Walk the Line (Kings of Chaos 5)

“Got something coming up. You want to get in on it? Ride out to the Vegas Chapter?”

“If you need me, you know I got your back.”

“But you don’t want to go?” Warp asks.

I lick my lips and weight my options. I’m a private man, but Warped was my sponsor.

“You ain’t been yourself, brother. You alright?”

“I got something going here in San Diego.”

“What? Wait. A bitch?”

I shrug.

He chuckles. “You sly dog. Alright man, I can ask someone else. I always give you first dibs, ‘cause you’re usually chomping at the bit to get on the road.”

“Things change, brother.”

“You losing your love for the nomadic existence? It happens to the best of us. Few Nomads hold the title forever.”

“You ever lose the taste for what we do?”

He nods. “I’m human, brother. The life kicks my ass the same as anyone else. You think about joining a charter?”

“A few times. I plan on seeing how this trip works out.”

“How long you going to be gone for?” I ask.

“Couple months maybe.”

“Safe travels, brother.” We give a manly hug, and I watch as the man who saved me from jail or worse strides out of the store. It’s odd not being beside him for the journey, but I feel at peace with it. Peace. A state I’ve sorely lacked over the course of my life. How can I not chase the road that leads to it?

Chapter Three

Blanche

“You look better than you did when I arrived,” Jess says as we sip sweet tea on my balcony.

I laugh. “That wasn’t a hard feat.”

“It’s more than the hair and new clothes.”

“You helped me remember who I was. With you here, it’s no so overwhelming because I’m not alone.”

“And that sexy young boy you have drooling over you, doesn’t hurt either, huh?

“We’re just friends.”

“For now. It’s only been a few weeks, give it time.”

I roll my eyes, but I don’t deny it. Jagger is gorgeous, and when he focuses his attention on me, nothing else in the world matters or exists. He’s a magic potion that stops time. It’s a fantasy. I know his life has held a lot of darkness. It clings to him like an invisible shroud. We silently agree to not talk about certain things. He doesn’t ask more about my husband or the divorce, and I don’t ask about the club or his past. It works for us. I’m still not sure what he sees in me, but I’m grateful for it.

“I feel good about our progress with the exception of one last thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Your future. What do you want to do?”