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It’s been a while since I’ve driven, and it feels good to be behind the wheel of a car once again, though a bit foreign, honestly. I like the way the car handles. And it sounds nice and quiet. As far as I can tell, it would be good enough for me. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles my BMW did, but that’s okay. I don’t need to have a Bluetooth sound system for my ten-minute drive to and from work every day.
When we make it back into the used car lot, Henry instructs me to pull up near the office, and we all climb out of the car.
“Well, what do you think?” he asks. He didn’t say much of anything while we were driving around, a wise decision, I would say.
Gabriel glances at me. “You like it?” he asks, his eyes probing.
“Yeah,” I say, surprised he would even ask. I was picturing him just picking one that we would be sure could function properly. Whether or not I liked the car hadn’t really crossed my mind.
“We’ll take it for thirty-five hundred,” he says bluntly to Henry.
I glance surreptitiously at the windshield to confirm my understanding that the sales price was five thousand dollars. Admittedly, that would be all the money in our account after the income we’ve made over the past few weeks. Still, I hadn’t realized negotiation was part of this whole thing.
Henry eyes Gabriel seriously. “The listed price is what we’re willing to take. Five thousand or nothing.”
“It’s a 2007 with a hundred and fifty thousand miles, and the catalytic converter will need to be replaced in the next few years. No one in their right mind would pay five thousand for that old jalopy.” Gabriel jabs a thumb back at my red car, and I feel a twinge of defensiveness at his insult. I like the car.
Henry huffs, planting his fists on his hips as he appraises the car.
“How long has it been sitting in your lot anyway? Three, four years? The longer it sits, the less anyone’s going to be willing to pay.”
“This is highway robbery,” Henry growls. “Fine. Thirty-five hundred.” He holds his hand out, and Gabriel shakes it. “Come on inside. We’ll draw up the paperwork.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m behind the wheel of my new car. I follow Gabriel home, and when we pull into the driveway, he opens the garage so I can pull the red Corolla inside. She barely fits into the tiny one-car garage, but it’ll be enough space for me.
“I can’t believe you insulted Ruby. She’s no jalopy,” I say as I meet Gabriel at the door.
He chuckles. “Ruby?”
“Yes, Ruby, that’s what I’ve decided to call her.”
“I like it,” he says with a wink. “Very fitting. And I’m glad you think she’s not a jalopy.” He presses a kiss to my lips. “Don’t worry. That’s the only time I’ll ever insult Ruby. In truth, she’s a really good car. She’s probably worth more than the five thousand dollars they were originally asking. But those idiots deserve to lose a couple thousand on a car. They were trying to sell us lemons because they assumed we didn’t know better. I bet that’s their MO. They probably get a good number of desperate customers who need something more affordable but don’t know what they’re looking at.”
Wrapping my arms around Gabriel’s neck, I pull him close. “Thanks for teaching me.”
Gabriel’s strong arms wrap around my waist, and he kisses me deeply.
9
Gabriel
It’snice to know that Winter has her own means of transportation. I actually kind of liked riding with her to and from work on the bike every day, but dropping her off before the store opened and finding her waiting for me after work has made it trickier to focus on the task of getting the shop and shipping operations up and running. And now, knowing she can go home when she wants or go to the grocery store whenever the mood suits her feels like a huge relief. Plus, while I doubt she would complain about such things, I’m sure a motorcycle is getting less and less comfortable to ride in her growing pregnancy.
I loved seeing the look of excitement on her face when she took Ruby’s key from that scummy car salesman, Henry. I know Winter has had to give up a lot since the night she lost her memories on Halloween, and while her memories have at least returned, the life and amenities she used to enjoy have disappeared along with the death of her family. It’s nice to give her a few of those luxuries back, like a phone and now a car. And while I don’t like that she feels she needs to work, especially while she’s pregnant, I’m trying to be understanding.
I could see it when I went into the store before we went car shopping that working at Honey Bee’s makes her happy. I suppose I can understand her desire to do something productive with her day. But I also know that as the man of the house, I want her to feel like there’s nothing wrong with staying home and building a life there. I only hope she feels like the life I can provide is enough. Knowing her past and the life she’s come from, I still worry that what I have to offer won’t keep her happy indefinitely—despite her reassurances.
Sighing heavily, I focus on the engine beneath the hood of the Nissan a new customer brought in for me to assess today.
“What are you huffing about over there?” Dally asks from beneath the car next to me.
“Nothing.” I don’t need to go airing my insecurities to the guys. That will only jeopardize my authority as their president, and already I know I have to walk a thin line, seeing as they used to be my peers.
“You thinking about the sorry excuse for recruits that have been coming in recently?” he asks, rolling out from beneath the car.
I chuckle darkly. “They are pretty pathetic, aren’t they?” That is another issue. We’ve managed to find ten solid new members of the Devil’s Sons, men who have gone through initiation and I can trust to handle the shipments under Dally, Rico, or Knuckles’ authority. But in a town this size, it’s proven tricky to expand much beyond that. At least we have enough members that they fill the clubhouse rooms, and all the renovations have been completed. But we still need another ten or so members if we’re going to call this a proper club.
“They’ll come in time. Remember when we joined the Devil’s Sons?” he reminds me.
