Renegade Path

Wary, since I just got out of jail, I stared at the two of them before answering. “Legit mechanical work?”

“He’ll probably pay you under the table.” Dex shrugged. “But fixing up bikes. That’s it.”

“He gets real busy at the start of summer,” Bricks explained. “He’s a demanding boss. But fair.”

Just what I needed. More terrifying bikers employing me. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Go on. Go see Juliet.” Dex shoved me toward the bike. “She should be at the house soon.”

Bricks held out his hand and we shook one last time.

Then I threw my leg over the bike, twisted the throttle a few times and roared away from the parking lot.

I was going to go get my girl.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Juliet

Dull wasn’t a strong enough word to describe life without Roman. The days were all the same. Lifeless. Joyless.

He’d gone silent. Not responding to my letters. They never got returned, so I assumed he read them. Somehow that hurt even worse.

Dex told me Roman was okay, and that he was working on it, but that was the only information I could pry out of him about the case.

Without Roman around, Dex insisted on either staying at the house with me or making me sleep over at his place. He seemed to have taken our Christmas Eve argument to heart and wanted to be there for me. I gave him grief over his endless fussing but secretly I was happy not to be alone.

Somehow, I buckled down, blocked out everything, and managed to study for finals. No matter how I felt about Roman, I needed to finish school strong and figure out a future for myself.

“You did it!” Vienna bounced up and down next to my locker, tugging on my arm. “Number three in our class!”

“Phew.” I blew out a breath and rested my forehead against the cool metal locker door. High enough to earn the scholarship I’d applied for and low enough not to give any speeches at graduation.

She shoved a piece of paper in my face with the list. Her name was only a few spots below mine. “Way to go, V.” I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed.

“Not bad, right?” She pulled away and casually rubbed her knuckles against her shirt as if she possessed an ounce of modesty. “Top ten.”

“I knew you could do it.”

“My parents said I can have a party Sunday. Will you come?”

The last thing I felt like doing was celebrating. “You bet.”

“What are you going to wear for graduation?” Vienna asked.

We’d been fitted for our gowns weeks ago and that was the last time I’d thought about it. I’d been too consumed with studying.

“Ugh, now I don’t even want to go,” I grumbled.

“You have to go. You’ve had a shit year and you’ve worked too hard not to be there. Besides,” she added in a lower voice, “wouldn’t Roman want you to go?”

How would I know? I couldn’t ask him. He’d cut off all communication.

“Purple. You should wear purple,” she declared with a nod that sent her hair tumbling into her face. She blew the strands out of her eyes with a quick huff of breath.

Her serious tone about what I considered a frivolous topic finally pulled a smile from me.

“Come on, let’s go try on dresses.” Vienna clamped her hand around my arm and dragged me toward the parking lot, tugging her keys out of her pocket with her free hand.

“Slow down.” I tried to dig my heels into the pavement, but it was no use. Vienna was a force of nature that would not be denied.

“Let’s take my car,” she pleaded. “I’ll drive you to school tomorrow.”

“It’s out of your way.”

She tipped her head back. “I don’t care,” she shouted at the sky. “We’re free!”

Laughing, I opened the passenger side door of her shiny hunter green sports car and lowered myself into the smooth buttery seat. An early graduation present from her parents, it had replaced her last car that wasn’t even a year old.

I sighed and stared out the window. I had a knack for turning a fun occasion into a pity party.

“Are you okay?” Vienna’s hand grazed my leg. Her usually bubbly voice had turned somber. Could I be more of a buzzkill?

I forced a bright smile. “Just thinking about which shop we should try first.”

“How about Macy’s?” She turned the key in the ignition and the powerful engine roared to life. It reminded me of being at the track with Roman and hanging out with his friends. Then I was sad all over again.

“They have a huge junior’s dress department,” Vienna said.

“Okay.” Thanks to Mrs. Shields, I wouldn’t have to rely on Vienna’s charity to obtain a dress. I’d be able to afford it on my own. My chest ached at the thought of Mrs. Shields and I briefly closed my eyes. She probably would’ve baked a cake to mark my graduation. I hoped if she was watching over me, she was proud and that she understood how much her generosity meant to me.