Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

54. Jett

FIFTY-FOUR

Jett

“ S he stickin’ to it?” Scratch asks me as we walk out after dinner to put the Harleys away. We’re not worried about theft. No one around would dare fuck with us. But wear and tear from weather isn’t necessary when you’ve got a garage like ours.

“Yeah,” I mutter, the smile I’ve been faking, gone now that she’s not around. “Can’t tame a feral animal, Scratch. You just get cut.”

Over the dull sound of rolling wheels as we walk the bikes around the side of the plantation, I can hear Melodi, Hannah and Mona chatting in the sitting room upstairs. Scratch looks up to their silhouettes through the gauzy curtains, too. He chuckles.

“What?” I ask him.

“She sure doesn’t fit in with them.” He shoots me a look to see if I agree.

“She wouldn’t stay here,” I argue, irritated.

“What dya mean?”

“If she stayed with me, she’d be with me. She’s one of us. She would hold her weight out there on the road.”

He frowns, the idea of a woman-Cipher foreign. We put the bikes next to the others and he still hasn’t said a word about my belief. But I don’t give a crap what he thinks. I know Sunshine. I know I’m right.

But it doesn’t matter.

She’s leaving in the morning.

“Your mother called.”

I step back like I’ve been hit. “What? Who is it? Who’s hurt?!”

He grabs my arm. “No, nothin’ like that. She wanted me to make you come to the wedding.”

Relieved, I chuckle and rub my jaw. “Does she think I’m still six? What the fuck, Ma?”

“Melodi talked to her since I was out. Nancy told her your dad doesn’t want you there?—”

“—No shock there.”

“—but your family does. She thinks I have more pull over you than she does now.”

This hits me hard. “I’ll call her.”

“It’s two weeks away.”

“I know! I know. I know when my own brother’s wedding is. I’ll go. My mind’s been occupied.”

The truth is it’s a good thing. This couldn’t have come at a better time. I need to see them as much as they need to see me. It’s been too long and gettin’ over Sunshine is gonna be a fuckin’ bitch. Jaxson and I need to have some beers. I want to thank Justin in person for helping us find Matias. Can’t wait to tell him about Carmen and Tonk. Tell him he’s a matchmaker. Jason can razz him for days over that one, because Justin is anything but romantic.

And Jake…gotta see him on the most important day of his life.

Just wish Jeremy could be there, too.

Scratch is about to close the garage. It’s a manual door from the olden days, the kind with a padlock, so he’s pulling on it, his eyes miles away. He always looks like that when we’re here. He’s our V.P. He gets the calls. He runs this house. Our President is in Montana – stays there most of the time now that he’s old. I don’t think twice about it. I’m just waitin.’ So when Scratch throws the door back up and strolls into the garage with purpose, I just think he forgot somethin’ inside.

“Jett, what the fuck you doin’ out there? Get in here. I got something for you to see.”

Uncrossing my arms I walk over to where he lifts a tarp off a 1966 Triumph Bonneville T120R. Whistling at it, I nod. “That’s a nice ride.”

“Yeah, bought it for Laura.” He gravely meets my eyes. “She never saw it. Fuckin’ bitch.” He turns back to gaze at the bike. “It’s too small for the men. Why don’t you give it to Sunshine?”

I blink in shock. “Scratch…”

“It’s just sittin’ here. What’s that girl got? Nothin.’ You say she can ride? Let her.”

“So she can ride right out of here,” I mutter on a long exhale.

We stare at it. He waits for me to think a minute before he side-eyeballs me. “Set it free.”

“Yeah…but it’s not comin’ back to me. Kinda hard to let go when you know that.”

“Don’t I know it,” he says on a long exhale.

Upstairs I search for Luna but can’t find her.

“That girl’s stuck up,” Melodi tells me from her doorway.

“She’s just quiet, Mel. You’re the one who’s stuck up.”

“Thanks a lot!”

