Hero had said he was a distraction, and he was damn right.
From now on, I was going to have to run the other way and hide if I saw him coming.
Hero was too handsome for his own good, and he knew it.
*
Hero
“Where did you go?”
I slid my sunglasses over my eyes and folded my arms over my chest. “You’re blocking the entrance to the strip mall, Mom. I went to make sure we weren't pissing everyone off.”
Mom pointed a finger into her chest. “I’m not blocking the road, Micha. That damn RV is.”
I rolled my eyes but only because she wouldn’t be able to see me do it. “You know what I mean. And, you and Meg are the ones who rented that bigass thing.”
“Cyn,” Meg called.
Mom raised her finger over her head. “Just one second, Meg,” she called. She turned her finger on me. “I know you rolled your eyes behind those sunglasses, Micha Scott. And we bought the RV. It was cheaper that way.”
My jaw dropped. That was news to me. “You and Dad becoming gray-haired roaming the country in a huge ass RV?”
She rolled her eyes and held up a large piece of her hair. “Does this look gray to you? I’m fifty-five, smartass, not one hundred.”
“Same difference?”
She slugged me in the arm. “It’s my own damn fault for making you such a smartass,” she grumbled.
“Growing up around the clubhouse might have had something to do with that, too.”
“Cyn!” Meg called again.
Mom closed her eyes and whispered, “For Pete’s sake. She’s been frantically going over this bigass checklist all morning. It’s like there aren’t stores and restaurants along the way or something.” She spun around. “What’s up?” she called cheerfully.
Meg beelined over with a clipboard in her hands. “The guys are almost done loading up the bikes. I tried to convince Lo to just leave them behind.”
Even I knew Meg had wasted her breath trying to convince King to leave his bike behind for weeks.
“He would have stolen Gravel’s the whole time, then,” Mom laughed.
Meg pursed her lips. “Accurate,” she mumbled. “Do you think we’re going to have enough chips?”
Mom grabbed the clipboard from her hands. She looked it over, pointed her finger at one of the handwritten items, and flipped it around to Meg. “Is that a twenty-six?” she asked her.
Meg squinted and nodded. “Yes.”
“So you have twenty-six bags of chips on that land yacht?” Mom asked.
Meg confirmed with a nod. “Yeah. I think we need a few more bags.”
Damn. That was an awful lot of chips. “You guys planning on eating only chips?” I chuckled.
Meg shook her head seriously. “No. I also have two weeks’ worth of groceries.”
Mom ripped the list off the clipboard. She tore the papers in half and then in half again. “You’re done.”
Meg’s jaw dropped.
Mom snapped the clipboard in half and dropped it on the road. “Done.” She stomped down the length of the RV and stormed up the stairs inside.
“She just broke my clipboard.” Meg picked up the two pieces and held them together. “My clipboard.”
“Meg?!?!” Mom screeched from inside the RV.
Uh oh.
Meg closed one eye and cringed. “She probably figured out where I put all of the chips.” Meg jogged to the stairs and jumped into the RV.
Dad moved next to me and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You ever wanna be a fly on the wall when those two are together? Just to listen to all of the weird shit they get into?”
“The little that I’ve been able to see of them together is enough to last a lifetime.” Meg and Mom were forever getting into trouble. All my life, I had been front row to all their antics.
“You sure you’re gonna be okay while we are gone?” Dad asked.
I shrugged. “Don’t see why not. Make sure no one dies and the clubhouse doesn’t burn down. I got this.”
Dad shook his head. “I think you’re gonna see there is a whole lot more to keeping this club going than that. I’m almost kind of disappointed I won’t be able to see you figure shit out.”
“I’ve been around the club since I was born. I know what I’m doing.”
“That’s when things happen, son. When you think you’ve got it all figured out, life comes along and knocks you on your ass.” He smirked and ran his fingers through his mohawk. “Thank God you got your mom’s ass because you’re going to need the padding when it happens.”
