Page 40 of Grave Games

“Business is booming for our custom choppers. It’s winter now, usually our slow season, but it’s still going gangbusters, so we’re anticipating a huge demand in the spring. We’re going to need office support to get shit done the right way, which means hiring competent workers we can trust.”

“I don’t know if I fall into that category.”

I slowed for a turn and shot her a glance. “Competent, or trustworthy?”

“Both.” Then she shook her head. “Besides, I don’t know if this would be a good fit. I haven’t worked in an office in years.”

“So come in and intern for thirty days. Usually the pay for being an office intern is shit, but we know we’re a different sort of business in a different sort of world. Loyal employees are worth their weight in gold, and I know for a fact that you’re trustworthy. As far as I’m concerned the job is yours if you want it.”

“How do you know I’m trustworthy?”

“You kicked at a gun to protect me, remember? That’s all I need to know about where your loyalties lie.”

Even in the semi-dark I could see her face turn pink. “You sure do hang a lot on that one move, pal.”

“Hell, yeah, I do. Because that one move said a thousand words about the kind of woman you are, Shiloh McKeen.”

“Yeah? What kind of woman am I?”

“Mykind of woman.” I pulled the truck into a residential street, the sedate sign at the mouth of the street displaying the subdivision’s name, Auburn Ridge. “Tomorrow morning I’ll take you to the showroom, introduce you to everyone and get you squared away.”

“I’ll give it a look,” she said, her noncommittal tone so Shiloh-esque I couldn’t help but grin. “Where are we?”

“Home. Or almost.”

“What? You live in a suburban subdivision?”

Again I glanced at her as I turned onto my street. “Why do you sound like you’re about to fall over dead from shock?”

“Because.” She flailed an expressive hand at my neighbors’ houses. “It’s a subdivision!”

“And?”

“Well… I don’t know. I mean, I can’t imagine a biker-type dude putting up with an uptight HOA.”

“It’s an older community, so it doesn’t have one of those. Don’t think I could put up with all those rules and regs.”

She sat back in her seat, staring at the neat rows of houses. “Not to mention you’d be kicked out for roaring your bike up and down these quiet streets.”

“I’d never rip up the streets on my chopper anyway, because that’s a total asshole move.” I shrugged, amused by her straight-up shock. “Where did you imagine I lived?”

“I’m not sure I imagined anything. But a nice, quiet subdivision wouldn’t have been in my top five guesses, that’s for sure.”

“Believe it or not, most of my brothers have nice houses in stable communities. We’re just regular people, Shy,” I added, while she kept her attention turned to the night-darkened window. “I get that your first impression of the biker world was just about as bad as it gets, but that’s not who we all are. At least, not the Gravediggers under Tyr. His uncle, Hades, though…” I shook my head while hitting the garage door button. “He’s about as bad as they come. It fucking shits me that you fell into his hands so long ago. If I’d known you then, that sonofabitch never would’ve gotten close to you.”

“I believe it,” she said so quietly I almost didn’t hear her. But I was glad I did; those soft words were all I needed to feel like a conqueror of worlds. “Thank you for coming to my rescue tonight, Romeo.”

“My pleasure.” No lies detected.

“I knew you’d be there when I needed you.” She turned in her seat to face me as I parked the truck next to my two favorite rides, a Harley Softail and a custom chopper of my own design, with ape-hanger handlebars and a black and silver cobweb pattern along the fuel tank and fenders. “Long ago I learned a hard lesson—never rely on anyone but yourself. You’ll just be disappointed when people you trust aren’t there for you, or when they turn their backs on you just when you need them the most. It’s a hard lesson, but a good one, I think. It keeps you from being taken advantage of. It keeps you from being hurt.”

The slow-burn of rage at her family sparked back to life. “It keeps you from connecting to the rest of the world.”

“Not from you.” The admission was soft but unwavering, and it matched the strength of her gaze locking with mine. Damn, she really had it going on with the first-class eye-sex. “That’s what I’m trying to say, Romeo. When Marvel and Radar showed up tonight, my first instinct was to call on you for help. And I knew you’d be there. I just knew it.”

What she was saying hit me in all the best ways. “Because you believe in me?”

“Yeah.” She took a breath, and when it shook something in my chest twisted and made me ache all the way to my soul. “Belief comes hard for me, but I do, Romeo. I believe in you. So…”

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