Freedom Ride, page 8
I would have made a run for it, but Doc and Marty were with Jonas, and as much as I was terrified, I wasn’t going to leave them behind.
I shifted into drive and slowly turned into the parking lot. “Here we go,” I whispered.
The car rolled into the parking lot, and I parked to the right of the front door. I grabbed my purse off the floor and hitched it over my shoulder as I got out. I could hear talking and laughing at Doc and Marty in the backyard.
I wasn’t surprised that Doc and Marty went willingly with Jonas. They both read my mood and feelings, and I hadn’t let off that I was scared of Jonas. Just a little bit hesitant. Obviously, that wasn’t an emotion Doc and Marty picked up on.
After I wandered around the side of the building, I was surprised to see a large fenced-in area with a hot tub, fire pit, and numerous chairs spread around.
“There she is,” Jonas called. He was standing next to the firepit with a frisbee in his hand. “I was wondering if I was going to have to drag you out of your car or if we were going to hang out in there.” He tossed the frisbee, and the boys chased after it.
“Where did you get a frisbee from?” I asked. Yeah, that was what my mind was worried about. Never mind the fact that the man I had pretty much fallen in love with over the past three years through letters was standing in front of me. Tell me more about the frisbee. My lord.
Jonas smirked and shrugged. “Reva. She’s got two silver labs right now that are her babies. They go wherever she goes.”
“I bet Doc and Marty would love to play with them.” Why was I talking about my dogs? There were so many other things I needed to say, but here we were, talking about dogs.
“Maybe she can bring them over in a couple of days,” Jonas suggested.
I nodded and watched Doc bring the frisbee back with Marty hot on his heels.
“How long do you think you’re going to freak out in your head?” Jonas grabbed the frisbee and tossed it again.
“Uh, well...” I cleared my throat and shook my hands out. “I’m not freaking out. I just don’t know what to say.” I was totally freaking out. I was a ten out of ten on the freak-out scale.
Jonas nodded. “Well, why don’t you talk to me like you’re writing a letter?” he suggested. “Tell me about your drive. Were the boys good?”
I opened my mouth and instantly closed it.
He threw the frisbee again and half turned away from me. He wasn’t trying to rush me. He was going to let me talk and warm up to him on my own terms.
“Uh, well, the boys were good. Marty loves to ride and always has to be in the front seat. Doc prefers to be in the back and patrol the back seat through each window. We stopped twice for them to stretch their legs. The ride was pretty. I mean, Wisconsin is pretty much like Iowa, with lots of fields and cows, but it was nice. Rockton is nice. It’s much bigger than Clinton, but it still feels like a small town.”
Jonas nodded and grabbed the frisbee from Marty. “Yeah, we got everything you could need, but we all pretty much know each other. Well,” he laughed, “at least everyone knows who the Devil’s Knights are.”
I nodded and slowly scanned the backyard. “Is that Pole Stars back there?” I asked. There was a large, long building with a huge star on top.
“That is Pole Stars, Indiana’s pride and joy.”
I nodded and motioned to the other large building that was connected to the clubhouse. “And Knights Garage?” Jonas had told me all about Pole Stars, Knights Garage, and Sultry Knights. It was crazy to actually see them.
“You got it, babe. And you probably drove by Sultry Knights on the way into town.”
“You wanna know why I’m so afraid?” I blurted.
Jonas fully turned toward me and nodded.
“It’s because all of these places have been like a fantasy for me the past three years. You told me all about them, and they just lived inside my head. The fact that King or one of your brothers is inside that building working on restoring an old car or Indiana is over at Pole Stars teaching a class blows my mind.” I let out a laugh. “All of this is real, Jonas.” I motioned between us. “I’m here, and so are you.”
A slow, sexy smile spread across his lips. “There isn’t anywhere else in the world I would rather be right now.”
I chewed on my bottom lip and nodded. “Me, too.”
Me freaking, too.
