Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Um, yeah I’m fine…”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” My brother’s voice meets my ear, making me flinch. I’m in so much trouble.
Hesitantly, I turn around to face him. Quinton and Ren have made their way across the bar and are standing only a foot away from me now. Both have their arms crossed over their chest, scolding me as if I’m a misbehaving kid.
I straighten my spine and roll my shoulders back. “I was just out having a drink. I’m an adult and I brought a bodyguard,” I say as if that was a perfect excuse to be here.
“And you just happened to be at the same bar we went to?” Ren lifts his eyebrows.
“I know, what a coincidence.” I try to laugh it off but neither Ren nor Quinton are joining in with my laughter. Even Tony has turned stoic. “Okay fine, I came to check on you but only because I was worried.”
A grunt from the floor saves me from the guy’s deathly stare. Quinton looks down at the guy on the ground. “Looks like you are the only one we have to worry about. What happened here?”
“He is drunk and got a little handsy. Tony took care of it.”
“Thank you, Tony. Sorry, my sister drug you out here. Can you take care of this guy while we take her home?”
“My pleasure,” Tony replies before giving the guy on the floor his attention. “Get up, Asshole or I’ll drag you out back.”
“Let’s go,” Ren orders so roughly that for a moment I wonder if he is actually River. He grabs my hand and starts tugging me towards the door. I don’t object, I simply follow, content with the fact that he is holding my hand.
Quinton is right behind us as we make our way outside. Just before we exit the bar, I catch sight of the woman hitting on Ren earlier. Her curious eyes following us. Feeling a bit reckless, I lift my hand and give her the middle finger. Her mouth pops open in shock, and that’s the last I see of her before we’re back outside in the cool evening air.
“Very mature,” Quinton laughs behind me.
“She deserved it,” I try to justify my action.
Ren chooses to ignore the whole thing. “How did you get here?” He asks.
“Took my dad’s driver. He is parked over there.”
“Wanna ride back with us or in the boring car?” Quinton questions.
“What do you mean, ride back with you? How did you get here?”
Ren points at the two matt black motorcycles parked on the sidewalk a few feet from us. My mouth pops open. They came here with these? “Of course I want to ride with you!” I look up at Ren with the same puppy eyes I give my dad when I want something. “Please can I ride with you.”
Ren gives me a knowing look, but I see the defeat in them immediately. “Fine, but you are wearing my helmet.”
I almost squeal with excitement. Quinton goes over to talk to the driver while Ren takes me over to the motorcycles and grabs the helmet. He lets go of my hand to grab the helmet with both hands, bringing the straps to each side he carefully places it over my head. It’s a bit loose on my head but Ren quickly fastens it with the chin straps.
Quinton joins us, putting his own helmet on while Ren is going without. I want to protest, but that would mean I wouldn't be able to ride with him since we only have two helmets, so I let it go.
Ren gets on the bike first, before motioning for me to sit behind him. I eagerly get on, scooting all the way towards him until my front is completely pressed against his back. I wrap my arms around his torso, interlacing my fingers.
“Don’t let go,” Ren warns before turning the key. The engine roars to life and the whole bike vibrates between my legs. Excitement fills my veins and everything about what happened inside the bar is now long forgotten.
Quinton pulls out in front of us, and Ren follows closely behind. We start off driving slowly through downtown, but once we hit the interstate Quinton and Ren get more daring. We weave in and out of traffic, gliding between cars like we’re flying. I hold on to Ren like my life depends on it. And maybe it does, in more than one way. Right now, I don’t care. I just want to enjoy being this close to Ren, holding him while we’re zooming through traffic, passing cars and letting the wind rage around us.
27
REN
It’s not a surprise when there’s a soft knock at my bedroom door a couple of hours after we got back from the bar. I’ve been lying here, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Scarlet all this time. Remembering how good it was having her wrapped around me on the bike. There was a minute there where I wished I could keep going, like there was a way I could outrun everything. She has a way of making me believe shit like that is possible.