Rough Rider 1: Bad Boy MC Romance (Fast Life)

by L. N. Pearl

  I dug my nails into my palm to keep myself thinking straight.

  Tyler led me to a truck and helped me in. I knew he was only so helpful because he wanted to get a look at my butt as I climbed into the seat.

  Instead of irritating me, the thought made me a little giddy.

  I reluctantly gave him the address of my house. To his credit, he didn’t rub it in that he was getting to see where I lived. He was cool about it.

  “So, why were you alone last night?”

  “Huh?”

  “At the party,” he said. “Why were you there alone?”

  I frowned. “I didn’t know it was couples only.”

  “I don’t mean that. I mean, you were totally alone. No friend, no boyfriend, nothing?”

  “I told you I came alone. Doesn’t mean I had no friends over there. How do you know I didn’t know anyone?”

  He rolled his eyes. “If you were, they suck for leaving you alone.”

  “Oh…hum. Yeah, I guess,” I muttered.

  “So? You were alone, then?”

  “Yes, Sherlock, I was completely alone. At the time, anyway. My friend was supposed to meet me there, but she bailed on me.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, really.” No, not really. “I was just about to leave when the cops showed up, come to think of it.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t leave before then,” he murmured.

  A chill ran down my spine, and I bit my lip. I couldn’t let him see what he did to me.

  He was complicating my life, and I’d only just learned his name.

  If getting caught at a party with him and his friends would have gotten me killed, being caught sneaking around with him would get us both killed.

  We got to the house, and Tyler’s eyebrows went up. “I’m impressed,” he said.

  I looked out the windshield. It was a nice house, but nothing to be impressed about in my opinion. Probably much larger than his.

  “It’s all right,” I said, climbing from the truck.

  “Just all right?” he called out, as I opened the garage door.

  “It’s big, sure.”

  He laughed. “Fine. Sore spot. I get it.” He hooked chains up to my car.

  “Not a sore spot. Sorry. I just…it’s empty,” I shrugged, looking away from him. “It feels very empty lately.”

  “That sucks. Sorry to hear that.”

  He had his back to me and didn’t so much as pause in his work. The comment went over his head because he didn’t get it.

  I pressed my lips together, to keep from telling him it was one of his friends who made it that way. With Angela there, I’d never felt alone. She had filled the house with her personality.

  We were happy. His friends, whoever they were, took that from me.

  I watched as he loaded the car onto his truck and prepared to tow it away.

  I used the sight of his body in those gray coveralls to distract me from my thoughts of Angela.

  He moved with grace, but there was nothing about him that wasn’t one hundred percent masculine.

  “Hey.”

  I was startled from my ogling. “Yeah?”

  It might have been my imagination, but I thought he had a shy smile on his face. Did men like him ever feel shy?

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  The shyness disappeared. I must have been imagining it.

  I cleared my throat, knowing full well where this was going. “Who me?”

  “No, the you behind you. Yeah, you. Do you have any plans?”

  I tried to think of a lie, but nothing would come to mind. I rarely ever had plans—especially without a car.

  He read my hesitation. “If not, I thought maybe you could come with me to a race tonight.”

  “What kind of race?”

  “Motorbikes. Like mine. I’ll be riding.”

  I stuttered a little. On the one hand, I was flattered that he even wanted to spend time with me. He wanted me to see him race. That meant something. I felt a little giggly when I thought about it.

  On the other hand, there was no way. None.

  I’d already pressed my luck when I sneaked out for the party. I’d gotten super lucky by escaping the way I did. I couldn’t go through that again.

  Then again…”Who will be there? Like, is this a club?”

  “Yeah. My club, my friends.” His eyes narrowed. “You were at the party last night, but you don’t know what we do?”

  I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Sorry…I have a life.”

  “That’s why you don’t have plans tonight?”

  Why was he always so antagonistic? I wanted to tell him off. At least when I wasn’t busy wanting to jump him, that is.

  “Listen. I want you to come, or I wouldn’t have asked. Why don’t you just watch the race?” He grinned. “I’m really good.”

  I had to smile back. Not just because he was the most charming, most infuriating person I ever met, but because this was another chance to find out what I needed to know.

  I hoped this wasn’t a bad idea.

  “All right,” I said. “I’ll go with you. As long as you promise to win.”

  His smile widened. “I always win,” he assured me.

  There went that chill up my spine again.

  Chapter 6 - Tyler

  I couldn’t believe she said she would come.

  At first, I thought she was just saying she would so I’d leave her alone. But no. She seemed serious enough.

  I asked if I should pick her up at home, and she bit her lip.

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “Maybe I’ll meet you at the corner. At the store. Okay?”

  I was irritated, and remembered that I wasn’t good enough for her—at least, that was how she made me feel.

  But she wanted to go with me, I told myself. That was something.

  I thought about her while I towed her car to the garage, then while I walked home. I hated being late, but I knew Sabina would be with Gigi.

  It was worth being a little late if it meant I got to be close to Trinity again. Even without the extra makeup and the dress, she looked gorgeous. Natural.

