Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

6. Sage

SIX

Sage

T he air is warm, filled with the nearby songs of birds alighting branches, and sunlight dances on the lake’s surface as I sit on the grassy shore, my legs stretched out before me. Luke and Atlas are a few feet away, skipping rocks, their shouts echoing off the water and trees. They start shooting them at each other, Atlas on shore, Luke shin-deep in the lake, and I can’t help but smile at their antics, the carefree energy infectious.

“Come on, Sage!” Luke calls out, glancing over at me, knee deep with his jeans rolled up, grey t-shirt black in splashed places. “You’re missing out! The water is amazing!”

I look closer at the shimmering lake, sunlight glinting off its ripples, and for a moment, I hesitate and finally stand up, brushing grass off my legs and frustration from my heart. “Alright, I’m coming!”

Just as I start to walk closer, with the intention of putting my hand in to test the water, we hear the roar of three motorcycles and look over to discover Sofia Sol, Sean and Celia approaching, their voices carrying on the afternoon breeze.

Soph is wearing jeans and a black tank top, no jacket or helmet since the ride is such a short one, with no traffic or danger to speak of.

Celia’s in a white sundress that makes her caramel skin glow, long hair also free and cascading behind her.

Sean is dressed like my brothers, in jeans and a T-shirt, but where theirs is one grey and one white, he’s wearing blue, the pale color of his eyes.

Although part of me is dying to tell Soph and Celia all about Bear, which I know I cannot do, the sight of them brings a spark of excitement because now it’s not just me and my brothers. It’s easier to drop my anger at feeling caged, now that they’re here. The more the merrier. And I did miss all of these guys while they were gone, if I can lay my discouragement down long enough to remember that, and enjoy the moment.

“Hey, is this a private party or can anyone join?” Sofia teases, grey eyes sparkling with humor.

Celia follows closely behind, a playful smile on her face. “There you are, Sage! Everyone was wondering.”

Sean beside her, calls from his hog, “You should probably tell your parents.”

“Let them wonder,” I rebelliously reply, adding, “Join us! We’re just about to go for a swim!” unable to hide my enthusiasm.

“Swimming? In our clothes?” Celia raises an eyebrow, glancing at her dress. “That’s not very practical.”

No one planned a swim, and no one is going skinny-dipping in this group. Too weird. Too much history.

“Who needs practicality?” Luke shouts from the water, flipping a stone high into the air. “It’s way more fun in your underwear!” The stone lands about twenty feet away, sending large circles in all directions. “Come on, it’s liberating!”

Sofia Sol and Celia exchange glances, and then Soph shrugs with a grin. “Why not? Let’s do it!”

Sean agrees, “I’m in,” and the three dismount their bikes, leaving them beside the two we came in on.

With laughter and excitement, we all start peeling off our clothes, tossing them aside, motorcycle boots making loud thuds. Even mine. Though I don’t ride, I wear them. And it’s good to be free of their confining heat and heavy weight on a day like today.

I quickly shed my jeans and pink halter — my cutest, tightest one I wore for Bear — leaving only my underwear and causing a rush of exhilaration as the cool breeze brushes against my exposed skin. The lake water sparkles invitingly, and I let out a squeal of trepidatious joy as I run toward it.

With a leap, I dive into refreshing water that envelops me. For as long as I can hold my breath, I stay under until I can’t take it anymore, my lungs about to burst. I surface, shaking my hair and laughing as I see the others following suit. Luke and Atlas break the surface with each of them holding a huge rock from the bottom, splashing around, their laughter ringing out like music.

Celia, the last to join, hesitates for a moment, then lets out a determined yell before jumping in, sending a wave of water splashing me.

“Hey!” I protest, laughing as I wipe the water from my face. “You’re going to pay for that!”

Sofia Sol, always one for trouble, suddenly swims up beside me. “Forget her. Let’s get them !” she whispers conspiratorially, grey eyes gleaming with excitement. I nod, and together we make our way toward Luke and Atlas, who are oblivious to the impending attack, so consumed with their rock-throwing competition.

Sean has a hard time holding back his laugh, hand clamped over his mouth, water glistening down his arm as he warns Celia, who just broke the surface, to stay quiet.

“Now!” I mouth, and Soph and I launch ourselves at Luke and Atlas. The shock on their faces is awesome as we send them tumbling into the water, a chorus of surprised yelps mixing with our whoops of victory. Sofia is much stronger than I am so when she takes her husband down, she and Luke don’t come back up for a long time. We all cheer when they rise free of the lake, sucking in air like they never thought they’d breathe again.

“Alright, you asked for it!” Atlas shouts, grinning as he retaliates, lifting me up and throwing me like one of his rocks. I scream as I fly through the air and come crashing down with a stinging THWAP!

“You jerk!” I shout, laughing.

All hell breaks loose. The lake becomes a battleground of The Ciphers, and me, disappearing underwater, tugging each other down, and resurfacing somewhere safe…if only for a second before someone grabs our legs and we’re pulled under the surface again. Petite as I am, and not trained like them, I get thrown more times than I care to admit, but it’s a blast every single time.

