Page 92 of Brightness

His lips turn up in such a genuinely sweet way, with just the right touch of cheekiness. It assures me Dash is still in there somewhere, and he’s not going away.

“Maybe,” he says. “Until then, I’ll keep going to the bar.”

I rest my hand over his. “Don’t drink and drive.”

He snorts. “I’m Defiance, Toxin. It’s what we do.”

I frown. I’m Defiance now, and after Void’s episode with alcohol, weed, and his ride hitting the asphalt, I’m not going to be drinking and riding anytime soon. That shit scared me. It fucking scarred me. “Be safe, Justice, that’s all I’m asking.”

Justice stands and downs the rest of his beer. “I’ll catch ya later, Toxin.” He turns, heading for the door. My feelings toward Justice are nothing but friendship, always have been, but he’s had way too much to drink to be riding, and I do not want to see him hitting the asphalt the same way Void did. So I’m going to follow him.

He takes off on his ride out the gates, so I hop onto Reva, not bothering with a helmet.

Keeping a reasonable distance behind Justice so as not to be recognized and knowing he won’t hear Reva over the roar of his own Harley, I follow, and it doesn’t take long for him to pull up at a bar across town. I park down the road, but within walking distance, so he doesn’t spot me as he heads in. I wait a couple of minutes, then make my way in and stand at the back, observing him with my arms folded across my chest. I want to make sure he is actually okay.

I might even pay the bar bitch to put him in a cab when he’s done for the night.

Justice orders a drink from the waitress. She’s pretty—real pretty—and she’s paying extra special attention to Justice. He finally clicks that she’s talking to him, and he lifts his chin and starts chatting back, a faint smile appearing on his face. She flicks her hair over her shoulder, flashing her pearly whites.

Oh, that old trick.

Justice sits forward further, really engaging in the conversation, even laughing and smiling as they talk, clearly flirting with each other.

I inhale, finally letting myself relax.

Watching Justice allow himself to be happy makes everything right again. I never wanted to be a source of anguish for Justice. So maybe, just maybe, he can start to move on with his life now.

The bar girl reaches out, placing her hand on his forearm, and giggles with him.

When his eyes drop straight to her cleavage, I snicker before I turn to head for the door.

Yeah, Justice is going to be just fine.

I walk back to Reva and throw my leg over her. I can’t wait to get my own ride. Reva’s a little big for me, but Void’s taking me shopping for my own bike in a couple of days. We’re going back to see Paul, who’s having a custom bike built for me.

I haven’t had any input. Void’s done the whole thing.

He said to trust him, so I have.

In the meantime, I get to have a few more rides on Reva. Actually, I’m sure I’ll get in deep trouble for taking the VP’s ride without asking. As a prospect, I’ll be put on some kind of shit duty, but it was worth it to ensure Justice is okay, and I’m good with whatever punishment Void wants to dish out on me.

I kick over the engine, Reva roaring to life. Her vibration sends my excitement levels into overdrive. I rev her a couple of times, then take off back to the bunker. The wind whips through my hair, helping me feel finally free to be who I’m meant to be.

Toxin—a real Defiance biker.

Not Ivy the innocent virgin.

That’s not me.

She was never me.

I had to be unleashed on the world, and I needed to meet Void to help me with that. And fuck am I glad I did, because trying to keep Toxin inside back in Cuba would have been a hefty ask.

At least here, she’s free to roam wild.

And wild she will be.

Pulling back into the clubhouse, I park Reva, the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. I rush inside the bunker to find my Old Man, who’s playing pool with Nerve. Striding up to him, I throw my shoulders back assertively. “VP?”

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