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“I don’t know where I fit,” I add with a hard swallow. “And I hate that everyone only sees that… that broken side of me.”
Salem studies my face, her eyes softer than I've ever seen them. “See? Was that so hard?”
“I feel violated.”
“Baring your soul often does that,” she huffs, turning her head to watch the guys race. “Look, no one in this family is bloodless. Taylor and Huck went through years of hell before they finally got it right. So did Matty and Xed. Logan and I are still trying to figure it out, but that’s life. If you belong anywhere…” Her gaze swings back to mine as she offers me a genuine smile. “If you belong anywhere, it would definitely be here.”
I blink at her slowly and try to process the fact that she just said something nice to me. “Is this your way of apologizing for kicking my ass last year?”
“You kissed my husband without his consent and outed him against his will,” she deadpans. “So, no. But. For what it’s worth, I do feel bad about it.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Just don’t hurt him,” she tacks on, suddenly serious. When I follow her gaze, I find it on Christian, now off his bike and wrestling with Tay in the brush. “After last year…”
It’s my turn to sigh heavily, turning my scowl to the sky. “Yeah, I know. Xed gave me the talk yesterday. You’ve all been through shit, life’s been hard. I get it. You don’t have to worry about me hurting anyone anymore. I’m getting too old for this shit.”
Fuck, I really need to figure out what I’m doing with my life. Working at the Prospector is fine, but it’s not something I want to do forever.
And I must have muttered some part of that under my breath, because Salem hums before studying me closely. “You could always join up with the guys and do stunts.”
My brows slam down. “Really?”
“Why not?” She shrugs and lifts her camera to snap a photo of me. “You did some stunt work with them on the tour. People have been asking about you online. Could be fun for a while, if your old bones can take it.”
“Fuck off! I’m thirty, not sixty.”
But… maybe. I do miss riding. I miss my crotch rocket. Honestly, I miss everything about last year, besides the toxicity and ass kickings. The trip was fun. Until it wasn’t.
“Just a thought,” she says. “You’d need a bike, but maybe you could borrow Huck’s.”
“Borrow my bike for what?” The man himself appears with Hannah attached to his back, her parents in tow.
“Devon’s joining TOT.”
Huck raises a brow, and I shake my head quickly. “I never said I agreed.”
Taylor’s next to chime in when he and Christian wheel their bikes over. “Agree to what?”
“Dev’s joining TOT,” Huck tells him, setting Hannah down.
“I’m not—”
“Seriously? Hell yeah! Up top, bro.” Tay raises his palm for a high-five, but I ignore it, too busy focusing on Christian with a breath caught in my lungs.
He meets my gaze steadily, expression unreadable beneath his visor.
For a second, no one speaks.
Desert winds hum around us. The bike engines tick as they cool, and Matty scoops Hannah up while she chatters away about a lizard they saw on their hike. Life keeps moving, but I feel like my heart has ground to a halt.
Christian finally pulls his helmet off.
His hair sticks to his forehead with sweat, hazel eyes bright from adrenaline. He studies me lengthily, almost like he's searching for something. Then, he asks, “You want in?”
There’s a tension lingering between us that makes me think he’s asking about more than just the dirt bikes.
I fake a casual shrug. “Wasn’t exactly my idea.”