We swim and play, just like we did when we were kids, before Sean joined the motorcycle club when everyone was too adult to be this silly. It’s so much fun that we end up losing track of time until the sun hangs low in the sky. I feel a sense of youthful happiness I haven’t experienced in a long time, a joy that washes over me like the waves we make.

After hours of swimming and fighting each other, skipping small rocks and throwing rocks nearly as big as boulders, we take a break, floating on our backs and gazing up at the cloudy blue sky. I can hear Luke and Atlas joking about something, their laughter mixing with the sounds of water lapping at my ears, but I don’t need to know what they’re talking about. Right now, nothing matters. Everything is okay in the world.

“This is the best day ever,” Sofia Sol says, her voice soft and content. I glance over at her, and she’s smiling a kind of free and innocent smile I rarely see on her anymore.

I inhale agreement, feeling a warmth spread in my heart. As I float there, the sun beating down on my face and body, I can’t help but think about how this day has brought us all closer together in a way that only playing can.

Sure, I may have missed out on painting Bear, and missed out on all the excitement that would have been, but I wouldn’t trade a second of this time I’ve spent with my family, chosen and by blood. The world feels perfect in this moment, and I want to hold onto it forever.

The rumble of two motorcycles grabs our attention, all heads turning to see Dad and Jett riding up. “We can’t find Sage!”

I stand up, barely able to touch the ground I’m in so deep. “I’m here, Dad!”

“What the fuck!” Dad’s Harley skids to a stop.

Jett parks with more finesse as he calls to his daughter, “Sofia, I told you to tell us if you found her here!”

“Shit,” she mutters before calling back on a smile, “I found her!”

My dad lets out a slew of curse words, stomping over to glare at his sons. “You took your sister with you and didn’t tell anyone? What’s wrong with you?!”

Atlas only looks sheepish in times like this. “Sorry, Dad.”

Luke raises his chin. “She was going on a bike ride on her own, so we snatched her up.”

Jett, having seen as many terrible things out in the real world as my father has, flatly says, “Not a good excuse, Luke. We just tore through all of South and North Vacherie looking for her.”

Celia asks, “Why didn’t you just come here?”

Dad takes a step like he’s going to dive in.

Jett says, “Easy, Honey Badger.” To Celia, he reminds, “Because you said you’d come back if you found her here.”

Celia smiles, “We found her.”

Dad grunts, “No shit.” He points at me. “Sage! Don’t you ever do that again!”

My earlier frustration rises quick. “I was just going on a bike ride!”

“You tell us when you’re leaving and where you’re going!”

“Dad…” Luke pauses for a second. “She can’t ride that bicycle out on her own.”

Atlas agrees, “It’s too fucking slow.”

“Yes I can!”

Ignoring me, Dad glares at them. “Then you’ll drive her where she needs to go.”

“No!” I shout, horrified. “No way! I need my freedom! I’m almost thirty years old!”

“Too bad!” Dad steps closer, pointing at me. “Do you know some of the shit I’ve seen out there?”

Jett joins in, softening the ‘discussion’ by explaining, “We live in a safe place, Sage, but your father and I have seen terrible things done to women.”

Wearily, as if the memories are almost too much for them, Sofia Sol and Celia chime in, “So have we.”

Jett takes a deep breath, “Not as many as we have. We’ve been at this longer.” Knowing I’m in a bad position, the over-protection of an entire motorcycle club clipping my proverbial wings, he adds, “I’m sorry, Sage.”

Dad grunts, “We’re keeping you safe!”

“She needs her own Harley.” We all turn to hear Luke say it again. “Sage needs her own Harley. If she had a faster ride, she could go into town, get the groceries and things she needs when we’re not here. I just don’t like her riding that slow-poke bicycle for miles when anyone could stop and scoop her up.”

“No one’s going to scoop me up! I’ve ridden to town countless times!”

Soph ignores me. “We could get her a used car like Melody has.”

Dad nods, thinking about it. “You can lock a car.”

I shout, “I don’t want a car!” more to be heard and less from anger. No, that’s a lie. I’m pissed. “If you’re going to take away my bicycle then I want to ride a motorcycle like you guys! Just because I’m not a Cipher doesn’t mean I can’t ride! Dad, you taught me!” Back when I was sixteen, when he thought I might join the club, before my lack of fighting instincts proved that wouldn’t be my destiny. “I just need to brush up! I can ride, Dad! You know I can!”

“You want a hog, Sage?”

“Yes! I need the wind in my hair! On my face! I don’t want some dumb car.” And I want to not be babysat like a child! But I won’t say that part. Instead I give the firm confirmation, “Yes, I want a Harley of my own!”

“Fine,” Dad grumbles, but there’s a smile in his eyes that looks an awful lot like pride. “We’ll get you a Harley.”

Celia splashes me. “Sage is getting her own hog!”

And that’s it, she sparked a unified tackle where everyone in the water splashes to me and I try to get away until I’m lifted up by Luke.

Atlas shouts, “Sage is getting a big girl’s bike!”

They whoop and holler and Luke says, “You want to feel the wind in your hair?” He throws me with all of his strength, “Feel this !” and I go airborne, arms flailing, their laughter joined by Jett and Dad…and me.