The other club members boarded the RV except for Slider and Fayth who were going to drive the cage with the trailer of bikes behind them.
King was the last one to get on the RV. He turned when he was halfway up the steps and leaned out. “Try not to fuck shit up too bad, Hero.”
I tipped my head to him. “Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Heard that,” King called. He closed the doors of the RV and took the seat behind the wheel.
I stood with the rest of the guys who were staying, and we watched the land yacht and van slowly creep out of town and head toward the highway.
“I didn’t ever think they’d leave,” Easy grunted.
“Thank God they actually got all of the bikes on that trailer. Demon had to do some pretty creative maneuvering to fit them all.” Zig laughed.
Zag pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in the side of his mouth. “I thought they were gonna start stacking them.”
“Pretty sure we were all ready to help them figure out how to get them loaded to make sure they took off.” Frost pulled out a lighter and handed it to Zag. “I’m assuming you’re gonna need that.”
Zag grabbed the lighter. He was a smoker but he never managed to actually have a lighter on him.
“Well, boys,” I laughed. “Looks like it’s just us for the next few weeks.”
Pie hooted and pumped his fist in the air. “Fuck yeah!”
The guys ambled across the road.
I looked back at Reva’s place. I didn’t see her in the door like I had before. She really did have a lot of work to do, and I had been distracting.
The problem was I liked distracting her.
She had this strange confidence mixed with a bit of awkward that was fascinating to watch.
Beep beep.
Fuck. I stepped to the side of the road and waved to the car wanting to pass. First the RV had been blocking the road, and now, I was just standing in the middle of it.
Jesus.
I headed back to the clubhouse trying to figure out how I was going to see Reva again. I twisted the handle of the front door and smiled.
I knew just what I was going to do next.
*
Chapter Four
Reva
“I’m gonna be late, Mom.” I grabbed my keys from the counter and pulled the door shut behind me.
“I’m on the phone, Reva. I don’t know how you can blame being late on me.”
I rolled my eyes. Harry was sitting outside on his small porch next door. He had moved in about a year ago and seemed to keep to himself, for the most part. I was in one unit of the duplex, and Harry was in the other.
He raised his hand in an awkward wave but didn’t say anything. I raised my coffee cup and gave a tight smile. He was the silent type you weren’t too sure about because you just didn’t know them.
“You’re the one who called me twenty minutes ago and started arguing with me about Dad going fishing this weekend.”
Mom huffed into the phone. “I don’t know why you think you have to side with him all of the time. He goes to the damn lake every weekend. Don’t you think he could stay home and spend some time with me?”
I beeped open the locks on my car and wedged the phone between my face and shoulder to free my hand. “Why don’t you go with him? He can fish, and you can putter around in the cabin.”
“Cabin,” Mom spat. “It’s a shack, Re
va. You’re insulting cabins by calling that a cabin.”
I pulled open the door and slipped in behind the wheel. Rearranging the phone, I dropped my purse in the passenger seat and shoved the key into the ignition. Once the car was running, I rummaged around in my purse and pulled out my toasted bagel. Normally, I had time to eat before I left the house, but Mom’s call completely messed me up this morning. “Then why don’t you and Dad go up to the shack, he goes fishing and then you can cabin hunt for a new place on the lake.” I ripped off a piece of the bagel and popped it into my mouth.
“Well…I…” she sputtered.
It was a great idea. It would give her something to do while thinking that she was spending time with Dad. Of course, Dad would go fishing while she cabin hunted, though. The lake he loved to fish on was near the south side of Falls City.
“You don’t have to tell me I’m right, just hang up the phone and start searching the internet like I know you’re craving to do.”
“You’re my favorite daughter. I’ll call you later.” The line went dead, and I tossed my phone on the seat. I was her only daughter, but it was nice to hear.
I took a slug of my coffee, shoved another piece of bagel into my mouth, and shifted into reverse. Harry still sat on his front porch and stared directly at me.
Creepy.