Chapter Seventeen
Snapper
“And this is the kitchen. My bedroom is down the hallway, along with everyone else’s.”
“This is all exactly how you described it,” she laughed. She ran her fingers along the countertop and sighed. “Exactly.”
“No use in lying about where I lived when you were going to see it with your own eyes.” And it wasn’t that hard to describe. The clubhouse was a pretty easy layout with the common room in the middle with the bar and kitchen, and then the rooms surrounded the common room. Pretty much a big ass square.
She leaned against the counter and folded her arms over her chest. “So.”
I chuckled. “So.”
She was wearing white sneakers, cutoff jean shorts that were frayed on the ends, and a white tank top. Her tattoos were on display, and each time I looked at her, my eyes found a new one I hadn’t seen yet. Her light pink hair was piled on top of her head, with messy pieces spilling out around her face.
She reminded me of Tinkerbell but with a rocker edge to her. She had offhandedly mentioned she was goth lite, and that was pretty accurate.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she whispered.
I looked around and didn’t even know how to say what I was feeling. “Uh, I’m good, babe.” In a nutshell.
“Jonas,” she laughed. “I’m going to need more than that.”
“Well, tell me what you’re thinking while I try to better say what I’m thinking.” It wasn’t going to happen, but I might as well buy some more time before I just tell her I’m good again.
“I think everything is exactly like you said, and I don’t know how that is possible. The way you wrote to me and the things you told me are exactly what they are.” She motioned around the clubhouse. “The only thing I haven’t seen yet is your club, but I’m sure they are going to be just what you said they were. Meg feeding everyone. King being slightly grumpy but friendly. Your cousins and uncles being crazy and cracking jokes all the time, and their wives reigning them in while they’re also being crazy themselves.”
“Sassy,” I whispered. “All of the girls have a high level of sass in them. Even the little ones that can’t even talk or walk yet.”
“Sassy,” she laughed. “I’ll have to remember that.”
“What about me?” I asked. “What do you think about me?”
Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she fidgeted with the hem of her shorts. “Uh, well, you’re just...” She cleared her throat and pushed off the counter. She paced toward me and then turned back around. “You’re Jonas,” she whispered. She glanced at me over her shoulder. “And I like it.” She reached the counter and turned back to me. Her step faltered, but she recovered without falling on her face. “You look exactly like your pictures, but you seem happier than you did in them.”
“Well, that I would believe. Nolan took those in the dayroom, babe. Not exactly the happiest place on earth.”
She smiled shyly and tipped her head. “Fair enough. I guess it’s good you seem happier then.” She stopped in front of me and smiled shyly. “What about me, now?”
“You’re gorgeous. You’re even better than your pictures. Your voice is sweet like honey, and the blue hues in your eyes dance when you smile or laugh. When you talk to Doc and Marty, you absolutely radiate love. You’re my Lennox,” I finished.
“Wow,” Lennox whispered. “I was good with the written word, and you are just killing it speaking.”
I reached out and held my hand out to her. We hadn’t touched or even hugged yet. I didn’t want to scare her away. I wanted her to come to me on her own terms.
She laid her hand in mine, and I wrapped my fingers around hers. “Hi,” I whispered.
Her eyes connected with mine, and a soft smile touched her lips. “Hello.”
With each beat of my heart, I feel our connection. Her skin against mine felt like electricity coursing through me. This was what I hoped it would be like, but was afraid to think about it too much.
I didn’t know if I deserved to feel this after the things I had done in my life, but I wasn’t going to run from it. If this is what I was supposed to have, then I was going to take it all and never give it back.
She stepped toward me and laid her other hand on my chest. “I’ve thought about this moment forever, Jonas. Some days, I didn’t think it would ever happen,” she confessed.
I dropped her hand and wrapped my arms around her waist. “You’re all I thought about the past three years, Lennox. You gave me something to live for.”
Her eyes drifted shut, and she face-planted into my chest.
