Page 47 of Motorycle Daddies

“I came to surprise you on your lunch break. I was gonna take you for a ride on the bike,” he says, defeat in his tone.

“Thank you, but I don’t have time for that. I’m about to be late to my next class. I’ll see you both later,” I say as I take off to the building for my next class.

I stop in my tracks as I see Addy standing against the building with a strange look on her face. I know in that moment that she witnessed everything, and she’s going to want to know what just happened. My mind races as I try to figure out what I’m going to tell her. She clears her throat as I approach her.

“So, are you gonna tell me what the hell just happened or are you gonna make me guess?” she asks as we walk in the door together.

I look around to make sure we’re not being followed and no one is around. No one can overhear what I’m about to tell her. I have to come up with something to keep her from knowing anything about me and the guys. If she finds out about that, then it won’t be any time at all before Harlow knows. Harlow is the one person I’m afraid to tell, because of her father’s involvement.

“I don’t really know what happened. It all happened so fast. I’m guessing they thought he was part of the Bratva, as close as he was getting to me and not taking the hint to move away. They questioned him and asked him if he was part of a gang or anything,” I tell her with a chuckle, trying to play it off as nothing special.

“Are you sure that’s all it was? From where I was standing, it looked as though both of those guys were very protective of you, Meredith. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that there was something going on with you.” Addy looks at me from the corner of her eye.

I make sure I have my best poker face on. I can’t react. I can’t let her know that she’s right. Grizzly asked me to keep it between all of us, and that’s what I’m going to do. I feel bad lying to my friends, but it’s for the best, at least for now.

“Have you lost your mind? There is absolutely nothing going on between us, especially Grizzly. That’s Harlow’s dad! You have seriously lost what’s left of your marbles,” I tell her, hoping she can’t see right through my act.

“I’m not sure I believe you. What I saw back there looked like two men about to kill someone over the woman they love. Please don’t lie to me, Meredith. I’m not stupid.” She turns to face me in the hallway in front of the classroom.

“I’m not lying to you, Addy. There’s nothing going on with us. At least not from my end of things. If they have a secret crush they haven’t told me about then that’s on them,” I lie.

I scare myself with how smooth that lie flies from my mouth. I instantly feel guilt spread through me, but I know it’s for her own good.

Once I’m able to tell her and Harlow, if that day ever comes, she’s going to be mad at me for the fact that I lied to her, but I can’t think about that now. I’ve got to concentrate on keeping her from finding out while keeping up with my classes.

I sit in the classroom and stare out the window as the professor drones on. I keep trying to catch glimpses of Trap or Grizzly, but I don’t see either one of them. I know at least one of them is still there and that gives me a sense of safety. I don’t know how I would feel about being on campus if I didn’t have them watching me.

I just hope I can keep my secret from Addy a little while longer. I don’t know what will happen if she finds out sooner than expected, and I’m not sure I want to know.

23

MEREDITH

As I’m watching out the window to see if I can spot either one of the guys still on campus, I finally see Grizzly sitting on his bike, staring in the direction of my building. I can tell he’s still amped up over what happened, and I know I have to get them both out of here. I breathe a sigh of relief as the professor dismisses class and I make a beeline for where Grizzly’s sitting on his motorcycle.

“You and Trap need to get out of here before you make a scene and get people asking questions. I’ve already been grilled by Addy about your little display earlier,” I tell him, stepping close so he can hear me even though I’m almost whispering.

“I can’t help it. I can’t help how I’m feeling. That idiot couldn’t seem to take a hint, and kept invading your personal space. I wasn’t going to let that keep happening, darlin’,” he says as he leans closer to me, speaking just as softly as me.

“I want you both to go back to the clubhouse. I don’t want you to come back here and make trouble for me. I don’t want to end up getting expelled because of you two,” I say as I start to back away.

“I already told Trap we were leaving, I’m just waiting for you to get your sexy ass on the back of my bike because you’re coming back with us,” he says, patting the seat behind him.

My heart pounds as I realize what he wants. A ride on his motorcycle has been on my mind ever since the night they saved me from being auctioned off.

“If I go with you, will you stay away from campus for a while and stop making trouble for me?” I ask him.

“Get your ass on the bike, Meredith. This isn’t up for debate,” he growls.

My pussy clenches at his bossiness and I quickly throw my leg over the bike and grab onto him. He takes off down the road, Trap following close behind us. I can feel Grizzly’s heart hammering in his chest, and I wonder what’s got him so angry. I explained the situation, so I’m not sure why he’s still upset about it. I know I have to get to the bottom of it—Harlow will know something is going on if she sees him like this.

Grizzly barely slows down for the corners and I grip him tighter as I lean with the bike, feeling his hard muscles under my hands. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get him to calm down, but I know I have to try. I’m sure that once we get to the clubhouse and he talks to the boys, he’ll calm down and things will be okay. Then, I’ll be able to go back to campus and continue concentrating on my education. I’m going to have to lay down boundaries and keep them from invading the campus, but I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish that. They don’t seem to be the type to honor boundaries, or at least not when it comes to me.

“Slow down, Grizzly! You’re being a menace to society right now,” I yell over the roar of his bike.

I’m actually a bit scared about how fast he’s going, but I’m not going to tell him that. He’d feel bad for scaring me, and that’s the last thing I need with how he’s feeling already. He slows down a bit at my request, and we manage to make it to the clubhouse in one piece. Trap pulls his bike next to Grizzly’s and jumps off, coming to give me a hand off of Grizzly’s bike.

I run inside and look for Harlow. I want to make sure she’s not here, so she doesn’t see her dad in the state he’s in.

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