I gave a little wave, and he nodded his head to me.
Still creepy.
I backed out of my parking spot and onto the road. On the drive to work, I managed to eat more than half of my bagel and finish all of my coffee. I pulled into the parking lot for Hair of the Dog and was surprised as hell to see Hero and his bike right in front of the shop.
“What in tarnation?” I mumbled. I parked next to him and grabbed my half eaten bagel and purse. “Uh, there’s nothing blocking the road today,” I laughed nervously.
I had no idea what the hell he was doing here. It was barely nine o’clock in the morning. Did bikers get up early? The stereotype of partying all night and sleeping all day played in my head. Though, that seemed like a bad 80s song.
“Morning,” he called. His usual sunglasses covered his eyes, and a slick smile played on his lips. He leaned against his parked bike with his arms folded over his chest. His ripped and tattered blue jeans fit snugly on his legs, and his leather vest hung open. I could only make out part of his shirt, but it looked to be the club's logo scrawled over his chest. If one wanted to know what a biker looked like, all they needed to do was look at Hero. He was the epitome of a badass biker.
“That it is,” I muttered. “Did you leave something here yesterday?” Seriously. I had no freaking clue why he was here. I had gone years never speaking to one of the Devil’s Knights, and now, three days in a row, I had run into Hero. Though, it seemed today he had sought me out without a runaway dog or big RV as an excuse.
Hero shook his head. “Nope.”
Okay. Well. Uh? “Do you have a dog?” Maybe he was bringing it in to be groomed, though I didn’t know where he had put the dog since he drove his bike here.
Hero shook his head again. “Haven’t had a dog for a few years. Mom and Dad had one for a while, but he passed away a couple of months ago.”
My heart dropped at the sadness of losing a pet. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Hero shrugged. “He was old and lived a damn good life. Mom fed him chicken and rice every day, and Dad took him everywhere with him.”
If only everyone could be that good with their pets then I wouldn’t have to cry when that horribly sad commercial came on for the ASPCA. Broke my damn heart every time. “That’s nice.” I looked at the shop and back at him. “So, uh, why are you here, then?”
Might as well get right to it. I had a full day of baths and cuts today and was already running a little behind.
A truck pulled into the lot and parked next to Hero.
Hero nodded to the truck. “I’m here for him.”
Uh, okay? I looked at the side of the truck. Nelson Lock and Key. That still didn’t help me figure out what the hell Hero was doing.
“Hero!” the man in the truck rolled down his window and called. “This the place?” he asked.
Hero gave him a thumbs up. “Sure is. You’re right on time, too.”
Time for what? Did Hero lose the key to his bike or something? I timidly raised my hand. “Uh, can someone clue me in on what’s going on?”
Hero tipped his head to the front door of the shop. “New door and locks, Sunshine.”
I tilted my head to the side and pointed to the door. “My door? That door? The door?” When would I stop sounding so stupid?
“Yes, yes, and yes.” Hero pushed off the bike and stepped toward me. “That door is shit, Sunshine. Anyone could break in if they had half a mind.”
“Who would break into a dog groomers? They're gonna steal my good clippers or something?”
Hero laughed and shook his head. “Well, now that wasn’t what I was thinking, but sure, if they’re expensive.”
“No one is going to break in, Hero.”
Hero nodded to the guy who had gotten out of his truck. “Tim drove all the way over here, and now, you’re just going to send him away?”
“Well…I didn’t… You…” I sputtered. “There isn’t anything truly wrong with the door.” So it stuck a little bit when I tried to lock it. Not really a big deal. And it really only happened when it started to warm up. During the winter, it worked perfectly.
“How about you just open the door and you let him have a look at it?” Hero suggested. “Just looking, no touching,” he promised.
I tipped my head to the side. “Really?”
Hero held up his hands. “Scout’s honor, Sunshine.”