“Babe?” I laughed.
“Jonas,” she whined. “How are you so good at this? You’ve literally melted my heart twice in the past five minutes,” she mumbled into my chest. “I’m so awkward and struggling not to pass out from how hot you are.”
I hooked my finger under her chin and tipped her head back until her eyes connected with mine. “Got a lot of making up to do, babe. You were the one who was good with the letters. I just fumbled my way through them, praying you would write me back.”
“I would have pretty much had to die to stop writing you. Even when I felt like crap or was so tired from work, I still wrote to you. Heck,” she laughed, “I still have one letter for you.”
“You have a letter for me?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I wrote it this morning, but you can’t read it because I’m not even sure I want you to have it. I pretty much just word-vomited all over the paper and shoved it into an envelope.”
“Babe,” I drawled.
“I know, I know,” she sighed. “I can just tell you everything instead of writing it down now, but I’m just better when I write it. I like to be able to see in front of me what I’m saying.”
“So you can change it if you want to?” I guessed.
She let out a laugh and patted my chest. “I wish that was what I was doing, but from all the rambling I have done the past three years, you have to know I wasn’t trying to say the right and perfect things. I’m pretty sure I told you when Doc clotheslined me, and I landed face-first in a fresh pile of poo.”
“Yeah,” I sighed, “That was a pretty shitty letter.”
“Ha, ha,” she laughed. “I’m just saying I don’t write you letters because I want them to be perfect. I write you letters so I can see in black and white what I’m saying and feeling.”
“So what did you say and feel in the letter you wrote me this morning?” I asked.
She shook her head and smiled. “I don’t know if that letter will ever see the light of day.”
“Please?” I whispered. “I loved every single one of your letters. I’m sure I’ll love that one.”
She shook her head and chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe someday.”
That was better than a solid no. And hey, someday could be tomorrow.
Her hand trailed up my chest and traced over the tattoo on my neck. “How much did this hurt?” she asked.
“I don’t remember. I got it when I turned eighteen.”
“I like it,” she whispered.
“What was your first tattoo, babe?”
She raised her hand and pointed to the small bird on her middle finger. “I took flipping the bird literally.”
“Lennox,” I laughed. “You have no idea how funny that is, and something Meg or one of the girls would do.”
“I mean, I like it, but it’s pretty funny that this was my first tattoo.”
I grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss on the tiny bird. Her skin was soft beneath my lips, and I felt her breath hitch. I turned her hand and kissed the palm of her hand. I savor the warmth of her, and with each press of my lips, our connection grows. Our eyes meet, and a flicker of passion flares in her eyes.
“Jonas,” she gasped.
At that moment, I knew I would never be the same after Lennox.
A loud knock sounded, and the moment broke between us.
I closed my eyes and sighed.
“Is that the pizza?” she asked.
I dropped her hand and stepped back. I missed her touch and didn’t care who was at the damn door. “Leave it at the door,” I called.
“Jonas,” Lennox laughed. “You have to pay for it.”
I scowled and pulled out my wallet. “We’re going to figure out how to order on those apps, Lennox. I don’t need pizza interrupting my time with you.”
“We have plenty of time, Jonas.”
A lifetime wouldn’t be enough with Lennox.
She followed me to the door, and I yanked it open.
Chapter Eighteen
Lennox
“Dude, whoa,” the pizza guy gasped. “Did I just step into Sons of Anarchy?”
I smothered a laugh with the back of my hand and watched Jonas thrust two twenties at the kid.
“Can I get a tour?” the guy asked. “I have fifteen minutes before my next delivery.”
Doc and Marty ambled over to me and sat on each side of me. I scratched each of their heads, and they grunted their approval.
The boys had been amazing. They followed Jonas and me around while he gave me a tour, and when we finally stayed in one place, they both sprawled out on the couch and took a snooze.