  She’d had a backpack, so I figured she was coming from school. A college girl then. I should have known.

  Her tight sweater had hugged her tits and her jeans showed off her ass. She was hot, and I knew she didn’t try.

  I was still going over all the details of her body when I walked through my apartment door. Just like I thought, Sabina and Gigi were on the floor, playing a game.

  “Tyler!” Gigi got up and ran to me, still wearing that tutu.

  I picked her up, kissed her on both cheeks.

  “Ooh, you’re all dirty!” she wiggled around, rubbing at her face until I put her down. “You got me all dirty!”

  “I did not. Next time I won’t kiss you, then Miss,” I said, grinning at Sabina.

  Gigi ran off to get a school project to show me. I took advantage of the moment and sank into a chair, exhausted.

  Sabina cleaned up the game. “Are you racing tonight?” she asked. She didn’t look at me, trying to be casual.

  “Yeah.”

  She nodded. “It’s a pretty big one, huh? You’re racing that guy from the gang across the river?”

  I nodded, rubbing my temples. I had to get in the right frame of mind for it. But I still had to make dinner and put Gigi to bed, too.

  “I would love to see you race, sometime.”

  I looked over at Sabina, and she was looking at me, now. I smiled a little. “You should come one night.”

  “Could I come... tonight?”

  I knew that was what she was getting at. I tried to hide the irritation she made me feel. I didn’t usually feel that way about her—she was a great girl.

  But there were times, like right then, when I was already going with someone else. She wouldn’t like that very much.

  “I don’t think tonight’s a good idea. Maybe next time.”

  She nodded,
and I knew it hurt her feelings that I didn’t ask her to go. I couldn’t help how she felt.

  “I guess I’ll watch Gigi then, instead.”

  I tilted my head and looked seriously at her. “If you ever had other plans, you know it would be okay. Right? I don’t want you to feel like you have to be here all the time.”

  She was young, she should have been out enjoying her life.

  She smiled, a little sad. “I’m not always here. Sometimes I take her next door.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I love her. She’s like my little sister, too, you know.”

  I didn’t want her feeling like she was closer to me than she really was. I felt like an asshole for even thinking it, but there it was. I couldn’t ignore how helpful she was, like when she brought over the groceries.

  But I could always get a babysitter if I really needed to, even though I was glad to save the money. When she was here all the time, Sabina sort of acted like she lived with us.

  Like we were a little family. It was a fine line I walked with her.

  “I know she is. She’s lucky to have you. We both are.”

  She beamed.

  “Listen,” I said. “Don’t be upset about tonight. I’ll make it up to you some other time.”

  That was just what she needed to hear. She jumped to her feet, “I can get dinner together.”

  And the fine line was crossed.

  “Nah, don’t even worry about it. I have plenty of time. You go do your thing—I’m leaving around eight o’clock. Okay?”

  She shrugged, and left. It was always like that, back and forth.

  Not wanting to hurt her, but not wanting to lead her on and hurt her even more.

  ***

  “Get a good night’s sleep, okay?” I said to Gigi as I tucked her in.

  “Are you going out?”

  “Maybe.” I gave her a kiss and turned on her night light.

  “Will Sabina be here?”

  “Mmm-hmm. But I bet you’ll sleep so good, you won’t even know. And when you wake up, it’ll be morning, and you can jump on my bed like always. Okay?” I kissed her again and left the room.

  As I was leaving, I knocked on the front door to Sabina’s.

  “I’ll be right over!” she called out. I knew she would—I could always trust her.

  Maybe she didn’t wanna see me. I sighed and kept walking.

  I stepped outside and was about to unchain my bike when I heard some voices, shouting. I turned around, wondering who was fighting.

  It wasn’t a fight. It was three guys, picking on a smaller kid. I’d seen him around before. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen, and the other three were closer to my age.

  Nothing burned my ass more than people who took advantage of those who were smaller and weaker than they were.

  It was the most pathetic thing I could think of. I walked over, not caring that I was running a little late now.

  “Hey, what’s going on guys?”

  I kept my voice friendly, like it didn’t matter. The three bullies turned to me, looking me up and down.

  I wasn’t exactly a small guy. I spent a decent amount of time working out, keeping myself in shape, and I was taller than all of them.

  The kid had a nice pair of sneakers and a nice jacket. He also had earbuds in his ears. I knew what those assholes wanted from him.

  “None of your business. Go take care of your own self,” one of them spat. The others laughed.

  “Why don’t you leave the kid alone?” I asked. “Let him get by.”

  “What the fuck’s it to you?”

  One of them shoved me, and I lashed out with a quick jab to the nose.

  Another came at me from behind, and I turned in time to duck his swing, then get two hits to his jaw.

  I turned to the third. The others were on the ground—I knew the first had a broken nose. I’d heard the crack, and it was a satisfying sound.

  He held up his hands. “I’m cool, man.”

  “Get the fuck out of here.” I looked down at the other two. “All of you, get out.”

  They stumbled to their feet and hurried away.