I fished in my purse for the shop key. “Something tells me you are far from a boy scout, Hero,” I muttered under my breath. I stomped over to the door, shoved in the key, and twisted it. Well, I tried to twist it, but it didn’t budge. I moved to block the view of Hero and the door guy and put one hand on the door to push it in while I tried to twist the key again.
“You having a moment with the door, Sunshine? Should we give you two a minute?”
I growled and gave the key a hard twist. It finally budged and unlocked. I tried to yank the key out, but it was now stuck inside. “For Pete’s sake,” I grumbled. I turned around and slapped a smile on my face. “Perhaps the door could use a little lookie lou seeing as it’s refusing to give me back my key.” A gave a small bow to Hero then twisted back around to open the door. I strutted in without a backward glance.
Hero’s rich laugh followed me until the door closed behind me.
“Well,” I muttered, “that was embarrassing. Nothing new when it comes to Hero being around.”
“You talking to yourself now, Sunshine?”
I whirled around and clutched my hand to my chest. “Sweet Jesus, man. Don’t you know you’re not supposed to sneak up on people? They should call you Speedy, not Hero.”
“I think Hero has a better ring to it,” he chuckled.
He was right. “Whatever,” I muttered. I moved around the front counter and tossed my purse on the shelf below.
“You pretty busy today?” Hero leaned against the front counter and damned if he didn’t look handsome as hell just staring at me. I had to wonder if he really knew just how good looking he was. I figure most people knew if they were hot or not, right? But Hero was beyond hot. He was off the charts handsome, and he was standing there looking at me.
Oh. He had asked me a question. He was waiting for an answer. “Uh, some?”
His lips curled into a smile. “You’re some busy?”
Ugh. Major facepalm. I nodded dumbly. “Yes.” Might as well just roll with it.
“Knock, knock!”
Hero glanced over his shoulder, and I leaned to the side to see Mrs. Klein stood in the door with Cosmo on her arms while Tim was on his knees with his face to the locky thing on the door.
“Hey!” I called, thankful to have a distraction
from Hero. “He’s gotten so big!”
Tim moved and motioned for Mrs. Klein to come in.
She stepped through the doorway and smiled at Hero. “This is a sight I never thought I would see. Hero at the dog groomers,” she laughed.
Hero shrugged. “Supporting local business,” he replied breezily.
“Still smooth,” Mrs. Klein muttered. “I knew the second you walked in my classroom in tenth grade that you were going to be trouble.” She winked at me. “Though back then, you were Micha.”
Ah. So his real name was Micha. How interesting. I would have to file that away for later. I knew Mrs. Klein had recently retired from teaching, but I didn’t realize she had been one of Hero’s teachers. She had decided to adopt a golden lab puppy to occupy her time now that she wasn’t teaching. Cosmo was a handful, but he was the cutest puppy ever. I loved that she brought him in every three weeks for a bath, though I did feel a little bad about it because he really wasn’t dirty enough to need a bath each time he was here.
“He’s six months, and he still loves for me to carry him everywhere.” She moved to the counter and set Cosmo on the counter.
I scratched his chin. “You’re training her well, Cosmo. I bet you just have to bat those pretty blue puppy eyes at her, huh, buddy?”
“That’s the truth,” Mrs. Klein confessed.
“I see you’ve softened over the years,” Hero hemmed.
Ms. Klein laughed. “For puppies, yes. For high school students, no.” She turned her smile to me. “I’ll be back around three to pick him up. Is that okay?”
I nodded. “Totally.” That would give me plenty of time to bathe him and get some playtime in with the little cutie.
Mrs. Klein left with a wave, and then it was back to Hero standing inside my shop while Tim walked out to his truck.
“Don’t you have something to be doing?” I asked. I picked up Cosmo and scratched him behind his ears. He leaned into my touch and closed his eyes. This little cutie made me contemplate kidnapping. He was the perfect puppy. Though he was getting on the big side to be carried around. He had to be pushing thirty-five pounds.
“Not really.”
Passing the Torch (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation Book 1) Page 3