DANE 13
Her words are still playing in my mind as we ride through the twisting roads. This was supposed to be the perfect day. The weather is perfect, and Freya is finally back to her full strength. But then her mother showed up and threw a wrench in everything. How can a mother be like that?
I will make sure that my woman is as happy as she can possibly be. She has been rejected for long enough when her only crime is being too good to people. I will always protect her and her heart. From now on, I will tell the prospects that no one is allowed in to see Freya unless I tell them it’s okay. I will not have any more surprises like that again.
If her mom thinks that she’s going to get Freya’s hard-earned money, then she doesn’t know who she is dealing with. As Elementals, we have made a lot of connections throughout the years, and I will make sure that those connections give us all the help we need if her threat goes forward.
It’s unbelievable that a mother who has been absent for most of her child’s life, now feels it’s her right to take her money. I blame that asshole agent for getting her mother involved and bringing her here. I think it’s time to go pay him a visit and reason with him.
For now, I’m going to try to get Freya’s mind off them and give her the best day possible. Ulrich is ahead of us. We discussed what route to take earlier, so I know that we are headed towards a little restaurant by the ocean. That will give the women a chance to go down to the water if they want, because the restaurant is a couple of steps away from the beach.
We slow our bikes as we near the little town where the restaurant is situated. The beautiful white houses with their blue painted doors and windowsills create a breath-taking picture. I look in my rear-view mirror to see Dag and Eirik following behind us. After Freya’s recovery, I went to Eirik and apologized for my accusations. He wasn’t upset, but I still felt like shit because I know that he protected her as well as anyone else would.
My quick temper has me reacting sometimes before I think, and I find that when it comes to Freya, my protective instinct has me more volatile when she’s in danger. Parking the bike in front of the restaurant, I help Freya off. “Are you enjoying the ride so far?”
She smiles, handing me her helmet. “I love it, I don’t know how I’ve gone twenty-five years without knowing what it felt like to be on a motorcycle.”
“We should both learn how to ride, then we can have our own motorcycles,” Anastasia says in excitement as she walks towards us. Ulrich has his arm around her shoulders, but he suddenly drops it and stops. I understand his reaction because no matter how I like the idea of Freya riding next to me, I love having her sit behind me, her arms around my waist. Besides, it’s too dangerous for them to ride on their own.
“No.”
I see Anastasia’s body go rigid as she snaps around to look at Ulrich.
“What do you mean no?” Ulrich never thinks before he talks, he should have approached this topic in a different way. His aversion to the idea is just going to be an incentive for Anastasia to rebel and learn how to ride. If she wants to do it, then I’m sure Freya will be happy to learn as well, by the way she is taking to being on a motorcycle.
“It’s too dangerous for you.”
Oh man, I should just interrupt him now.
“Too dangerous for me, but not too dangerous for you?” Her hands are on her hips now and she doesn’t seem pleased.
“Don’t be upset. It’s not you. It’s the other fuckers on the road,” he says as he throws his hands up in the air. “I like having you ride with me.” Now he’s starting to think, but it might be too late.
Anastasia huffs in irritation as she turns towards us again.
“I actually think it’s a good idea,” Freya pipes in.
Fuck, I knew it. “I like feeling you behind me, but if you want to learn I will teach you,” I grunt, glaring at Ulrich. If he had kept his mouth shut, this would have gone differently.
“Now, why couldn’t you say something like that?” Anastasia challenges.
“What do you mean? I did. I told you I like having you ride with me,” he says in exasperation, which has Anastasia shaking her head and sighing as she steps away from him to draw her arm through Freya’s.
“Shall we go down to the water while these cavemen find a table?” Great, now she’s taking Freya with her.
“You really don’t think before you speak, do you?” I groan to Ulrich when the women are a couple of steps ahead.
“What, are you saying that you’re okay with your woman riding?” he asks with a raised brow.
“No, but you don’t tell them they can’t do it. You need to convince them that it’s a bad idea. What would you do if someone told you not to do something?”
Ulrich shrugs with a scowl on his face. “I would go and do it.”
“Exactly, so why would you think that they are different?”
“Did Ulrich stick his foot in it again?” Dag asks as he and Eirik come to stand next to us.
“No, he stuck both of them in deep, and now I will probably have to teach Freya how to ride because of him.” I don’t mind teaching her how to ride. What I do mind is if she decides that she wants her own motorcycle. “Someone teach him some finesse,” I glare as I snap around and start making my way towards the restaurant.