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“We eventually had to turn your phone off. You might want to give her time to cool down.”
Turned off, not dead. That’s a bonus. I immediately switch it on, waiting as it plays the start-up music. Lisa’s words penetrate my brain around the same time the vibrating and alert sounds turn my phone into a buzzing mess in my hands.
Mom. Mom was blowing up my phone so much that they had to turn it off rather than wait for the charge to run out. Shit. She must bepissed.
Do I really want to face her wrath right now? Not particularly. She might lock me in my room with food and water. At least Merch let me have the run of his house.
I almost snort. Am I seriously considering not going home so my mom doesn’t ground me? I’m twenty-three, for fuck’s sake. Only… she would one hundred percent ground me. Fuck.
“You might be right,” I sigh.
I ignore the smug vibes practically rolling off Merch. Asshole. I can’t believe he gets to win this round. I swipe away the multitude of notifications, opening a conversation with Mom, and wince.
MOM: Answer your phone!
MOM: Michelle! Alex better be mistaken!
MOM: If you really left on the back of some motorbike, there will be hell to pay.
MOM: You have a LOT to answer for, young lady.
MOM: PICK UP THE PHONE!
MOM: MICHELLE. DO NOT IGNORE ME. YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, YOUNG LADY.
MOM: Michelle. I’m not mad. Please pick up the phone and let me know you’re all right.
MOM: Michelle. If I don’t hear from you in two hours, I’m calling the police.
Fuck. Her last message was totally six hours ago. She definitely called the police.
SHELLEY: I’m okay. My phone died. Sorry. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Calm down. Breathe. I love you.
The phone buzzes as Mom immediately starts to call me. Oh, hell no. I’m not answering that grenade. I turn the phone back off, shoving it into the back pocket of my jeans.
Merch still smirks his smug little smile and reaches over, fingers sliding through my hair. Tugging my head back, he plants a scorching kiss on my mouth. Although I’m currently supposed to be projecting annoyance, I can’t help but move to deepen the kiss. Before I get the chance, Merch lifts his head.
“See you tonight, kid,” he murmurs against my mouth. He presses another quick kiss, stepping back from me and walking out the door, shutting it firmly behind him. Holy hell. I think I’m in a little over my head here.
“Come on,” Lisa grins, taking in my dazed look. “Let’s go to the clubhouse. I’ll show you around.”
She grabs her bag and holds out another, larger one. I gratefully take it, tucking my evening purse inside and dropping my phone in for good measure. I’ll probably be okay to turn it back on in a few hours. Mom will have given up by then.
Lisa leads me to a white truck parked off the road in The Pines’ parking lot.
“Nice truck,” I laugh as we climb in. “I wouldn’t have picked you for a Chevy girl.”
“I’m not,” Lisa grins.“This is a communal truck. All four Hawks in the building have keys. They let me use it too, since I’m an old lady. Palmer has ordered a fancy SUV for me, but he’s having some extras fitted, so we have to wait for it to be delivered.”
The clubhouse looks a lot different during the day than it did the night I was here. The roller doors of the auto garage are open, and vehicles and mechanics in their cuts are spilling out. Lisa pulls into a parking space, and we climb out, my eyes finding the large glass windows of the café. They are lined with booths filled with soccer moms watching the mechanics.
“Why would you get your car serviced somewhere you don’t trust the mechanics?” I ask, poking my finger at the windows. Lisa glances over, rolling her eyes.
“They’re not watching because they don’t trust them. They’re watching because they want to drool over them.”
My eyebrows shoot up, and I glance at the auto shop again. I can see at least one tight, jean-clad ass poking out from under a hood. Okay. I get it. I could sit there and watch that ass all day.
“That’s Strafe,” Lisa giggles, her eyes following mine. “He’s everyone’s favorite ass to watch. Sometimes he takes his shirt off.”
