Tread: Biker Romance (Ronin MC Series Book 1) (34 page)

“What barbeque?” This was not a time to party.

Tatum rolled her eyes like I was dense. “We have to keep up appearances. The local cops are already sniffing around us. We have to be visible and unharmed or we’re all going to jail.”

The bathroom door flung open and Grace appeared, wrapped in a towel, dripping wet. Holy hell. I was definitely not dead.

She raced towards me and flung her arms around me, almost knocking me over and back onto the couch. I wouldn’t have fought it if I didn’t have piping hot coffee in my hand, and could actually breathe with her weight on me.

“Hey, babe. I missed you,” Grace said, searching my face. She must have noticed me turning purple with the need to expand my lungs because she jumped up again, almost losing her towel. “I’m so sorry!”

“S’okay,” I croaked, but decided I was going to lie back down for a minute. “I missed you. You scared the shit out of me. Tell me what happened when you were with the cartel. Did they hurt you? Touch you at all?”

“Let me go get dressed. I’ll tell you everything, okay? Don’t try to move.”

We moved to the dining room table at my request, not wanting them hovering above me like I was dying.

Tatum and Grace took turns explaining the whole ordeal, as if they had been rehearsing who would say what as I slept. I studied them and wondered if they were holding anything back. Then I thought that just maybe this was something they had to keep between them, and I loved them for it.

They had come a long way from hating each other a few months ago. It was a relief to see and I was inclined to let them have their secrets, as long as they were okay mentally after this ordeal.

Both weren’t typically good at storytelling, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I could feel the tears welling up as I observed the frantic lyrics and hand gestures they were making. I sat back and listened with blissful ears at the chaos unfolding and realized that, for the first time in forever, I was at peace.

EVERYONE WAS SMILING.

It was a dang miracle.

No one was getting shot at, though everyone was undoubtedly packing.

I looked about the yard and felt my chest swell with pride. We had made it out of that crazy situation with the cartel alive. People were eating, laughing, playing corn hole and horse shoes.

“What are you smiling at, pretty girl?”

I looked over at Tread, took in his relaxed smirk then leaned in for a kiss. His lips swept over mine twice before I felt his slick tongue trying to break into my mouth. I let him in after the first knock and his taste filled my head.

I pulled away at the sound of shrill whistles from his brothers around us.

“You doing okay?” I asked quietly.

Tread nodded, his eyes heated, telling me without words he wished we were anywhere but a Ronin get together. “Yeah, baby. I’m good.”

I straightened in my chair to look around once again, because as much as the boys needed this day and this carefree time, it served another purpose as well.

A massacre on United States soil didn’t sit well with authorities, and we all had a feeling it was only a matter of time. So we needed to be visible and more importantly, uninjured.

I ran my hand down Tread’s side, feeling the cotton that banded his broken ribs as I found Royal with my eyes. He was making a good show of holding up a pillar, but since I knew his equilibrium was still off, it was more likely that the pillar was holding
him
up.

On the opposite side of the parking lot was Harvey holding court with the injured that had been released from the hospital. Lola busied herself babying every one of them and they ate it up like puppies.

My phone vibrated in my purse, making a faint sound over a Pink Floyd song playing through the speakers.

Since only one person had a reason to text me, I leaned once more to Tread and kissed his cheek as I picked up my purse from under his chair. “I’ll be right back.” I held up my purse in the universal sign for ‘girl problems’ and Tread gave a chin lift that could have meant a million things before he went back to listening to a story Alt was telling.

I moved quickly into the saloon and passed a bustling Veesa as she prepared food in the kitchen. As soon as I closed the door in the bathroom, I moved to a stall and lowered the lid. Digging out my phone, I sat on the—semi—clean seat.

Kit: You’ve been quiet, Gracie Lou. Been avoiding me for the love shack?

I scoffed and shook my head. If she only knew what she had been missing. Then again, maybe that was the purpose of her leaving to begin with. We were like night and day. She didn’t want this life, and I had chosen it.

Me: What’s up with you? Everything okay in lover’s paradise?

Kit: Nice try. I do have cable, you know. Cartels tend to hit nationwide, even if I am only a state away.

Me: I saw that. What’s the world coming to??

Kit: Hmm. But everyone’s okay there? My dad and everybody?

I snickered and rolled my eyes. Fishing much? We knew we had to be careful about what we said over devices, so she must have been worried to come so close to the truth.

Me: Your dad is currently basking in his reign.

I purposefully left off anything about what she really wanted to know, even if she was worried about her father.

Royal.

She would have to suck it up and ask me outright if she wanted an answer to that question.

Kit: I bet he is.

Yeah, not my favorite topic. As far as I was concerned, if I never spoke to that man again, it would be too soon. Though, I did love his wife.

Me: What’s new with you?

Kit: Spent the weekend with Scott. He’s showing me around since I’ve been working so much.

Me: It’s a wonder you met him at all with your schedule.

Kit: You’ll be happy to know we both took the weekend off, and when we came up for air he took me out on the town.

Me: Does he open doors for you?

Kit: Grace.

Me: What? Tread opens doors for me. I was just asking.

Kit: I like him.

Me: Then that’s all that matters. Being happy. You are happy, right, Kit?

I waited for few minutes but she didn’t type back, so I flushed the toilet and made my way to wash my hands. I looked up as the door opened behind my back.

“Hey, Grace,” Marley mumbled. We hadn’t talked much since before everything happened. I grabbed some paper towels and waited for her to come back out.

