Since I was a less-is-more kind of guy when it came to packing, I finished with my rucksack earlier than the others. Leaning back against the seat of my bike, I watched as my brothers and their old ladies, girlfriends, and sweet butts scurried around.
Across from me, Deacon had squatted down to address a pouting Willow. “Do you really have to go, Daddy?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, but I do.” He cupped her chin. “But don’t be sad. You’ll barely have time to miss me, since I’ll be back at the end of the weekend.”
“Promise?”
Deacon smiled as he pulled Willow into his arms. “I promise.”
“And you’ll bring me something back, right, Daddy?”
I chuckled at her request. All of us knew Willow’s expectations for presents if we were gone more than a day. We wouldn’t dream of disappointing her, so we always got her something.
Deacon pulled away to eye Willow. “You’re a spoiled little shit, you know that?”
“Deacon!” Alexandra’s voice admonished him from behind them. She bounced baby Wyatt in her arms as she gave Deacon a disapproving look.
“Sorry, babe,” he replied, smirking.
Although the trip was primarily about business, it didn’t mean that the women were excluded. Since she had the baby, Alexandra would be staying behind, along with Annabel, who had some vet school work. She was currently wrapped in Rev’s arms, gazing up at him and smiling. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the utter domesticated pussies Rev and Deacon had become.
But there was a part of me—one I didn’t much like to admit to—that kinda envied them. In our world that seemed to constantly tilt and turn, it would be nice to have someone you could count on who wasn’t one of your brothers. Considering that I ran like hell when it came to commitment, I didn’t hold out much hope of me having what my brothers had. It didn’t help matters that the one woman lately who got my blood up and running was fucking unattainable.
Searching through the crowd, I easily spotted Samantha’s jet-black hair shining in the early-morning light. It was the first time I had seen her since the night we met. Even though I hadn’t seen her, she had certainly been on my mind. She looked just as good in person again as she did in my fantasies. I shifted my dick in my pants at the sight of her body in the painted-on jeans, a skintight black AC/DC T-shirt, and knee-high boots. With a cup of coffee in hand, she watched Joe and Marley as they double-checked the van. It was almost as if she sensed me looking at her, because she jerked her head and met my gaze. As I threw up a hand, she rewarded me with a smile and a wave.
Wishing to put her out of my mind, I pushed off my bike and walked over to my brothers.
“Are we ready?” I asked Rev.
Without taking his eyes off Annabel, he replied, “Archer’s doing the final run-through. Once he clears us, we’re ready to go.”
I nodded. Before I was made sergeant at arms, I had been the road captain, as Archer was now. Big runs like today’s were always such a pain in the ass to coordinate. You had to plan ahead where your stops would be, because with such a large group, you couldn’t just make a stop out of nowhere, and there was always the factor of finding biker-friendly places.
A few minutes later Archer strode up to us. “All set. Everyone knows the route formation and the stops.”
Rev reluctantly pulled away from Annabel to pat Archer on the back. “You’re a good man.” He then turned to the waiting crowd. Raising a hand over his head, he called, “All right, boys, we’re pulling out.”
Cheers and catcalls rang out among the guys, followed by the gunning of motorcycle engines. I waved to my sisters-in-law, gave Willow and Mama Beth a hug, and then slid onto the back of my bike. Once Rev and Deacon pulled out into the road, our secretary and treasurer, Mac and Boone, followed them. Then it was my turn, followed by the next-ranking member, which in this case was Breakneck because of both his age and his years in the club.
Although it had been a number of years since Breakneck went on a run, he had felt his presence was required on this one. If he was needed, he fully intended to testify in front of the officers about what had happened to his daughter, Sarah, which led to us going after Annabel and our deal with the Rodriguez cartel. I was glad to see that Kim was going along with him. On the outside, they had little in common—the doctor and the former stripper. But they were bound together by the MC world and the tragic shit that had happened to them. While they hadn’t been together long, he probably thought she would be good moral support, not to mention a good time, since Kim was fun as hell.
At the very end of the line was Archer, who had to ride last as road captain, and then pulling up the rear was the van that held Jolting Joe, Marley, and Samantha.
We pulled into Stuckey’s, one of our Tennessee favorites, at a little before ten. The mom-and-pop diner was a favorite among truckers as well as bikers. After grabbing a quick breakfast and taking a break to piss, we assembled back outside.
When I got to my bike, Samantha stood waiting on me with a bright smile. “Hey there.”
“Hey yourself.”
“It’s good to see you again. Marley and I sure had a good time the other night.”
“So did I.”
She ran her hands over the handlebars of my bike. “You have a real sweet ride.”
I couldn’t help beaming at her praise. “Thanks. I rebuilt this one.”
Samantha’s dark eyes widened. “Get out.”
“No. I really did.”
Shaking her head slowly, she said, “You do have a talent.”