Page 80 of Truck Stop Titan

“That fucker don’t give without taking. What does he want?”

His attention was back on Mim, who clung to my side, halfway shoved between me and the back of the seat.

Raised my hackles, the way he studied her.

“Club needs your trailer. Coupl’a guys’ll be cutting through town the next few weeks. Need a place to crash.”

“Haven’t been to the river for years. Not sure if that shit’s even standing.”

“Well. If it ain’t, they can pitch a tent. If it is, we expect it to be stocked. Just giving you a heads up. Only reason you own that land is ’cause of your old man. Only reason he owned it was because of the club. We need to use it, we’re gonna use it. You know the drill.”

The drill. When my old man was alive, the drill meant making sure our trailer was stocked with drugs, booze, women, and food—pretty much in that order. I would not supply shit for anyone.

“That all?”

Hammer tilted in his seat, trying to get a better look at Mim.

“Get your fuckin’ eyes off the girl,” I warned, his interest in the child unsettling.

He threw his hands up in surrender. “Chill the fuck out, brother. Just noticing the resemblance to her mama. That’s all.” His eyes met mine in a glare meant to intimidate, but the edge I was used to seeing in Hammer was gone, replaced with something that looked like desperation.

“How well did you know Mick, Hammer? There something you wanna tell me?”

Hammer stared long and hard at the table, then lifted his glare to Mim again, eyes glazed. He made a tsk sound, shook his head in a slowno. “Not a damn thing. Come and get your ride,TrailerPark, so I can get the fuck outta this shit town.”

# # #

Low-Key stepped back. Kid was a newer recruit, half the size of Hammer, but twice the man. By the snarl on his face, I guessed he was not happy about being in my presence.

I shifted Mim from my shoulders to the bike, settled her on the worn leather, and waited for her to balance before letting go. She seemed unsure, hands flat on the seat between her legs, body stiff.

One hand at her rear, the other on the handle bar, I blocked her from view of the dickheads standing at my back. “Only been one other girl on my bike, and she didn’t look anywhere near as badass as you do right now.”

If I could have chosen one moment in time to snapshot and keep forever, that would’ve been the image, right there, the straightening of her spine, the wide-eyed innocent wonder that spread across her face, the one hundred percent worry-free, shit-free, fear-free smile that cracked her grim expression. Tore me wide open, my innards spilt at her feet. Took nothing for me to place her on my throne, but the girl reacted like I’d given her the world.

Mim ran her small fingers over the leather, then stretched up to study the gauges, and God damn, if I’d known that pride could lift a man so high, maybe I would’ve considered different paths in my life, because watching that little lady admire my ride, appreciate the beauty, hell, I was suddenly taller than the pines, more majestic than the mountains surrounding us.

I hoisted my leg over the bike and settled behind Mim, gripping the bars and damn near groaning in pleasure. I’d missed my Fat Boy.

“Soon as we get you a helmet, I’ll take you for a ride. What do you think about that?”

A gasp escaped her lips, making that wild hair shake across her back, and fast as a blink, the girl turned and had me in a head lock, those tiny arms squeezing tight, and fuck me, but I hugged her back, locking her against me, feeling every nuance of that fragile body against mine, inhaling the fruity scent of her hair, and taking the unrelenting assault on my chest. I never wanted to let go.

God damn my life.

God damn my girls.

God motherfucking damn.

Hammer spoke over my shoulder. “Little shit’s got you wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?”

At the sound of his voice, Mim squeezed me tighter, something sharp digging into my neck. I pried her off and that necklace she’d worn the day I found her, and every day since, fell back into place at her chest.

“Hey, whatcha got there?” Hammer asked, reaching toward Mim.

Out of instinct, I blocked his advance, shoving him away.

Mim whimpered, and shoved the necklace under her shirt, where she always wore the damn thing, hidden away, like it was her secret.

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