Page 111 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

She smiled. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

Rupert snickered. “He looks like shit compared to you.”

I shot him a look as Dani laughed, filling the room with her comforting, relaxing sound.

“Thanks, Rupe.”

He winked. “Anytime, Bambi.”

I offered my arm. “Ready to go?”

She threaded her arm with mine. “Please tell me we’re taking your bike.”

“In that dress you’re wearing?”

She shrugged. “Why not?”

John stepped in. “For one thing, it’s not safe.”

Rupert added on, “And for another, the wind is going to shove that dress right up your legs the second you two hit the road.”

Dani reached down, slipping her dress up. “I’ve got that covered.”

I peeked down and saw the spandex road shorts she had on underneath. And damn it, I couldn't have loved this woman any more if she sincerely tried. I grinned as she smiled up at me, warming my frozen heart as it started fluttering against my chest. Then her wonderous voice filled my ear.

“Remember, handsome. We aren’t doing this for them. We’re doing this for us.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“I’m not expecting this to go well at all. I’m not expecting them to just automatically be okay with you and be okay with what we’re about to tell them.”

“I don’t know if that’s supposed to make me feel better or worse.”

She giggled. “Just stick to the plan. Honesty above all else. No matter what they say, don’t fire back.”

“Unless they disrespect you.”

She nodded. “Yes. If they lose all respect for the situation, have fun. But I don’t expect them to do that this time. If they don’t respect me, or you, we’re out of there. Because if we can keep our cool, so can they. Okay?”

I winked. “You got it, gorgeous.”

“Great. Now, who do I have to blow to get you to agree to take your bike?”

I growled as John and Rupert burst out laughing. Dani smiled brightly up at me before she kissed the tip of my nose, making my soul melt into a pile of goo. Damn it, she was the cutest thing I’d ever come across in my life. But fucking hell, if she didn’t have a spitball fire of a strong woman deep inside that innocent soul of hers.

“Let’s get out of here,” I murmured.

“Ready when you are, handsome.”

The bike ride over to the hotel seemed so quiet and serene compared to what we had been through. I rode without worry or pretense, without constantly checking my rearview mirrors. I couldn't remember the last time I’d taken a ride and felt as free as I did right now, with Dani tightly wrapped around me as we crossed town. I waved to a few people who waved at us. I didn’t bother with speeding, or running yellow lights, or pursuing shadows I thought might be following us. I languidly drove, enjoying the view and the ride and the feeling of my entire world wrapped tightly around my waist.

But once we were seated in front of her parents, all of that faded away.

“So,” her mother said as she broke the silence, “how long have the pair of you been… seeing each other?”

Dani answered. “About a month or so. Possibly six weeks.”

Her mother’s voice fell flat. “Got pretty serious quickly, then, didn't it?”

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