I lifted my hand to wave at her over my shoulder. I heard her giggling as the elevator doors closed off her sound, and I made my way back out into the night. I always felt more comfortable at night. As if I were shrouded from the world. It worked with the reputation I had in town. Hell, with the reputation of my entire crew. I took great pride in cleaning up the Red Thorns. Especially after the chaos my father plunged us into for a while. But it wasn’t easy. Ann Arbor was still scared of us after all these years. And rightfully so.
A little bit of fear never hurt anyone.
“Seven minutes, forty-two seconds!”
“A new record for limp dick over here!”
I shook my head as I crossed the road, making my way back to my bike.
“So you got pictures?”
“Oh, I bet he’s got lots of pictures.”
“Max always has the best ones. Which shots did you get this time?”
I ignored their statements as I hiked my leg back over my bike. I kicked up the stand and revved my engine, checking my fuel levels. I needed a fucking gas station. Then a nice cold shower.
“Oh, shit. That her in the window?”
Rupert’s voice caught my ear and I slowly lifted my eyes. As I sat there with my legs straddling my bike, I pulled out another cigarette and slipped it between my lips as one of the guys held up a light for me. I puffed and pulled, until it was lit and burning at the end with that relaxing sizzle I always enjoyed.
With Danika staring at me from her dorm room window.
“Yep. That’s her,” I said.
“Oh, you’ve got her on your hook, Max.”
“When you coming back for round two?”
I didn’t answer the question. I just kept staring at her until the curtain fell between the two of us and separated our worlds once more.
I’ll be back for you.
That I was sure of.
3
Dani
“Ho-lee-shit,” Hannah said.
The curtain dropped from my hand as I quickly whipped around.
“And you’re still flushed! Did he kiss you? Did he hold you close? Tell me what those muscles felt like. Because that’s a big boy with some big muscles underneath those clothes.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Girl, you don’t even have your voice! He did something, didn’t he? Oh, you have to tell me all the juicy details. What’s his name? Where’s he from? What do those lips of his feel like?”
I paused. What was his name? I should have asked.
“You kissed a guy and you don’t even know his name?” Hannah asked.
“We didn’t kiss,” I blurted out.
“Then why are you so flushed right now?”
Because he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.