Page 32 of Blue

Rogue paused halfway up the stairs. “Are you going to say goodbye to your girl?”

I shook my head. “Jazzy makes the rules. After yesterday, she doesn’t want me back in her place. I don’t blame her.”

I hit the start button, and the pipes rumbled, drowning out any argument Rogue might have. He finished climbing the stairs and entered the house.

Ten seconds after the screen door closed, it bounced open again. I glanced over my shoulder as Kiss came down the steps. Wisps of blonde hair escaped the messy ponytail on top of her head. The pink T-shirt I purchased for her draped her thin torso to midthigh, but she still wore Jazzy’s sleep shorts.

I approached and met her at the bottom of the stairs. She stood on the last step, making us eye level. Sunlight reflected off her bright blue eyes. She looks so much better than when I found her two nights ago. She was a petite girl, still thin, but she looked healthy. She was fucking perfect.

“How are you feeling?”

“I should still feel like shit, but I don’t. Well, maybe a little shaky.”

I smiled. “Get some rest. Drink your fluids. I’ll see you later.”

An awkward pause stretched between us.

The door swung open, and Rogue came down the stairs.

“Will you come home for lunch?” she asked me.

“Not today,” Rogue said as he passed. “Kiss your girl goodbye. We gotta go.”

Your girl.She did feel like my girl.

She clasped her hands behind her back, licked her lips, and sucked in a quick breath.

I cradled the side of her face, brought her mouth to mine, and kissed her like she was my girlfriend. With gentle pressure, I parted her lips and touched my tongue to hers. My heart pounded, and a tingle teased every nerve in my body. She tasted sweet and innocent, sliding her tongue along mine.

I forced myself to relax, sipped from her mouth, and tasted her one more time.

She smiled as we separated. Throughout the kiss, she’d kept her hands behind her back.

“Text me if you need anything,” I said to her, then spun around and jogged over to my bike.

Rogue smiled as he backed his bike out of the drive. I guess I was following him.

The bikes rumbled as we rode down the street. I stayed staggered behind him because I didn’t have a fucking clue where we were going. I’d assumed the shop, but we headed in the opposite direction.

Rogue stopped along the curb in front of a small brick house. Where were we, and what was the hearse doing here? The hearse was a flatbed truck used for hauling parts and dead bikes on long runs.

A couple of bikes were in the driveway, and a houseful of furniture was in the front yard. All the windows were open, and music blasted from inside.

I killed the engine and climbed from my bike. An uneasy feeling twisted in my gut. I recognized the bikes. I was cool with Romeo, but I wasn’t ready to confront Bullet. Shit was strained between us. We both had blame. Fuck that. He was at fault.

Rogue slapped his hand onto my shoulder and propelled me toward the door. “Ready to do some remodeling?”

I laughed. “I guess it depends on who I’m remodeling.” My joke fell flat.

Rogue stopped walking, keeping me next to him. “You’ve got two brothers in there that deserve to know what’s going on with you. They both have history with Kiss. You want something with her, you need to talk to them. No brother is going to stand in the way of you and your old lady if that’s where this thing with Kiss is headed.”

I didn’t know where it was going. Right now, I just wanted her to get clean. She deserved better than the drugged up life she’d had.

We headed into the house, through the repainted living room, and into the kitchen. Sheets draped the countertops, and Romeo stood on a chair painting the kitchen cabinets white.

“About time you got here, asshole.”

Which one of us was he referring to? I glanced at Rogue.

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