“Ah, fuck. Just take a sandwich and hit the road,” Tank said.
“Tarmac had a craving for pizza, so we took a ride into town. Didn’t expect to find you here in the park having a tea party,” Brick said.
“Picnic,” Tank corrected.
“Okay, big boy. We’ll leave you to it,” Tarmac said. “Lord says for all of us to keep our eyes open.”
“Already got the memo.”
Both men walked off, occasionally looking back at them before riding off. The roar of the bikes finally faded to nothing. Tank was visibly tense. He couldn’t hide who he was if they were going to have a serious relationship. She knew who and what he was and didn’t have a problem with it. Or was this just a fling?
“Are they from your club?” she finally asked.
“Our VP and Road Captain. Fucking assholes.”
“They seemed nice,” she said.
He ran both hands through his hair. “They’re just messing with me. I’ll get them back.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Right.” He refocused, letting down his guard. “Let’s see what you made us, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart now? I like it.”
“You put in a lot of effort for today. Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me.”
“Really? That’s horrible.” She took out the sandwiches, salad, and juice boxes. It was all she had on hand to make, and at least they wouldn’t spill everywhere.
“I should have brought a bottle of wine to make this picnic complete,” he said.
“It’s okay. I don’t drink, anyway.”
“Right, you told me that a while back. You said you had issues. You’re young to be a recovering alcoholic.”
She shook her head in exasperation. “I’m not. I just don’t want to end up like my mother. She’s had a problem since I was a little girl. I’m trying to make sure that cycle ends with me.”
“That’s good,” he said. “You’re a strong woman. You can do anything, I know it.”
“What about your family?”
“Same deal. Guess that’s why I’m such a fuckup,” he said.
Bell took his hand. “Please never say things like that,Tank. You’re amazing. You mean a lot to me.”
He didn’t say anything, but she hoped he believed her. It mattered what a person thought of themselves. They ate the food. It made her happy that he appeared to enjoy what she’d made him. Even though she had to leave soon to get ready for work, she was excited knowing he’d be coming by the diner for dinner. Every time she was away from him, she looked forward to their next meeting.
Everything felt perfect, maybe too perfect. Her life had never been easy, so she couldn’t help but be suspicious. It seemed fate was determined to pull her down no matter how hard she tried to make something of her life. She hoped her new relationship status with Tank would be the turning point, the beginning of something wonderful.
Chapter Five
“Any news?” Lord asked.
“There’s no signs of the Skull Nation being fully organized,” Tarmac said.
“There are whispers though. Some sightings. Right now, it’s like they want to be seen as ghosts,” Reaper said.
“Yeah, the kind of shit you try to scare your kid with to stay in bed at night,” Righteous said.