Page 24 of Havoc

“What this place means to you. The freedom. The brotherhood. Why you keep your life so wrapped around this club. Riding like that... it’s the kind of peace I’ve only found in meditation or silence. It’s... honest.”

Her words hit me harder than they should’ve.

“You know,” I said slowly, “for someone who wears pearls and quotes decision-making models, you’re not half bad.”

Her eyes sparkled. “And for someone who calls people girl when they’re being difficult, you’re not half bad either.”

I got off my bike and we walked out to the scenic overlook together with helmets in hand.

There was a long concrete sidewalk, affording one of the best views of the surrounding landscape to be had in this area. It ran along a ridgeline with a drop off on one side and lush greenery on the other. As we strolled along, it felt a bit like walking the boardwalk only without the water. We finally stopped at one particularly nice spot, and I put my helmet down on the waist high stone wall that had been erected for safety.

We stood there, gazing out at the landscape. With almost a full moon shining down from above we could see for what seemed like miles. It was a breathtaking sight, almost as amazing as the sight of Riley’s innocent wind-kissed face. I could tell by her expression that this was all new to her, riding on the back of a motorcycle, late night rides just for fun and most of all, spending time with a guy like me. When she glanced up to find me looking at her, our gazes collided. We stood transfixed, staring at each other for a beat too long. This was the moment I knew that I wanted her with a desperation like no other.

“I truly like you, Riley. You don’t play games, say what’s on your mind and aren’t afraid to admit when you’re wrong.” Reaching out to slide one finger around a lock of her long red hair, I added, “And you’re fucking beautiful to boot.”

Chapter 9

Riley

His voice dropped to a low rumble when he said I was fucking beautiful. My breath caught in my throat at his words. That whispered admission was raw and unfiltered. It came from a place so honest that it rooted me to the spot. There was no cocky smirk, no teasing glint in his eyes. It was just Havoc being honest about his attraction to me. Truth be told, I felt it too.

I swallowed hard, not entirely sure what to do with the butterflies suddenly loose in my stomach. “I noticed you too,” I said quietly. “It was hard not to because you’re off-the-charts hot with all the big muscles and interesting tattoos. But you’re more than just a pretty face. There’s something about the way you watched the room. Calm, but alert. Like someone who’s seen too much and knows when it’s about to go sideways. You know, like back at Neon Vibes that night.”

A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “That’s the soldier in me. Always sizing up the battlefield.”

I tilted my head. “Do you see this as a battlefield?”

“Sometimes,” he said, his voice low. “But not right now. Not with you.”

I couldn’t look away from him. I once found his intensity intimidating. Now it felt magnetic. He took a step closer, and I didn’t back up. If anything, I leaned in, drawn towards something I couldn’t quite name.

“I’ve got scars,” he said, his voice rough like gravel. “Some you can see, most you can’t. But I’m trying to be better, Riley. That’s not just some shit I’m saying to check off boxes for Storm. I want to be the kind of man people can count on. The kind of man you could count on.”

His vulnerability cracked something open inside me. Maybe it was the wind whispering through the cliffs or the raw beauty of the view around us, but in that moment, it felt like we’d shed the versions of ourselves we wore in the daylight. He wasn’t the gruff biker, and I wasn’t the prim-and-proper life coach. We were just two people standing on the edge of something new.

I reached out and slipped my hand into his. “I believe you.”

His fingers curled around mine like it was second nature. For a few moments, we just stood there, hand in hand, listening to the ocean crashing far below and the wind rustling the brush around us. It felt like a promise—silent and unspoken, but real. A long silent pause spun out between us. I became acutely aware that we were all alone, sheltered from the eyes of anyone who could judge us for getting too close, too fast. In fact, the whole world felt still in that moment, like even nature was holding its breath.

Havoc moved closer, not pressing himself against me, but close enough that I could feel the warmth his body was radiating. For once, neither of us filled the silence with sarcasm or posturing.

“I didn’t expect to like you so much,” I told him, staring into his eyes.

“Me either,” he said. “I hated Storm hiring you to fix me.” Glancing away, he admitted, “I tried to scare you off. That’s why I was such an asshole in the beginning.”

“I know,” I told him matter-of-factly. His behavior was an ego-defense mechanism. “Good thing for you that I don’t scare easily.”

“No, you sure as fuck don’t scare easily.” Glancing away, he added almost shyly, “Instead you met me halfway. Made me think I mattered to you.”

I reached up and turned his face to look at me. “You do matter, Havoc. To a lot of people, not just me.”

A small lopsided grin curved up one side of his mouth. It looked good on his handsome face. Then something in his eyes shifted, turning heated. It knocked the wind right out of me, making me see him in a new light. Havoc wasn’t just someone I was hired to help. In this moment, he was so much more, and it looked like he thought the same about me.

“I thought you saw yourself as too good for this,” he whispered, low and almost sensual.

I brought my hands up to rest on his chest. His eyes drifted down to watch me touching him. I asked, “You mean me being attracted to you or adapting to fit into the MC lifestyle?”

“I mean me,” he replied, gruffly. “Thought maybe you and me trying it on was some kind of one-in-a-million shot, not worth even dreaming about.”

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