As she bent over the sink, I cleared my throat. “Hey, you okay? You’ve been really quiet.”

Marley tossed her mane of red hair over her shoulder and turned off the water quickly. “Yeah, I’m good.”

She tried to dodge for the door, but I moved into her path and blocked it. “Really? What’s going on with you?”

“Grace, come on. Move.”

“I want to know, Mar. Did I do something? Say something that has you avoiding me?” I tried to guess.

She looked up at me with shocked green eyes. “What? No, you haven’t done anything. I figured you would want your space.”

“Why?” I asked, completely confused.

“Because I was in the garage when you and Tatum were taken. I figured you would hate me for not being there,” she mumbled.

“What?” I asked loudly. “And get taken with us? You’re being silly, Marley. Come on, let’s get some tequila into you.” I opened the door and walked out.

As we walked by the bar, I snagged a bottle and Marley got the shot glasses. I linked my arm through hers and we fought to enter the kitchen side-by-side.

Veesa looked up as we giggled and shook her head with a smile. “I am glad you are with us, mija,” she said in her quiet way.

I smiled through a misting of tears and quickly headed outside before I started to cry. There were things I was willing to survive. Crying in front of that strong woman wasn’t one of them.

“Tatum!” I yelled, bringing the bottle over to the table next to Tread’s. Alt, Hendrix, and Auggie sat around it with some Doves drinking beer. I recognized the blonde beside Tread right away. She was the one bouncing on his lap my first night here.

I watched her hand glide across his leather vest in silence. Then I watched as his eyes went behind him to the blonde. He moved away before he even noticed I was back outside.

Tread’s eyes lit up when he saw me, then landed on the bottle. “Looks like you forgot the limes, Gracie. I’ve got somethin’ you can lick.”

I felt my face heat as I blushed and made my way over to him. The blonde had to move out of the way, but she didn’t seem to mind. I followed her with my eyes as she made the trek on impossibly high heels over to Royal.

“I’ve got somethin’ for you, baby,” Tread rumbled in my ear, making me shiver.

I leaned my face away to look at him clearly. “You can’t give me that out here.”

Tread’s eyebrows raised and he broke out into a wide smile. “I’ve got no problems.”

I rolled my eyes. “You may not, but I do.”

“That’s all right, darlin’. I got no issues with you bein’ a lady durin’ the day and a freak in the sheets.”

“WHOA!” the group yelled in delighted, surprise at his not so quiet declaration.

My face was on fire.

“Tread.”

He just laughed and grabbed for his beer. When the men settled down, he turned to me with serious eyes.

“Like I said, I’ve got somethin’ for ya, Gracie.” Tread moved to the side and dug into his pocket.

My eyes widened to the point of pain, and I swallowed past the lump in my throat. Oh my God.

Whatever he pulled out, he kept his hand closed around it. “I’ve said I would never settle down my whole life. I didn’t think anyone would be able to have my mom’s respect, or go toe to toe with my sister, or deal with all of my baggage.” Tread looked down and reached for my hand. I stopped breathing. “I want you to know that you make my life worth something. I lost that a long time ago, and never knew it was such an important piece of who I was until you came in with your drooling little dog and button up shirts.

“But more than my happiness, I want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of having. Even if it’s not me.” Tread placed something sharp into my hand and leaned back against his chair with a slow, shaky exhale.

I opened my fist to see a set of keys on a ring. “What is this?”

“It’s the keys to whatever future you want. I finished the Camaro before we left for the run. I want you to think about what kind of life you would live with me here. The danger, the stress. And think about how easy it would be to drive away. You aren’t stuck here anymore. I just want you to be happy.”

I smiled through my tears and shook my head. “You know a couple of days ago, I missed my mom. I want to go back to Utah and see her.” I jingled the keys. “Maybe we could get away for a little bit and see her one day? I’ve never been so happy, or stressed out, than I have been with you. Before, back there, I felt smothered. Here, I can spread my wings. I don’t want easy, Tread. I just want you.”

Tread grabbed the back of my head and brought my mouth down to meet his in a hard kiss of relief, and yes, happiness. He breathed in deep through the kiss and I knew he was taking me in, and that I was enough.

For him.

For his life in the club.

And I was his choice to carry on that life by his side.

Everyone around us was high-fiving, yelling out congratulations, and slapping backs. I pulled away, a little snotty from the crying, and laughed as I ran my free hand over my nose.

“That was just beautiful. Really. I’m so glad I was here to see it.” The words were all the right ones, but the tone meant something completely different. I looked over just as Tread stiffened next to me. The sheriff towered over us with his hands on his belt.

The men grew silent, the only sound was the words of another era from long ago.

The Ronin MC lost their jubilance and stood to greet the man in uniform. I stood with them.

“Can I help you, sheriff?” Royal asked, giving up his post by the pillar to walk toward him in a swagger that was his alone.

“I’m going to need to know the whereabouts of your members from five days ago,
VP
.” He practically spit out the title everyone else held with respect.

“Do we need a lawyer here, sheriff?” Hendrix asked quietly.

“Well, it seems mighty obvious to me that with your wounded brethren right over there, that you would be expecting me to pay a visit.” He smirked. “What with this massacre happening while you were out of town.”

“Oh my God! Harvey!”

Lola’s scream in the still air had everyone whipping around, most reaching for a gun concealed on their body.

We turned in time to see Harvey, President of the Ronin MC, collapse face first onto the unforgiving cement.