Page 73 of Chaos & Carnage

“It’s a Kawasaki Ninja 650,” Oliver explains.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathe, unable to look away, even as I hear Cain step up beside me.

“Good, ‘cause it’s yours.”

Now that works to gain my attention, and ripping my gaze away from the gorgeous bike in front of me, I turn to gape at him.

“What?!” I splutter, flicking my gaze to Oliver, who has a massive grin on his face.

“It’s yours,” Oliver repeats.

“But…” I glance back down at the bike. “How? Why?”

“Because we wanted to do something nice for you. We know you’re upset about losing Raven, and it wasn’t fair that she was ruined. It was our fault.”

“How do you figure that?” I ask, furrowing my brows.

“Well, if we hadn’t convinced you to team up with us against Giovanni, then Giovanni wouldn’t have known you existed and so he wouldn’t have shot up your bike,” Cain explains logically.

I nod my head, biting on my lower lip to suppress the grin trying to let loose. “That all sounds very reasonable. When you spell it out like that, you really do owe me a new bike.”

They both laugh, and holding out his hand, Cain dangles the key from his finger. “Why don’t you take your new baby for a test drive?”

Hell to the motherfucking yes!

***

The next couple of weeks pass in a blur of Dante and Enzo restructuring the Antonellis, Dante and Cain putting together a committee to help restore Black Creek, and the rest of usactuallyrebuilding. I’ve been spending my days painting storefronts, cleaning up sidewalks, and spreading the word that violence in Black Creek is a thing of the past, along with Luc, Evie, and numerous Rejects and Antonellis.

Of course, most people are a little bit skeptical, but with each passing day that gunshots don’t go off and blood doesn’t line the streets, they are beginning to believe me.

We have a long road ahead, and it’s surreal that we’re actually at this point—at a point where we can help.Holy crap, we’re actually doing this!Picturing how amazing this city is going to look by the time we’re through with it brings a broad smile to my face.

“What is that goofy grin all about?” Oliver asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me into his side, utterly uncaring that I’m covered in paint. I spent the day helping a shop owner down the street from the clubhouse redo the inside of her shop. I don’t think it had seen a lick of paint in twenty years.

“I’m just happy.”

“I’m glad,” he says, squeezing my shoulder. “Happy looks good on you.”

With the big grin still on my face, I lift my head to look up at him. Even though things have been hectic, they’ve beensogood. Of course, the five of us are still staying in Oliver’s house, which is cramped, to say the least. Arguments are a daily occurrence. They fight over who gets to use the shower first, whose turn it is to do the dishes, and who’s in charge of the TV remote. It’s constant, but I also geta lotof sex, so, ya know, I can’t complain. The only problem is that none of us can seem to agree on where we should put down permanent roots, though the important thing is thateveryoneis in agreement that we will be living together. And for now, that’s good enough for me.

We’re also heading to Dante’s beach house tonight for the weekend for some alone time. I’m fairly certain that once Cain and Oliver discover that they have their own bathrooms and that the beds are big enough to fit all five of us, they’ll not want to come home.

“You all packed?” Oliver asks.

“Yup. You excited to get out of the city for a couple of days?”

“I’m excited to not fall out of the bed in the middle of the night.”

I laugh, but it’s true. At least one of them usually goes bump in the middle of the night.

“Is Marcus still sure about looking after Luc?”

I worry on my bottom lip. He only got out of the hospital a week ago, and even though the doctor said he’d make a complete recovery, I worry about him overdoing it so soon after his release.

“Yes, he’s sure,” he sighs. “Stop worrying. He’ll be fine. They’re both staying at the house, anyway.”

Even though the clubhouse has been fixed up after the shootout, Marcus has been staying at Cain’s house since he got out of the hospital. Honestly, I think he stays there to keep tabs on Evie. The two seem to have formed some sort of bond, but I’ve noticed how he watches her when they’re in the same room. Poor guy has it bad, and I don’t think Evie has a clue. Not that I imagine she’s in the right headspace for any relationship. Something that Marcus seems to realize at least.

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