Page 95 of What Is Love
Reid mumbled something angrily that I didn’t catch as he turned to look out the window above the kitchen sink. “The club is hosting a barbecue today. I think we should go.”
Both looking surprised, Roe and Wyatt stared at Reid’s back as if he’d lost his mind.
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Wyatt asked.
“You stopped going to club events a long time ago, Reid,” Roe said.
Reid turned around and stared only at me. “Go with me to the barbecue.”
Wyatt and Roe looked at each other as if the other might know what was going on.
“It’s tomorrow,” I said to Reid. “Will you tell me why you don’t like me?”
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know at the club’s barbecue,” he replied.
I could tell something more was going on. From what I knew, out of the three of them, Reid hated the club the most. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll have Mac bring you something to wear,” he said just before walking off to the bathroom.
“Are we letting them go alone?” Wyatt asked Roe.
Roe sighed. “No.”
After a shower,I smelled like Reid. I didn’t have any of my products, so I’d had to make do with his. At Reid’s request, Mac borrowed her mom’s car to come over and help me get ready. After asking how I was, she seemed like her old self again. Had I known about her past, I wouldn’t have called her for help before.
I listened quietly as she gabbed away about this guy she had been talking to and how they had a date later this evening while she helped me with my hair and makeup.
She had asked Reid if he was okay multiple times because of how out of character he was acting. It had seemed to stun her even more than Wyatt and Roe when he’d told her that he was going to the club’s barbecue.
She had lent me high-waisted jean shorts and a black tank crop top that just barely covered the bruise courtesy of Clay.Instead of my black boots, she lent me brown ankle boots that were a smidge big, but would work.
When it was time to go, Mac went home. Because I didn’t want to walk and it was a good distance down the road, all four of us piled into Wyatt’s car and drove there.
“Why do you have a crowbar back here?” Reid asked. He and Roe were riding in the backseat.
Wyatt held his hand out to take it. Reid handed over the heavy-looking metal bar and Wyatt set it on the floor by my feet. “I accidentally took it from work, and I put it back there to remind me to return it tomorrow during my shift.”
“What’d you need a crowbar for?” Roe asked.
“We were working on a car door and I had to use it to pry off the interior paneling,” Wyatt explained.
Wyatt pulled into the compound. A huge line of motorcycles was parked in front of a large black-painted building that had a huge Haven’s Rebels logo on the front. I spotted Bram’s bike right away. Wyatt parked in an area designated for cars, which was nearly full. There were Haven’s Rebels everywhere. Some were by their motorcycles, some were hanging by the cars. As we got out, we followed a Rebel and what appeared to be his wife and two little kids past the large black building to a grassy field with a bunch of picnic tables set up. Next to it were quite a few grills and Rebels manning them. Banquet tables filled with food were lined up near the grills. There were so many people sitting at the tables and lining up to get food and children playing off in the distance on a playground, I felt a bit awed and nervous.
People yelled out or stopped us to say hello to the guys. All were kind greetings and quite a few people were surprised but happy to see them. Reid had been taking the lead until he stopped off to the side. He was scanning the crowd, looking tense.
“All right, Reid, tell us why we’re here,” Wyatt said.
Before he could answer, a woman approached us. A woman I’d seen before with Bram. “Reid, honey, what are you doing here?” As she got closer, I could see she had the same whiskey-colored eyes as Reid. Her wild and beautiful brown hair, the same shade as Reid’s, was pulled up in a messy bun. “Is everything all right?” she asked him. Then her eyes landed on me. They widened slightly. “Oh my.” She continued to stare as if she couldn’t look away. “You’re even more beautiful in person.”
“Thank you,” I said, sounding confused.
She stepped closer. “You have his eyes.”
Reid put his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Mom.”
Her head whipped in his direction. “What?”
Reid gave her a look and shook his head.
