Past
I scan the area of the parking lot. I’ve taken to randomly stopping by to pick Dixie Rose up after school. We’ve gotten close since the incident, and I can’t help but wonder about the tenderhearted girl. I squashed the rumors, letting them know I was strong arming mouth fucks in high school for her. It w
as something we’d all dealt with.
Shadow had taken on Blue as his responsibility for a similar reason.
The bell rang about a minute ago, and people are flowing out of the building like water. Another minute ticks by and my shoulders tense. She doesn’t do extracurricular activities, so she should be out by now. She doesn’t linger in this hell hole. I lean forward over my bars. I need to chill out. After the shit at the party, no one would be stupid enough to fuck with her again. When another minute slips by, I remember how dumb high school boys can be. I leave my bike to stalk up the stairs and into the building, ignoring the whispers and stares.
I follow the corner around to her locker. The sight of her hemmed in by a group of three boys has me seeing red. Clearing the distance in a matter of seconds, I slam the blond’s head into a locker and kick the other boy in the chest. His head hits the floor with a sickening thud. Ralph dangles above the ground and I tighten my grip on his throat.
“Echo, no, don’t do this. He’s a minor.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I will kill anyone who ever puts their hands on you.” Ralph’s face is beet red, and I wonder if I squeeze hard enough, if he’ll pop like a packet of ketchup.
“Echo, he’s not worth it. What’ll happen to me if you’re behind bars? What happens to your patch? Let’s go before someone important sees you.”
I peer down into her eyes and hits me—this is more than a friendly thing. I don’t want to be her brother, I want to be her lover. If anyone so much as breathes on her too hard, I’ll rip them limb from limb. I release Ralph and step back.
He hits the floor grasping his throat and panting.
“Say something about this and this’ll be the least I’ll do to you,” I snarl.
He nods his head, scuttling back into the lockers.
Ammonia assaults my nose. I glance down and watch the dark puddle form in his pants. “Pitiful ass.”
Dixie Rose tugs on my arm, and I allow her to pull me away to appease her. My tongue feels thick in my mouth. How the fuck am I going to tell her what I want? We get to my bike and I pause, turning to face her. “I meant that shit back there, you know. You’re mine, D’Rose.”
Her eyebrows form a point. “Yours like—”
“My woman. We’re going to make this shit work, ’cause I’m not letting you go, ever. If you’re not on board with that you better fucking tell me now.”
She shakes her head, wide-eyed.
“Good.” I start up my bike and pull off, putting as much distance between us and the school as fast as possible.
Chapter Ten
Dixie Rose
I rub Echo’s knee as he maneuvers the white Ford F-150 through the streets. It’s the first time I’ve had alone with him in days. Between keeping an eye on Charm, and helping Shadow with the wedding while I help Blue…we’re two ships passing in the night. Moving in together is looking better by the second. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere to chip away at our old bucket list.”
My nipples harden and I scoot closer to him, pressing my body against his side. “The list?” I ask, circling his sensitive ear with my tongue.
“Yep. Been too long since we marked off another place. I still remember when we got wasted that night and came up with it,” he says, chuckling.
“Our twenty dream places to have sex.” I nip his lobe. “You were always corrupting me.”
“You loved it,” he teases.
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” I say, massaging his thigh, “I still do.”
“Evil ass.”
“I’ll show you how evil I can be.” I massage the swell in his jeans and giggle when he growls.