“Call ‘em as I see ‘em.” I continue the search until I find Luna in the backyard staring out at fog so thick you can’t see when the lawn ends. “Hey.”

Luna whispers, “I love the moss on the oak trees.”

Walking up to her, I take in the view. “We get a lot of water here.”

“How long has this property belonged to your club?”

“Way back. And during the days of slavery, the owner worked with the old Underground Railroad.” Off Luna’s curious look, I explain, “They smuggled slaves to the North for their freedom.”

“Wow,” she breathes. “Brave!”

“A lot of people died.”

“I’m sure.”

I can’t believe I have to say goodbye to her in the morning. I’m still deep down hoping she changes her mind.

“I’ve got something to show you.”

Luna looks at me from the corners of her beautiful eyes. “What?”

I just smile and start walking. The sound of her boots in the grass follows soon after. I told Scratch to leave the garage unlocked.

Upon sight of all the Harleys lined up with style, Luna sharply breathes in.

“Amazing, right?” I tap my baby as I pass her for the Triumph.

Luna follows me and slows down to take in the white and black classic. “Wow,” she whispers, running her fingers over the smooth seat.

“It’s yours.”

Her hand freezes. “What?” She looks at me with a look I don’t understand.

At least, not yet.

“Jett, I said I can’t stay…”

“How are you going to leave? On foot?”

Fuck, it hurt to say that. Inhaling I stare back at her as she tries to understand what I’m tellin’ her.

“You’re giving me this not as a bribe but as a gift?”

Oh fuckin’ hell.

That’s what that look was.

Pissed off, I growl, “I don’t need to bribe women, Sunshine. You got that?” Turning on my heels I head out.

“Jett!” she shouts at my back.

Throwing my hand in the air I flip her off.

“JETT!” She runs up and grabs my arm. “Stop! STOP IT!”

Tugging her off me I jab my finger in the air. “You don’t want to be with me? I get it. You don’t have to treat me like fuckin’ dogshit. Jesus, woman! I’m a pretty smart motherfucker. I got the message. Did I fuckin’ touch you last night? NO. I STAYED IN MY ROOM. I invite you into my home, give you one of the coolest rides on the road so you don’t have to hitch, and what do you do? You stab me in my heart one last time. I’m done. I’m fuckin’ done. Why don’t you leave now!”

Her deep brown beauties fill up and she covers her mouth with her hands.

I feel eyes on us and cut a glance upstairs to find the women watchin’ us from the window.

“THIS AIN’T A FUCKIN’ SHOW!”

The curtains fly shut.

Digging into my jeans for the keys, I throw them to Luna. “It runs well. New tires. Scratch has O.C.D. when it comes to bikes. Gassed up and everything.”

“Jett, I…” She shakes her head and runs her hands through her hair, rubbing the shaved part a little longer like she’s remembering what I’ve done.

I wish I’d never met her.

“Bye Sunshine. Take care.”

I’m standing at one of the front windows, bracing myself with my hand on the windowpane as I stare out through the gauze. I don’t want to chance her catchin’ me watchin’ like this.

It’s some time before I see her. While I wait I picture her unloading her things from Tonk’s bike and transferring them to the Triumph. Was she cryin’ when she did it?

There’s the sound of that sweet engine.

Any second and she’ll be drivin’ off.

Fuck. This. Shit.

There she is.

I didn’t tell her she could take my extra helmet, but there she goes riding off with it, her hair braided like she learned to do before we hit San Antonio. The knots were somethin’ else, even though she said she didn’t care.

The bike suits her size. None of us guys would have wanted it. Scratch earned my respect with this move.

Again.

I guess I owe him.

Heavy boots walk up behind me and I glance over as Honey Badger hits my back, trying to lend me comfort. “Sorry, man.”

“Scratch…” I choke, unable to finish my sentence.

Honey says, “He told me what he did,” his voice low and somber.

We watch the taillight disappear into the fog.

The lump in my throat grows edges.

I just shake my head real slow like.

“Fuuuuhhhhck this.”