. Clutch gives him the middle finger, which only makes Kicks laugh. I kick back on Clutch’s bed and reminisce about the first time I met Wren.
* * *
8 monthsago
Buster has a date tonight with his one that got away. Prez doesn’t want any of us going anywhere alone, so I’m tagging along. The chick, Cali, owns a bakery, called A Novel Bunch, in the city. He’s meeting with her at a pizza shop across the street from her bakery. I’ll be hanging out at the bakery while they’re on their date.
I follow Buster on my bike. It doesn’t take long to get there, but any amount of time on my bike is therapeutic. For however long I’m riding, my mind is void of everything but the road in front of me.
Buster pulls his car into a parking spot in front of the pizza shop, We Knead Pizza. How punny. I park my bike in front of A Novel Bunch and walk in. I’m met with three women, all staring at me. One of the baristas behind the counter has the most breathtaking, doe eyes I’ve ever seen. I lock eyes with her and I find myself not wanting to look away.
“Hey, ladies.” I greet all of them, still not taking my eyes off doe eyes. I give a playful smile. “I’m Sketch.”
Her cheeks flush pink. That’s a new one for me. Most women, when they see the Savage cut, tend to throw themselves at us. This one is shy and it’s fucking adorable.
“Look somewhere else, dude. She has a boyfriend.” That comes from the girl next to doe eyes, making her blush deepen. Of course someone as gorgeous as her has a boyfriend. I break eye contact with her, turning to the one who’s all dressed up.
“Cali, right?”
She nods.
“Buster is at the pizza shop,” I tell her.
“Thanks,” she replies. The three of them exchange a few more words, and I make my way closer to the counter. I glance for a name tag and find it instantly.
Wren. I don’t even know her, but I can tell her name fits her perfectly. My eyes move over the menu. I quickly decide on what I want.
“May I please have a black coffee and a banana nut muffin,” I ask Wren.
“Sure.” She avoids eye contact with me. I make her nervous. The thought makes me grin. She rings up my order and gives me my total. I hand her a twenty. By the time she hands me my change, the other girl, Emma, has brought my coffee and muffin. I put my change and another twenty in the tip jar.
“Savage Menaces, huh,” Emma says. “Wren, isn’t your brother part of that MC?”
That piques my interest. I know about most of the brothers’ families. I’m sure I would remember if I had met Wren before. That’s not a face I would forget easily.
“Um, yeah. He doesn’t ride a motorcycle though,” Wren replies.
“He’s a Rider,” I ask. She looks at me like she doesn’t know what the hell I’m talking about, and then it registers.
“Yeah, that’s it. He’s one of the Savage Riders,” she confirms.
Son of a bitch.