  The kid was staring at me with his mouth hanging open. “Wow. How’d you do that?”

  I grinned at him, shaking my hand out. I hoped I could still ride well. It wasn’t the first time I’d ever gotten in a fight before a race.

  “You know how? I learned that I had to be strong and fight if I wanted to survive in this neighborhood. That’s what you have to do. Learn how to fight for yourself. There won’t always be someone around to help.”

  I got on my bike and rode away.

  I hoped he listened, the way I listened to an older kid when I was younger than him. I got tired of getting pushed around, and I learned how to fight.

  I rode straight to the store, where Trinity asked me to pick her up.

  Now that I knew where she lived, I noticed that her house was visible down the block. I wondered how she lived. I would have bet she never had to learn how to fight.

  A car backed out of her driveway. It wasn’t hers, obviously, and I hadn’t seen it when I towed her car.

  It came toward me, then turned at the corner just before where I waited. I got a good look at the guy behind the wheel.

  “Lieutenant Maxwell,” I whispered in disbelief.

  Probably my worst enemy. He was hell-bent on getting rid of the whole motorbike racing business.

  If he had his way, I’d be behind bars for what I did.

  What the hell was he doing at her house?

  This had me worried. What if something happened to her?

  She was running late. I was tempted to go to the house and find out for myself, when suddenly I saw her…jogging toward me.

  And from here on out, if I had my way, she would run everywhere she went.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off her chest, bouncing up and down. Her body killed me. And I knew she had no idea how hot she was.

  I didn’t say hello. I was too confused. “Why was the Lieutenant at your house?”

  She stopped short, looking surprised. “Uh, he’s my father? Why wouldn’t he be there?”

  What the...? I did what I could to keep from looking too stunned.

  Her father? Of all the people in the world! Was she some spy for him? This changed everything.

  It would explain why she was hanging around us all of a sudden. I knew there had to be a reason why she just appeared out of nowhere.

  Then again, if she was his spy, why would she admit who he was? She would have made something up, to throw me off.

  Instead, she gave it up right away. I didn’t think she was spying for him.

  But something had to be up.

  She already knew her father would lose it if he knew she was with me, or else she wouldn’t make me park halfway down the block.

  There had to be a reason a girl like her—a cop’s daughter—was spending time with my people and me.

  I trusted her but decided I better keep a distance from her. If I got too close, she might end up taking me down without meaning to.

  All I needed was for her old man to find out we were seeing each other. He’d been waiting for a reason to put me away for a long time.

  His little girl might be enough to make him find one.

  Chapter 7 - Trinity

  I told myself it didn’t matter what I wore to the race—I’d overthought my outfit for the party, after all.

  I didn’t want to stand out, especially if I was asking questions. And this would be an outdoor thing, and it might get chilly.

  And if Dad caught me coming in, I wanted to be able to play it off by telling him I went to a movie with Maggie or something.

  I couldn’t get dressed up, then.

  I was overthinking it again, and I shook my head, scolding myself. This wasn’t as big a deal as I was making it out to be.

  I couldn’t pretend to myself that I didn’t want Tyler to think I looked good.

>   It wasn’t all about Angela. I wanted to find out the truth—I needed to—but there was no ignoring the way he made me feel. Breathless, giddy and horny as hell.

  Like flipping a switch down there…just thinking of the way he looked in that outfit at the garage got my heart racing.

  I was staring off into space, daydreaming about him when I heard the front door open and close.

  I was startled, and glad I hadn’t left yet. I was meeting Tyler a block away at a convenience store, having forbidden him to come to the house.

  I was glad for it, seeing as how Dad must have forgotten something.

  I went to the top of the stairs, listening as he went through a drawer. “Dad? You need something?”

  “No, I’m okay.”

  More searching sounds.

  “Can’t find my cell charger. Guess I lost the one I was using. I know there’s one in here somewhere.”

  I closed my eyes, thinking. “Check the left-hand drawer in the dining room credenza.”

  Moments later, “Got it! Thanks.”

  He was back out the door before I could blink an eye. Good thing I knew where to tell him to look. He might have had to look at me.

  That wasn’t fair, and I scolded myself as I went back to my room to fix my hair.

  He wasn’t deliberately avoiding me. He just found it painful to see my long, cocoa hair and green eyes.

  Angela and I could have been twins. I looked at myself, struggling to see her. It hurt so much.

  I was going to be late, but I was afraid to leave in case Dad came back for something else.

  I waited several minutes before leaving, until I was sure he was well on his way back to work.

  Tyler was pacing in front of his bike and staring when I jogged up.

  He looked just as good as I remembered, which made sense since I’d only seen him a few hours earlier.

  Then he surprised me by asking about my dad. How did he recognize him?

  I didn’t want to know—I was already apprehensive enough over being with Tyler. I didn’t need to find out they already had issues, too.

  “What took you so long?”

  “Sorry, sorry,” I held my hands up in surrender. “As lame as it sounds, I had to sneak out.”

  He frowned. “You’re, what? Twenty?”

  “Twenty-one,” I corrected. “But he’s a little overprotective.”