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“That is irrelevant.”

I grabbed my keys from the side table. “I’ll drop you home. I had one glass of wine four hours ago. I’m fine.”

“I can call Reaper. He has to come home anyway,” she said, giving me a sheepish smile.

“And have him arrive with half the club because two grown women dared leave the house after dark? No, thank you,” I replied. I hadn’t told Riot I was going out because he didn’t answer his phone and hadn’t bothered to call me.

Kate pulled on her jacket. “She has a point. I’ll text Finn and let him know we’re on our way.”

Lucy still looked uncertain. “Text me when you get home.”

“Yes, Mum.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know. I’ll text.” I hugged her before following Kate outside.

The night had turned colder while we were inside. Frost glistened faintly across the windscreens lining the street, and my breath clouded in front of me as I unlocked the car.

Kate climbed into the passenger seat and immediately turned the heater as high as it would go. She filled most of the drive to Finn’s house by telling me about the holiday she wanted them to take. Apparently, Finn believed any trip without motorcycles was a waste of time, while Kate wanted a beach, cocktails and a hotel where nobody wore leather in thirty-degree heat.

“You know he’ll wear the kutte,” I said.

“I know. I’ve accepted it.”

Finn was already standing on the porch when we arrived, his arms folded across his chest.

Kate groaned. “Told you he’d be waiting.”

Finn opened her door before she could reach for the handle. “You know what time it is?”

Kate climbed out and kissed him. “Love you too.”

His expression softened and he looked past her toward me. “You good getting home?”

“Yes.”

“You want me to follow you?”

“No, I do not need an escort.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but Kate grabbed his hand. “She’s fine. Stop being weird.”

“Text when you get back,” he called as I pulled away.

I lifted one hand in acknowledgement, rolling my eyes between him and Lucy you’d swear I was a child.

41

MARIA

The streets grew quieter as I headed toward home. Most of the houses were dark, their windows reflecting the glow of the streetlights. The radio played softly, but I barely heard it.

Without Kate filling the silence, thoughts of Riot came flooding back. Maybe he would be home when I got there. Maybe I’d walk through the door and find him asleep on the sofa, boots kicked off and one arm thrown over his face. Maybe he’d pull me onto his lap and tell me I was being ridiculous.

I wanted that. Even if he laughed at me, I wanted him to prove me wrong.

Headlights appeared in my rear-view mirror as I turned onto the main road. At first, I barely noticed them. A dark car keeping several lengths behind me wasn’t unusual, even at that time of night. I turned at the next set of traffic lights and the car followed. Still nothing strange, we were both heading toward the same side of town. I reached for the radio and turned the volume down anyway. At the next roundabout, I took the second exit, so did the car. A faint unease began crawling across my skin. I checked the mirror again, and the headlights were closer and bright enough to make me squint.