Page 3 of Filthy and Dirty with the Bikers

I chew the inside of my cheek and tuck the feather into the pocket of my hoodie, trying to categorize this feeling that’s brewing in my chest. It’s not attraction. It can’t be. It’s not love. Of course I don’t love Rhett. Maybe it’s friendship. Areally deepfriendship. All I know is that my body is searching for connection, something to hold on to, something to remind me that I’m not the worthless waste of space that I believe I am lately.

Rhett stares down at the ground, then toward me again. “You okay?” His tone is stoic and soothing.

“Yeah.” I raise my voice way too high as I say, “Why do you ask?”

He lifts his heavy brows. “Well, your eyes are puffy, like you’ve been crying, and something happened in your head a second ago that wiped the smile right off your face.”

He’s right. I cried all night, but I didn’t realize it was noticeable. “No. Yeah, I’m good. I’m just… I don’t know. I… I watched a sad movie. Anyway, let’s talk about you. You still riding with those same guys?”

He hangs his head, then draws his dark gaze up from the porch slowly. There’s something about him that feels safe to me. I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly, but I imagine it has to do with the calm and careful way he carries himself. The way he thinks over his words before he speaks. It draws me in, begs me to get closer. “He’s being an asshole again.” Rhett doesn’t ask me. Hetellsme as though he already knows. Maybe he’s heard something through the grapevine. I’m pretty open with my sister-in-law about how bad all this gets. I’m sure my brother has heard and now Rhett knows.

I’m going to kill them.

My relationship issues weren’t supposed to be public knowledge. I don’t want people to know I can’t handle myself.

I can.

I stare down at my fuzzy winter boots, then turn toward the cabin door. “I should get back inside. I appreciate the visit, though… and the feather.”

His hand reaches out and lands in a firm grip against my forearm. “I can’t let you go back in there.”

A shock of something warm and comforting rockets through me, though I reject it wholeheartedly. Hell, I don’t even know what to do with it. Whatever he thinks he knows about Tyler and I is wrong.

“Thanks, Rhett, but I’m okay. Really. This is just us. He gets stressed sometimes, and he acts like a dummy. No big deal.” That’s a lie. It’s a huge deal. Tyler’s unemotional, robotic nature affects me every day, but again, I can handle it.

Rhett’s big hand brushes down over his beard as he stares toward me with a harsh, downturned gaze. “That’s bullshit, and we both know it.”

I shake my head, swallowing the lump down in my throat. “Really, I should go, and you should get on the road before this storm hits. This mountain doesn’t play when the snow starts falling. You know that. This one is supposed to be bad. Loads of ice and strong wind.”

Rhett’s jaw locks and I get the feeling he’s contemplating what he’s going to do next, though I can’t figure what there is to do. He can either leave or stand on the porch and wait for Tyler to fight him, though I’m not sure what that would prove. Finally, he says, “Get in the truck.”

“What?” I smile with nervous energy and tuck a strand of frozen hair back away from my face.

“Get in the truck or I’ll put you there.”

At first my brain convinces me that he’s kidding, but the longer I stare at him in the cold, darkening winter, I realize that he’s drop-dead serious.

I fold my arms over my chest and glance away before looking back again. “And why would I get in your truck?”

“Because you know this isn’t good for you. And since you can’t see it yet, I’ll see it for you.”

“Oh,” I laugh. “Well then, I guess you’ve got it all figured out. You know this is none of your business, right? Who put you up to this? Ranger? My brother has no say—”

His tone is flat and dark as he says, “Get in the truck or tell me you’re going to end this today.”

“I think these biker guys are a terrible influence on you. You know that, right? You’d have never talked to me like this before.” I turn back and twist the knob on the door, cracking it open slightly before stepping up onto the threshold. “Tell my brother to mind his own business,” I groan and take another step forward, but Rhett grips my arm again, spinning me back toward him like he’s about to lift me from the ground.

“AndIthink Tyler is a terrible influence onyou.The old you never would have let someone get away with this kind of shit.”

I roll my eyes and flinch away from Rhett’s grip as Tyler’s voice echoes in from behind. “Everything okay? I thought he was just dropping something off.”

I glance back with a tight stomach and a bit of nausea.I really don’t want to deal with the repercussions of this conversation.“Yeah, we were just saying goodbye.”

“Make it fast,” Tyler groans, shooting a dark glance toward Rhett. “I’ve got breakfast ready.” He steps back into the warmth of the house and pulls the door closed behind him with a heavy slam, forcing me to jump. He’ll tell me the wind caught it, but weboth know that was a message to me. A message to get my ass back in the house or else.

I nod and turn back toward Rhett. Whatever he’s pulling here is with good intentions, but he’s crossing so many damn lines.

“Don’t come back here.” I try to look serious, but I’m not even sure I believe me.

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