“No tour, kid. If you want in the clubhouse, think about becoming a prospect. The club is looking,” Jonas informed him. He grabbed the two pizza boxes from him and stepped back.
“Snapper!” a woman called out.
“Fuck,” Jonas muttered. “Get lost, kid. Come back tomorrow if you want to prospect.”
“Wait,” the woman called.
Jonas kicked the door shut and struggled to turn the lock.
The door was pushed open, and a pretty woman with blond hair walked in. “What in the heck are you doing slamming the door on me?” she demanded.
Panic ripped at my chest. Oh, gosh. Who was this woman, and why was she so mad that Jonas had shut the door on her? Was it a woman from his past?
“Not looking for company tonight, Reva.” Jonas held the door open. “Leave.”
“Is that the way you talk to your future prez’s ol’ lady?” she asked. She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. She blinked rapidly and then busted into a fit of laughter. “I almost didn’t laugh.”
“Right,” Jonas drawled. “Why don’t you go outside and practice not laughing?”
Reva was married to Hero. Or was it Pie? I knew the names, but I sometimes struggled to put one and one together to get the right two.
Reva smiled at me, and then her eyes dropped to Doc and Marty. “Oh. My. God,” she gasped. “Who are these handsome fellas?” she cried. She dropped to her knees, and Marty and Doc pounced on her.
“Boys,” I called. They could get a little too excited and possibly take a person out.
“Oh my gosh,” Reva laughed. “You guys are so lovable.”
Marty let out a bark and turned a quick circle before going back to smother Reva with kisses.
“Down,” I called.
“I know I should tell them to get down,” Reva agreed, “but I also have come to the realization that if the way I’m supposed to go out is by too many dog kisses, then god take me now.” She wrapped her arms around Doc, and he leaned all his weight into her and knocked her over.
“Reva,” Snapper called.
“Stop,” she laughed as Marty licked her face, and Doc took interest in her pocket. “I don’t have any treats,” she called.
Jonas looked at me helplessly, and I shrugged.
This was entertaining. I loved people who fully embraced Doc and Marty’s craziness.
“What are you doing here, Reva?” he asked.
Reva managed to sit on her knees while Doc and Marty both sniffed her pockets. “I was going to invite you over for dinner.”
Jonas held up the pizza boxes. “We’re good.”
“I can see that,” she smiled. “I also didn’t know you had company.”
“That’s because if I told anyone that I had company, you all would be over here.” He motioned to me. “Reva, this is Lennox and her dogs Marty and Doc.”
“No,” Reva gasped. “How do you guys have such perfect names?” she cooed. “Should have brought Clover and Grover over to play with, huh, boys?”
Doc barked and placed his paw on her arm.
“That means yes,” I laughed.
“I see that,” Reva smiled. “You boys are so smart.”
“Reva,” Jonas called.
“I’m going, Snapper,” she mumbled. “I can’t help it if your girlfriend has the cutest dogs ever, and they love me.” She managed to stand and wiped her hands on her pants. “And you’re invited over for dinner tomorrow, and you can’t say no.” She wagged her finger at Jonas. “No excuses.” She turned to me and waved. “It was nice to meet you. Your boys are invited to dinner, also.”
“Uh, okay. We’ll be there,” I replied. “Can I bring anything?”
Reva shook her head and grabbed the door. “Just you and the puppies.” She glanced at Jonas. “And you can bring him as long as he isn’t cranky.” She pulled the door shut behind her, and Jonas flipped the lock.
“You tell no one you were here,” Jonas called.
“We’ll see about that,” Reva called. “See you tomorrow.”
“Uh, that was nice to meet her,” I whispered.
Jonas grunted and turned from the door. “We probably only have tonight before we get infiltrated by everyone.” He stalked into the kitchen with Doc and Marty following close behind.
“Okay?”
Jonas shook his head and set the pizza on the counter. “It is okay, Lennox, except I wanted as much time with you alone before I had to start sharing you with everyone.”
