Page 18 of Beautiful Dangerous

“You ever ridden one of these?”

Angel runs his fingertips over the gleaming silver steel handlebars of his Harley.

“A couple of times. Javier had a Roadster.”

“You rode pillion?”

I look right into the eyes of this dangerously handsome man. Angel Ruiz. He’s been Eddie’s VP for as long as I can remember, he’s a good man. A sensitive man, despite the fact he’s a member of one of the most notorious biker gangs this side of the border. He reminds me a lot of Javier, with his dark hair and beard, and eyes that seem to look right into you. We’ve known each other a long time. I trust him more than I do many others, but I still wonder what brought him here to this club, because he’ll have a story all of his own. We all do, when we end up in these places; living these lives. We have stories. I’ve just never asked him what his is.

“Yes, I rode pillion. I was never brave enough to ride it solo.”

Brave enough to shoot and kill; to give orders that could involve others doing the same. I’m brave enough to handle multi-million-dollar drug deals and the people who come with that territory, but I’m not brave enough to ride a motorbike all on my own.

“The bike’s just gathering dust in the garage now.”

“You should take it out. Try riding it yourself, I swear, you won’t regret it. There’s nothing like that feeling of freedom being out on the road gives you.”

I smile at him, I’ve always felt comfortable in his company. “We’ll see.”

He leans back against the bike and crosses his arms. “You should ride withme. It might be less daunting with someone else there.”

“You think I’m daunted by the prospect of getting on a bike?”

“You just said you weren’t brave enough to ride solo.” He shrugs. “What else am I supposed to take from that?”

“I think you might be challenging me.”

He grins and lights up a cigarette. “Maybe I am.” He takes a draw on his cigarette. “And you look like a risk taker to me.”

“You’d be surprised at the kind of risks I choose to take.” I glance behind me, back at the clubhouse, just as Lucca emerges and begins striding toward us. “And the ones I choose not to.”

“Everything okay here?” Lucca asks, his gaze flitting between me and Angel.

“Everything’s fine. Angel and I were just talking.”

Angel pulls himself away from the bike and flashes me a wink and a smile. “You just let me know if you want to take me up on that challenge.” He heads back toward the clubhouse, and I walk over to his bike, running my fingers over the black leather seat.

“I think he might be right.”

“About what?” Lucca asks, his tone slightly barbed as he glances back over his shoulder at Angel, who’s sitting on one of the wooden trestle tables outside the clubhouse talking to Carlos.

“About the feeling of freedom being out on the road gives you. Maybe Ishouldget Javier’s old bike out…”

“Bad idea,” Lucca interrupts, and I frown.

“Why?”

“Are you serious? Out on your own, with no protection…”

“I wouldn’t be on my own.” I lean back against Angel’s bike, crossing my arms. “Angel’s offered to ride with me, and I’m seriously thinking about taking him up on that offer. It’s about time I experienced a little freedom.”

“Jesus, Olivia…” Lucca sighs, probably a little too heavily, I’m not some errant child who needs to be pulled back into line. I know what I’m doing. I know who I am, he doesn’t need to keep reminding me. “Why the sudden need to break free, huh?” He throws Angel another look, but he’s got his back to us now. “You have a place in this world, Olivia.”

“And maybe I’m tired of always playing by the rules.”

“Hang on. I leave you for five minutes and suddenly you’re talking bikes and riding and spending time with a man like Angel Ruiz? What the fuck’s happening here, Liv?”

I glare at him, because I don’t take kindly to being pulled up on the choices I make. “Angel’s a good man.”

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