Hard Ride (Filthy Dirty Desires)

Dad still doesn’t know I’m dating Silas, and now we’re moving in together. Things have happened at warp speed, but I know it’s right. I can feel it deep in my bones. Every time Silas looks at me, I know it.

This man would do anything for me.

Anything.

And I would for him too.

“She’s too good for you,” Henley calls out as Silas grabs my hand and leads me toward his bike in the lot.

Blaze, Jagger, Dragon, Henley, and Duke came out to see us off, and as I wave goodbye, I smile.

“They were all so nice,” I tell Silas before sliding onto his Harley.

“Of course. You’re my woman. They know I’d kill them if they were anything but nice.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Silas cups my face in his big hands. “You’re a good person. Anyone who meets you will see that light and fall in love with you immediately.”

I blush. “Thank you.”

He slides onto the bike and I slip my arms around his body, snuggling against him. He revs the engine, and the machine vibrates between my legs as Silas takes off.

Life is good.

We’re heading to my house so I can grab a few things I’ll need until we can officially move all of my stuff into his place. I feel free with the wind in my face and nothing confining me as Silas navigates the roads. Just the blue sky, fresh air, and my man. I’ve had nothing but swarms of butterflies flapping their excited wings since I agreed to this new life I’m starting with Silas.

Who would have ever thought?

All those good vibes fade when sirens blare behind us. Silas pulls off to the side of the road and puts down the kickstand to his bike.

We both get off his bike as the officer exits their vehicle.

Motherfucker.

My father.

He’s not a patrol officer, so I never expected to see him walking toward us.

“What are you doing, Dad?” I ask him before he can speak.

“I should ask you the same thing.” His face is hard, each line accentuated by anger. “What are you doing riding on his bike?” The way he says his, all twisted with disgust and judgment, makes me furrow my brow.

“He’s my boyfriend.”

Silas steps forward. “Before you say anything, you need to know how much I care about your daughter.”

My father laughs, but there’s zero joy in it. “Do not tell me how much you care for her. You don’t even know her.” He returns his attention back to me. “How long has this been going on?”

I don’t want to give him the truth, but there’s no lying to Daddy. “A few days, maybe a week.”

“A week?” His voice is loud, nearly to the point he’s screaming.

Silas tries to step forward, calming my father down, but he’s not having any of it.

“Don’t get any closer or I swear I’ll shoot you.”

“Daddy, you wouldn’t dare.” I scowl.

“Like hell I wouldn’t.”

Silas backs away, holding his hands up. “I care about your daughter, sir,” he says, and my heart splits in two.

“Dad, please let me explain.”

“Get in the car,” he says to me but looking at Silas, his hand idling slightly above his pistol. “Now.”

“No, I won’t.” I cross my arms, tears threatening to spill out, but I won’t back down. I won’t give in.

“Betty, I’m not asking you.”

“What? Are you arresting me?”

“Maybe you should just go and talk to him,” Silas says, stepping closer to me.

I stare at my father, his red face and rigid posture, knowing he will never be ok with Silas and me. We’re from two completely different worlds.

Is he right?

Is this all a mistake?

What if Dad refuses to give Silas and those nice men in his group any peace because of me?

I blink back the tears. “Silas, maybe we’re rushing into things.” He looks like I’ve just kicked his puppy. “I just need some time to think.”

My father smiles, like he’s won this war, but I stare at him next.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t be moving in with him, Dad. I care about him too.”

“You can’t know that after just a week, Betty.”

Tears stream down my cheeks. “You’re wrong.”

“Get in the car, now. I’ll take you home.”

I gaze at Silas, and I’m not sure what to do. Time to think is what I need. “I’ll call you,” I tell him.

“Betty, I’m not giving up on you. Ever. I’ll give you your space to figure things out, but what’s going on between us is real.” He nods to my father and heads back to his bike.

I cry as I rush into the front seat of my father’s car.

“What were you thinking?” my father asks as he pulls away, leaving Silas standing by his bike on the side of the road.

I have no answers for him, because right now I’m not even sure what I was thinking. It is real, right?

It has to be.