Shutting off the engine, he blatantly took in Cedar, from her head, right down to her toes. I didn’t like him looking, so I pulled her behind me. Dax’s eyes moved to me, a sharpness in his expression, before he drawled, “We interrupting?”
I didn’t answer and instead asked, “What’s up?”
“Want a word.”
It wasn’t a request. Looking back at Cedar, I said, “Give us a few minutes.”
Uncertainty and a little fear marred her expression. She was smart to feel it because these were not people you fucked around with, but she didn’t hesitate when she said, “Okay.”
Dax waited for her to disappear into the office before he got to the reason for his visit. “We need someone to work on our bikes. You got a way with them, and you don’t run your mouth. I don’t offer it lightly, but if you want a place, you’ve got one.”
The offer took me completely by surprise. This wasn’t just a job; this was the Iron Guardian MC. It wasn’t a job you took then left; it was a lifelong job. Had I not found Cedar, I’d have been seriously tempted to take it because my dad had a long reach, but not even he would fuck with an MC. But I had Cedar. I was following her to Manhattan or wherever the fuck she wanted to go. That being said, you didn’t turn down a job offer like this one without giving it the consideration it deserved. To not do so would be an insult. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was offering it. Sure, I worked on their bikes, was good at it too, but extending me a place in their club seemed a leap. I wasn’t going to question him, because, again, insulting these dudes wasn’t an option.
“I don’t know what to say. Thanks, man. I gotta think about it, but…” I held my hand out. “Seriously, thank you.”
Dax waited a beat before he took my hand. “You earned it. Offer’s not on the table for long, so think fast.”
“Will do.”
Cedar appeared in the doorway. Dax’s focus shifted to her before he said, “I’ll let you get back to your sweet…” he paused and amended, “your girl.”
He straddled his Harley, fired it up and, without another word, backed out of the garage, his brothers following him.
Cedar reached my side, her focus on the hogs rumbling down the street. “What did they want?”
“To offer me a job.”
I felt more than saw when her focus shifted to me. “A job?”
“Yeah.”
“But aren’t they...” I turned my attention back to her, as she struggled for the words. I didn’t miss the worry in her expression. I grinned and touched her cheek because she really was fucking adorable.
“An MC,” I offered.
“Yeah, one of those.”
“I’m not taking it. I’ve got plans to head to Manhattan.”
Worry shifted, her eyes growing warm. “This is a good plan.”
I yanked her to me again, wanting to feel as much of her against my body as possible. “Yeah, it is.”
Declan had beenMIA, so when he strolled into the garage out of the blue, I was surprised and a little apprehensive to see him, particularly after our last conversation, where I felt I’d walked into it in the middle.
“Hey, man,” he said, reaching me and shaking my hand. “I got something brewing and wanted to know if you want in.”
It wasn’t the first time Declan tried to be an entrepreneur, but he had no head for business. How the hell he was going to take over for his dad when he spent all of his time high or fucking was beyond me.
“No, thanks.”
I didn’t miss the sharp look he gave me. “You don’t even know what it is.”
“Don’t need to.”
“Because of her.” The venom in his words had me straightening. “Time for you to go,” I said coldly.
“Your dad may be a dick, but he’s right about family toeing the line,” Declan said.