“No way. You’re not going anywhere.”
“Yes I am,” I responded quickly.
“You need to rest.”
“I’m done resting.” She parted her lips to argue and I pulled her face down to mine, pressing my mouth to hers. Zoe straightened back up and stared at me, the slight narrowing of her eyes telling me she was agitated with my stubbornness. “Besides, I have to go to the clubhouse, and I need you to take me there since I shouldn’t be driving yet. Then we can stop at the store when I’m done.”
“Why do you have to go to the clubhouse?” She walked away from me to check on the food, removing the lid and turning down the burner. Drawers opened and closed as she searched for plates, mugs, and silverware. I could’ve told her where everything was located, but I was too mesmerized with watching her move around my kitchen.
“Because Marek called me before I came down here and asked if I was up for it and I said yes.”
“You should’ve said no.”
“I can’t really do that. We got a lot to discuss, and besides, I’m doin’ better than I was. Your dad is gonna be there too,” I added.
She poured two cups of black coffee and placed them on the table, one in front of me.
“Yeah? And how is that gonna work? Me showing up there with you?” She retreated, returning with two plates, the delicious aroma making my ravenous stomach grumble.
“He knows we’re together. What’s he gonna do?”
“You obviously don’t know my dad.”
“I do. And I know he’s gonna give me a hard time, say some shit, but it’s not like he’s gonna hit me or anything.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she replied, taking her seat next to me. “He’s not crazy protective over me like Stone is with Riley, but he can still be unpredictable.”
“It’ll be fine.” I cut off a piece of the eggy goodness with the edge of my fork and lifted it to my mouth. “Trust me.”
We ate in silence for the next several minutes, neither of us knowing exactly what would happen once Zoe and I showed up at the clubhouse together.
6
Sitting in the passenger seat of my ol’ beat-up truck was odd, but being able to glance over at Zoe anytime I wanted, for however long I wanted, was an advantage.
“I’m surprised you know how to drive stick.” I reached over and rested my hand near the top of her thigh.
She wore shorts and a white tank top with detailing around the sleeves. I hadn’t paid attention enough to describe it because my eyes were pinned to her chest when she first came downstairs. She wasn’t exposed, but the shirt fit her like a glove, accentuating one of her best assets. Then when she turned around, and I got a glimpse of her ass in her light blue shorts, I almost decided against going outside my house.
Zoe wasn’t wearing anything obscene, but her clothes showcased her body perfectly without being provocative. I’d explored every inch of her; therefore, I thought every other red-blooded man could picture what she kept hidden beneath her clothes.
The truth was Zoe was all class. From the tip of her red head to the bottom of her manicured toes.
“My dad taught me when I first learned to drive, but I haven’t driven one in years. It takes me a minute to get used to whether it’s a standard H or not.” She shifted gears once we pulled off my road.
I’d managed to find a house at the end of a dirt path a few years back. My closest neighbor was a mile away, which was what sold me on the place because I enjoyed my privacy. That and the large front porch.
“The clutch sticks a bit when switching to third. Just so you’re aware.”
“Thanks for the tip.” My eyes roamed over the length of her, and without realizing, I squeezed her leg. “I don’t think it’s fair for you to tease me while I’m driving. What if I get into an accident?”
“I’m not doin’ anything.”
“Your hand is on my leg.”
“So?”
“What if I had my hand on your leg, near your dick, while you were driving? Don’t you think you’d be a little distracted?”
I couldn’t tell if she was irritated with me or simply asking me a question. “Yeah, probably.”
“Then kindly remove your hand.” The corner of her mouth twitched, but when I didn’t budge, she swatted at me.
“I’m injured, woman. Don’t add to it.” I withdrew my hand and placed it on my leg.
“Oh, please, like anything I could do would hurt you.”
“You’d be surprised.” The words flew out of my mouth before I could think better of restraining them. Thankfully, she didn’t comment on my odd response, shifting into third easier than I thought she could, given the slight stick with the clutch.
I’d bought this white, mid-nineties Chevy pickup from a guy five years ago. It could use some work, but it ran well, the interior was clean, and there was only one spot of rust near the bumper. I didn’t care about vehicles as much as some of the other guys, all my money going into my Harley, which I rode most of the time.
“Have you given any thought to how you’re going to handle my dad if something happens once we get there?” Zoe tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, swallowing nervously when I didn’t answer right away. Her fingers wrapped tighter around the knob of the shifter, her chest expanding quicker than seconds before.
“Everything will be fine. Like I said, it’s not like he’s gonna come at me.”
“And like I said before, you don’t know that.” A small crease formed between her brows during the silence that followed. But there wasn’t anything I could say to ease her worry because I couldn’t predict the future. Ryder could choose to threaten me in front of his daughter or wait until we were alone to warn me off. Or there was a third option. He could keep his mouth shut. Although bets were not on the last possibility. Now, if it had been Stone, I had no doubt the man would come after me, not caring at all about my injuries. But Ryder wasn’t Stone, and I prayed with every mile that brought us closer I wasn’t wrong.
Physically, none of the guys were a match for me, given my size, but I still wouldn’t strike Ryder back if he hit me. One, because he was one of the older members of the club, thus deserving of respect. And two, he was Zoe’s dad, and a physical altercation between us would be disastrous on all levels.
When she finally pulled up to the gates, I leaned over and pushed the remote clipped to the visor, sitting back in my seat quickly before I started something we couldn’t finish.
“You can park over there.” I pointed toward the row of bikes on our right, Tripp backing into his spot as we passed. There was one other pickup truck in the lot, belonging to Trigger.
He couldn’t ride anymore because of an injury to his hand awhile back. Plus, he was old, and his coordination wasn’t what it used to be, which was more detrimental on a hog than tucked inside a truck.
As Zoe and I exited, a car pulled up next to us. Braylen was behind the wheel with Ryder in the passenger seat. I stood by my bumper, waiting for the confrontation once he slammed his door shut.
At first glance, he looked better than he had the last time I saw him. His color was good and although his walk was slow, I would’ve never known there was anything wrong with him.