“You’ve been planning to blow up Hector for a while,” I joke.
Shades shrugs and stops beside his bike. “Nah, but I know which houses mean the most to that shit brick, Hector. I know exactly where it’ll hurt the most.”
I hop on my bike, and the engine roars to life. “You are one crazy motherfucker.”
“Thanks. I knew you saw me.” He puts his hands to his chest and bats his eyelashes like a delicate southern belle.
“Crazy fucker,” I mumble. “Let’s go make it hurt.”
He nods. “Watch my six.”
“Always, brother.” My heart races, and blood pumps through my veins like a bass beat, steady and loud and fast. My eyes focus on the road, the yellow lines against the black asphalt, the mountains to the right, the crystal blue waters of the Pacific to the left, the beauty so at odds with the desolate, unwelcoming desert.
The motorcycle tires eat up the road, taking us farther away from the comfort and safety of the Reckless Souls and closer to the start of all-out fucking war.
Chapter Nineteen
Kelsey
“I fucked up.” Those words have been on my mind for the past three, maybe four days since I last saw Coop.
Ruby rears back from her spot behind the steering wheel, risking a quick, questioning glance in my direction.
“What did you do? Tell him you love him too soon? Unexpected finger in the ass?”
She laughs and focuses back on the road toward Ace Motors.
“No, and hell no.” But now that she’s said it, I wonder how Coop would feel about a little sexy time at his back door. Focus, bitch.
“I overheard something I probably shouldn’t have and told Coop about it. I haven’t heard from him since.”
I can’t help but combine the two since they did happen in quick succession.
“Maybe he’s busy, Kels. Those guys have many balls in the air at any given time.” Ruby’s gentle tone only confirms that I fucked up. “It probably has nothing to do with you.”
I want to believe her, but it’s hard. “I told him what I knew, fucked him, and I haven’t heard from him in days. Days, Ruby.” He either got what he wanted from me or worse, he really wasn’t thinking about me at all.
She pulls into the Ace Motors parking lot filled, as usual, with motorcycles and shifts into park and sighs.
“Maybe he’s out taking care of whatever you heard.”
Ruby puts up a hand to stop me when I’m about to tell her what I heard.
“I don’t want to know, Kelsey. These guys are hot and totally fuckable, but I don’t want any details of their businesses.”
My mouth snapped shut. “Got it. So what should I do?”
“Well,” she motions to the front of the building covered in windows. “You’re here now, so ask him what the fuck his problem is.”
I nod, but I can’t do that. Can I? Instinctively, I know I can’t.
“I’m not going in there acting like some nagging girlfriend because I’m not his girlfriend.”
The truth is I’m nothing more than a fuck, and just because it feels like more, and I want it to be more, doesn’t make it so.
“But you want to be?”
I nibble my lips and answer the question with a nod.
“Then dress for the job you want, or however it applies to this weird shit-uation. Go in there and act as if he owes you an explanation, and you’ll get one.”
“You think?” It’s crazy how much hope rises up within me at her words.
“I don’t know, Kelsey. There’s just one way to find out. Right?”
“Right.” I stare at the front lobby area through the wall of windows. His friend Lucky is at the register while half a dozen other men mill around, chatting and laughing.
“He looks busy.”
“And you aren’t?” Ruby scoffs. “Get your sexy little ass in there and find out what you want to know. I’ll wait five minutes, and then I’m outta here. Got it?”
I smile. “Got it. Thanks, Ruby.”
She waves off my words of gratitude. “That’s what best friends are for.”
“Always,” I say back, smiling as I step from the car and smooth the sexy silky red romper that shows off my toned legs and arms, and yeah, a hint of cleavage too. “Wish me luck.”
Ruby laughs and wiggles her fingers in my direction. “I’m sending you tight pussy vibes.”
I frown and stare at her. “Tight pussy vibes?”
“Like big dick energy only for badass bitches like us.”
I smile. “Love you, girl.”
“Love you back. Now get in there.”
I close the car door and take one last look at my reflection before urging my legs forward toward the shop. Toward Coop. You got this, girl. You can do this.
I pull the door open just as Coop is pushing it open, and I smile at him. “Just the man I was looking for.”
“Oh, excuse me.” Coop barely spares me a glance, steps around me, and walks down the cement ramp.