Page 120 of Sinful
"Is she? Because I didn't want to just let someone in if—I mean, security and all, with the attack coming up, Phantom said to be careful?—"
"Open the fucking gate, Ford."
"Right. Yeah. Opening the gate."
He scrambles to the control panel and the gate swings open with a mechanical groan.
Helle rides through slowly, parks next to me, kills her engine.
We stare at each other.
"You're supposed to be in Florida," I say.
"I was. Now I'm here."
"The attack is in two days."
"I know. I'm not fighting. I'm just here. Close." She climbs off her bike, pulls off her gloves. "I needed to be close."
I cross the distance between us in three steps and pull her into my arms, holding her so tight she gasps.
"You rode all the way here," I say into her hair.
"Eighteen hours. Quit my job. Ended my lease." Shepulls back just enough to look up at me. "I'm all in, Bravos. Completely in. I want to be closer to you, and there’s a shop in town that needs a mechanic, someone good with bikes. I’ve done all the work on my Kawasaki myself, so I think I could do it."
My chest feels too tight. Too full.
"You told Ford you're my ol' lady."
"Was I wrong?"
"No. But we should probably talk about that."
"Okay. Let's talk."
I take her on a tour of the ranch because I need time to process, need to move, need to do something other than stand there overwhelmed by the fact that she's here.
I show her the main clubhouse—the converted barn with its high ceilings and rough wood beams.
The bunkhouses where members sleep when they're here.
The armory that's currently locked down tight with enough weapons to start a small war.
Which, I guess, is exactly what we're doing.
Then the garage.
It's massive—Shadow's pride and joy, built over five years with money the club made and his own obsessive perfectionism.
Three bays, hydraulic lifts, every tool you could possibly need.
Bikes in various states of repair lined up along the walls.
Helle stops in the doorway, eyes wide.
"This is incredible," she breathes.
"Shadow built most of it. Spent five years getting it right."
