It wasn’t the goodbye kiss he wanted, but he connected their closed lips for a few seconds.
“Call if you need me,” he said, promising to see her soon.
Sunny remained on the stoop as he climbed onto his bike and started the engine. He half-grinned and lifted his chin to her silly waving.
Lockdown might have ended, but he’d already tied himself to Sunny.
Not even the wrath of his VP could untangle him from her now.
Unless Hawk decided to kill him.
That threat would always linger in the VP’s mind for fucking sure.
SEVENTEEN
Sebastian
When Seb had spent his time at college earning a degree in mechanical engineering, it wasn’t because he had visions of working for a high-paying company.
His ultimate goal had always been to become ingrained within the Renegade Souls MC. He couldn’t claim he was a true blue blood legacy, not being born to one of the OG bikers, but he’d more than earned his place and felt good about the patches he wore on his chest.
He knew one day he’d wear his dad’s Road Captain patch once Knox assembled his council. Until then, he’d taken over the running of the garage side of the business.
The compound shop was unrecognizable from how it first looked when he was a little kid. Back then, it was sizable, the largest garage in Colorado. Today, it wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill mechanical shopanymore. Yet, that sector continued to flourish and was managed by civilians. Some years back, the garage had been extended when Seb’s sideline for custom builds had taken off, and he’d talked to Rider about expanding it outside of Colorado. He’d had orders from all over the world for his bodywork.
It started as a hobby and became lucrative thanks to one article about him. In the biker world, his name was well known. People sought him out at every rally like a celebrity, wanting to book his services.
The garage was two blocks in size. He had fifteen civilian mechanics working for him, plus patched brothers on staff. It was so vast and busy that it had a separate office from the main office, where work inquiries came through.
Seb had worked with tools ever since he could pick one up, following his dad around, begging for a pair of overalls to look like the other men. He was at home with a power tool in his hands and paint underneath his nails.
He’d always envisioned the Priest brothers making it into a worldwide garage, but Tanner wasn’t interested in body shop work. His brother was young, but he could turn his hand to anything, including construction, electrical, and plumbing, so he’d put his skills to good use somewhere within the pyramid of the Souls’ businesses one day.
“How’s she looking?” he heard a deep booming voice from the doorway. Seb looked up from the floor where he’d been working on some soldering for a while. He flipped up his protective visor to see his father striding across the cement floor.
Preacher might have years on him, but he still looked the same to Seb as he did the first time he saw the mammoth man in a hospital room.
That had been the day Seb’s life had changed for the better.
Preacher bent at the waist, surveying Seb’s work. It was his fault if he didn’t like what he saw, yet. He wasn’t halfway done, so his Hog wasn’t pretty.
Climbing off his knees, he grabbed his water bottle, downing half. “She’s fine. Take a look at the design on the table. I’ve changed a few things that I thought you might prefer.”
It was weird to still want his father’s approval, even at his grown age. And he got it not long later when Preacher cocked his head, holding the drafted design paper of a sketch he’d drawn earlier for the spray job he’d do on the bodywork once he was finished on the mechanical side.
“This is shit hot. Your mom is gonna love it.”
His ex-army sniper father looked like he could snap entire trees in half. People, still to this day, got out of his way, not knowing Asher Priest was a gentle giant who did most things in his life for his wife’s approval.
It was something Seb had grown up watching: a man truly loving a woman without filter or censor. Like she knew they were talking about her, Ruby Priest strode across the garage floor.
“Is that food for me?” He asked like a starving dog looking at the white paper sack.
“Of course,” she smiled, holding out the baggie from Capone’s sandwich shop. His belly groaned, seeing the footlong meat lover’s sub. “I have to keep my boys fed since they’re incapable of doing it themselves.”
“We know you love doing it, Mom.” He smirked, kissing her cheek.
If Preacher was known for spoiling his old lady, she spoiled her boys in return. And that’s how Seb wanted to be with Sunny.
