21
Walker trudged across the lawn toward Hot Rides for the second time that day, even more convinced than he’d been on the first go-around that things simply weren’t going to work out with him, Dane, and Joy.
Clearly, it wasn’t the sex that was the problem.That part they had down.
It was everything else that was a fucking disaster.
When he got to the garage he realized that sometime during the couple of hours they’d spent in bed—and on the living room floor—the rest of the mechanics had closed up shop.There was a note on the office door that saidWe’re taking Arden to our house.Come over whenever you’re ready…no rush!Gavyn & Amber
Beneath that, in a distinctly messier handwriting wasNo, seriously.Take your damn time.Wren, Devra, And Kyra
Great.Walker sighed as he realized he was going to have to face a bunch of their friends, who would be eager for good news he couldn’t deliver without lying.He ripped the note from the door, crumpled it in his fist, and jammed it in his pocket.
Despite the near-freezing temperatures, he still hadn’t cooled off by the time he’d reached Gavyn’s house.He would like to blame it on his frustration, but really, he was probably still smoldering from what he’d done with Joy and Dane.
He shouldn’t have given in.Now he only had more evidence to support how spectacular it was to tangle with them and what he was going to be missing out on for the rest of his life.
Walker climbed the porch steps and rapped on the door three times before footsteps approached.Cooing and laughing and chatting—things he didn’t have the heart to entertain at the moment—spilled out from inside.
“Hey,” he said, expecting Gavyn to open the door to his own house.Instead, it was Tom—Eli’s dad.Where he was, Ms.Brown almost certainly was too.It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to find any number of the Hot Rods gang hanging out with them.
Especially with two babies to snuggle under one roof.If nothing else, Arden would always be well taken care of at Hot Rides.That at least made Walker glad they’d found the place.Even if he didn’t end up being able to stay.
“Uh oh.”Tom grimaced.“Sunglasses in winter.I’ve raised enough boys to know what that means.Need some frozen peas for that shiner?”
Walker should have known he wouldn’t get away with that.He took his shades off.No point if he wasn’t fooling anyone.“Nah, I’m good.Any chance I could get Arden quick and sneak out without being bombarded with a million questions I don’t have the answers for?”
“Sorry, son.”Tom clapped a surprisingly strong hand on his upper arm and yanked him inside, slamming the door behind him.“That’s not how things work around here.Come say hello to your daughter.She’s been so good, but I can tell she’s looking around for you three every once in a while.”
Joy definitely, Dane, probably, but him?Nah, couldn’t be.Could it?
Tom took off for the living room without checking to see if Walker was following.Around here, you did as Tom said.Out of respect, if not because it was required.He led by the strength of his character alone.No duress required.Unlike Walker’s own father.
Yet again, he was reminded of how different Hot Rides, Hot Rods, and even the Powertools crew was from Wildfire.There were good people in the world, he just hadn’t been lucky enough to be born into a family like that.He yearned for Arden to have better than the legacy he could give her.
“She’sJoy’sdaughter,” Walker corrected as he entered the living room, which made his tiny home seemextratiny.Of course at that instant it went as quiet as the night of the New Year’s Eve party when the music had cut and Joy had strutted back into his life.Along with Arden.
“Don’t letherhear you say that, you idiot.”Wren held her arms up, bent at the wrists in a gesture that clearly asked,Are you stupid?
Yes.Yes, he was.For thinking they’d ever had a chance.
Ms.Brown frowned and came to Tom’s side.She fussed over Walker’s black eye until he turned his less colorful side to her.In his peripheral vision, he realized that yes, a large part of the gang was in attendance to witness his disgrace, including Quinn, Trevon, Devra, Wren, Jordan, Kason, Kyra, Ollie, Van, Eli, Alanso, and Sally.
And those were just the people he caught sight of before shifting his stare to the floor.
He wondered what it would be like to be unashamed of who and what he was.As the son of a murdering, drug-dealing piece of shit—who’d also probably knocked up his stepsister and definitely had screwed things up for his best friend—he suddenly felt very out of place among these decent folks.
For a little while, he’d basked in their high opinion of him.Now he remembered the multitude of reasons why he didn’t deserve it.
“Why don’t you come sit here for a minute and talk to Tom and me?”Ms.Brown touched his hand softly, bringing his head up again.
In her gaze he didn’t see censure, rather pity.Which was almost worse.
“I’m not sure discussing things is going to help.”Walker groaned.“And what we just did together sure didn’t either.”
“I hope you at least gave Dane some way to blow off steam other than using you as a punching bag.”Alanso cursed in Spanish.“I’ve been him before.In love with a dominant male too stupid to take what he’s offering.It takes a lot ofblowing off—if you know what I mean—to get rid of that much frustration.”
“Hey.I’m making up for it now, right?”Eli winced and knocked his shoulder into his partner’s.