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A squeak of the shack’s rusty door hinges draws my attention to the couple again.
Well, fuck. No wonder they’re hiding out here.
Griff’s makeout buddy is his best friend’s little sister.
Molly flips the hood of her black sweatshirt over her head—as if that will somehow render her unrecognizable—and speedwalks past me.
“Hey, Dex,” she murmurs.
Griff follows close behind, steering her toward the left. “I’ll catch up with you in a few.”
“I’ll hang with Ella,” she says.
He nods and keeps his eyes on her until she meets up with another group of girls.
“Have you lost your mind?” I ask, to snap him out of his trance.
“What?” He rakes his fingers through his hair.
“You and Molly sneaking around? Remy’s going to kill you.”
He lifts his shoulders slightly and shakes his head. Maybe it’s the troubled expression on his face instead of the usual cockiness that halts the lecture on brotherhood I was about to give him. This is more than a casual hookup.
“How long’s this been going on?” I ask. How the fuck old is Molly, anyway? She’s a year ahead of Libby in school if I remember right. Or is it two years? Did she graduate already? Fuck, I’m too old to keep track of these kids. “You know what? Never mind. It’s none of my business.”
“Thanks.” He blows out a breath as if he was worried I’d run and tattle to Remy. “It’s complicated. I’ll talk to him.”
“You might want to do it sooner rather than later,” I gesture toward the small building, “if you’re planning to make a habit out of going at it where anyone could walk up on you.”
His eyes widen. “We weren’t. It’s not…it’s not like that.”
“Coulda fooled me.”
His lips flatten into a pained line. “Trust me. It’s not.”
If Rav were here, he would’ve inserted a blue balls joke by now. But Griff seems genuinely troubled, so I leave it alone.
“All right. What’d you want to discuss?”
He straightens up, all business now, and jams his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “Not discuss, so much as I want your opinion on something.”
“Oh yeah?” This should be good.
“Since you’re a road captain and all.” His lips twist into a smirk as he saunters over to the grill.
“Eraser said you were supposed to be lighting a different kind of fire over here, you know.”
He snorts. “Cute.”
“Are you thinking of taking the road captain role for your club?” For some reason, I always assumed Griff would fill the SAA role or vice president, since he and Remy are so close. Both positions require a lot of mutual trust with the president.
“No. Vapor has his eye on RC. He’s got the most miles under his belt.” One corner of his mouth slides up. “You taught your nephew well.”
“I don’t know about that. He seemed to learn most of it on his own.” Vapor’s turned into a smart, capable man. Out of concern for my niece, I gave the poor kid a hard time when he and Juliet first got serious. But he’s managed to prove me wrong and fully earned my respect.
“He can’t be SAA.” Regret seems to wipe the humor off Griff’s face. “Vapor’s a good fighter. A tough son of a bitch.” He lowers his voice. “But I think deep down, he despises the empty violence. After all the shit we went through in juvie…” His voice trails off for a few seconds. “Our time at Castle Correctional Center affected each of us in different ways, you know?”
I swallow hard, thinking of some of the recent jobs I’ve taken Vapor on. MC life can be violent at times. I don’t often give it a lot of thought, it’s just the way our world works. “I didn’t realize that’s an issue for him.”
Griff narrows his eyes and taps his fists together. “Don’t get me wrong. I trust him to have my back, no matter what. So does Remy.”
Pride thrums through me. I barely questioned him and Griff looks like he’s ready to throw down to defend Vapor’s reputation. I hold up my hands in a “calm down” gesture. “You don’t have to explain your decisions to me. You’ll know how to run your crew better than anyone.”
He nods once but his jaw remains firm, as if he wishes he’d never said anything.
“I appreciate you looking out for him,” I say. “That kind of consideration is what will make your brotherhood strong.”
Griff taps his fist against his chest. “He’s my brother for life and Juliet’s like a sister to me. I’ll always have their backs.”
“Thanks.” I raise my eyebrows. “So, what did you need?”
“Ah.” His expression brightens. “I came across a Road King I’m thinking of buying. You’re about to go on that long trip. What would be your ideal ride?”
I rub my palms together, thrilled to switch to this topic. “Now you’re talking.”
