I nodded.“Let’s ride.”
The afternoon sun had warmed the pavement by the time we stepped out behind the clubhouse.
Three motorcycles waited.
Magnum climbed onto his first.Hodge swung onto his without a word.
Before I even grabbed my helmet, Goldie walked straight toward my bike.She simply stopped beside my Harley like she’d already decided where she belonged.
I liked that a whole lot more than I probably should have.
I handed her the spare helmet.
She slipped it on.
“You remember the drill?”
She smiled.“Hold on.”
“Exactly.”
A minute later she climbed on behind me, and this time there wasn’t any awkward hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Her hands settled around my waist almost immediately.I tried real hard not to think about how much I liked that.
Magnum started his bike.
Hodge followed.
I fired mine up, and the familiar rumble filled the alley.
Magnum pulled out first, I stayed in the middle, and Hodge took the rear.Exactly how Twister wanted it.
We rolled through downtown Madison with our heads on swivels.
Every intersection.
Every parked SUV.
Every alley.
Every vehicle sitting just a little too long at a stop sign.
Magnum checked mirrors constantly.I watched cross streets.Hodge covered our rear.Goldie stayed quiet behind me.
The city moved around us like it always did.Students crossed streets carrying backpacks.People waited outside coffee shops.Delivery trucks backed into loading docks.Nobody looking around would have guessed there was a war quietly unfolding beneath the surface.
Fifteen minutes later, Magnum raised a fist.We slowed, and the Shorewood Apartments came into view.
The complex wasn’t fancy.Three tan brick buildings sat around a neatly maintained courtyard with trimmed bushes, fresh mulch, and flower beds trying hard to make the place look more expensive than it probably was.
A woman pushed a stroller.Two kids chased each other near the mailboxes.
Everything looked normal.
We parked together, and I waited until Goldie climbed off before removing my helmet.
