Page 47 of Stealing the Biker

“You should get some sleep.”

“So you can lecture me about Jonesy, but we can’t talk about you and Sabrina?”

“That’s different.”

“You’re using her the same as I was using him. Just in different ways. But the reasons are the same. Because we can’t be together.”

“What if there was a way for us to be together?” His eyes are fixed on me now, intense and brooding.

“What are you saying?”

“You know your uncle is scary as fuck, right?”

“Link’s a teddy bear.”

“To you. You’re his niece. He’s not going to kick your ass if you mess up.”

“Did he say something to you?”

“Let’s just say he warned me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Told me not to mess with you if I want to earn my cut.”

“He doesn’t get to make that call.”

“He’s got pull and I can’t fuck this up. Making the cut means everything to me, but if we were careful. If I stayed with Sabrina until you graduate, and I get my patch.”

“Would Sabrina agree to be with you for show?” I stare him wondering what she would get out of it and I realize. “You’re not going to tell her.” I scoot away from him. “Wow. I don’t…”

“I know how it sounds, but think about it. Really think about it.”

“Would you be with both of us?”

“In a sense.”

“And I’d what? Be your piece on the side? Sneaking around. Lying to everyone?”

“Kiesha, I’m not asking you to be some side piece. Once Sabrina is out of the picture and I’ve got my patch, it would just be us. I promise.”

“And Sabrina?”

“She doesn’t need to know until then. I fell into something with her because it was easy and safe. Deep down she’s using me, too. I got her out of a bad home life. I’m not saying it justifies lying to her, but…”

“I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation,” I say, my voice shaky, my stomach twisted in knots. “It’s crazy.”

“Is it?” he asks quietly.

The silence between us grows heavy as I wrestle with my thoughts. The muted picture on the screen freezes on a woman screaming for her life, and I can’t help but think about Jimmy’s girlfriend and her role in this scheme. “It’s unfair to her,” I say, grappling with the twisted logic of his proposal. In theory, yeah. It sounds simple enough, but Sabrina is a real person with real feelings.

“And it’s fair to us that we can’t simply be together?” He counters without missing a beat. His dark eyes, sincere and pleading, bore into mine.

“Is this really our only option?” I could try talking to Link, but I remember how he handled shit when he found out about my sister and Nav. That resulted in a brutal ass kicking.

“I wish it weren’t.” He sighs deeply. “But this is the world we’re in, Kiesha. There are rules. A code. Once I’ve got my cut and you’re out of school, I can do this shit right.”

“And if I say no, would you still stay with her knowing you want to be with me?”

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