Page 12 of Alice & Meg: Summer Vacation (Fallen Lords MC & Devil’s Knights MC Crossover)
This was not what I wanted to happen.
Adley was in the front seat of the jet boat, but my butt was right next to hers.
“Uh, can I switch seats?”
I called to the boat driver, who looked to be about my age, tanned from long hours on the water, and clearly someone who had taken this boat out hundreds of times.
He turned around and shook his head with a grin.
“We’re full, darlin’. You can wait till the next boat if you want.”
I turned around to shoot a glare at Alice, who was seated exactly where I wanted to be, four rows back in the middle of the boat. The driest spot.
“Traitor!”
I called out.
Alice smiled sweetly.
“No, you just shared important information that I used to my advantage.”
She was sandwiched between Wrecker on one side and Cyn and Rigid on the other. That woman had planned her position like a poker player with a full house.
I turned back to the front and sighed dramatically. The front row consisted of me, Adley, Greta, and Bear. It had all happened so fast. One minute we were making our way onto the boat, and the next, I was being herded into the front like cattle to the splash zone. Lo was right behind me with Hero, Reva, and Wendy. Behind them were Slayer, Clash, and Raven.
Adley looked at me, her eyes wide.
“You said we weren’t going to get wet.”
I squeezed her hand.
“You’re going to find out in about five minutes that I am a liar for the fun of it.”
The driver, whose name tag read Tucker, adjusted his mic headset and gave us a nod.
“Welcome aboard the Thunder Jet! Get ready for an adrenaline-packed forty-four-minute ride across the beautiful Wisconsin River. We’re gonna do some power stops, fishtails, and high-speed fun. Hold on to your hats and your stomachs.”
The boat backed away from the dock, the engine hummed low before building to a rumble that vibrated under my seat.
As we moved out of the loading area, the calm water sparkled under the afternoon sun.
For the first twenty minutes, it was smooth sailing.
Tucker took us past sandstone cliffs and scenic overlooks, providing commentary as if he were hosting a travel channel special.
Eagles nested in high trees.
A heron took off from the shoreline.
The breeze was warm, and it was almost, dare I say it, peaceful.
But then Tucker leaned into the throttle.
We flew.
The boat surged forward, and then, BAM!, Tucker yanked the throttle back. The entire front of the boat dipped, and water exploded up and over the front, dumping a wave of icy lake water right onto us.
“OH MY GOD!”
Adley shrieked.
It hit so hard and fast, I could do nothing but gasp and sputter. I pushed wet hair out of my eyes and heard Alice and Cyn cackling from four rows back.
“Oh my god,”
Adley gasped, blinking water from her lashes.
“It’s like we just jumped in the pool.”
“You good?”
I shouted, half laughing.
Adley nodded, already giggling. Greta and Bear were both laughing too, wiping their faces and shaking water from their arms.
Before I could adjust, Tucker spun the wheel hard.
We fishtailed so sharply I felt my ass come up off the seat, and another wall of water slammed into the front row.
“I TOLD YOU!”
I yelled, my voice half drowned out by the engine and the roar of laughter.
Then he did it again. This time, water arced over us, hit the windshield, and ricocheted into the center rows. I whipped around just in time to see Alice and Cyn get drenched.
Alice wiped water from her face and raised her middle finger at me with a grin. Cyn was laughing so hard she was doubled over.
“You doing good?”
I called out.
“You’re dead to me!”
Alice shouted, still smiling.
“I guess no one is safe on the jet boat,”
I said through my own laughter.
Tucker kept the speed going, doing donut-style spins that made the whole boat lean to the side. Water kept sloshing in from every direction. Everyone screamed, laughed, and shouted. It was chaos, soaking wet, and one of the most fun damn things we’d done so far.
By the time we finally looped back toward the dock, we were all dripping like we’d just done a group cannonball.
We climbed off the boat one by one, soggy and soaked to the bone.
“You don’t think you could have told us to bring towels?”
Raven grumbled as she wrung out the bottom of her shirt.
I laughed and shook like a dog, sending droplets everywhere.
“The ride back to the motel will dry us.”
We trudged up the stairs like drowned rats. Our clothes squished, our shoes squeaked, and poor Adley was still trying to wring out her hair.
“I’m going to get a wet spot on your seat, Bear,” she said.
Greta snorted.
“It won’t be the first time.”
Bear closed his eyes and sighed.
“Sometimes you could not say what comes to mind, baby.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Greta shot back, grinning.
Alice let out a groan.
“Please tell me we are not planning on going out for dinner.”
I shook my head.
“Nope. I knew this was going to happen, so I planned on grilling out by the pool.”
“Yes!”
Reva shouted.
“That sounds perfect.”
Everyone started moving toward the bikes and the Bronco. My shorts clung to my thighs like wet paper, but I didn’t even care. The sun was starting to dip in the sky, casting a golden hue across the lake, and even though we looked like we’d just been tossed in like dirty laundry, everyone was smiling.
Adley, Bear, and Greta climbed into the Bronco, while the rest of us mounted the bikes. Engines rumbled to life around me, and I leaned into Lo as he reached back and gave my knee a squeeze.
“Still like the jet boat?” he asked.
I snorted.
“Yes, but that will be the last time I ever tell anyone my strategy on where to sit.”
We peeled out of the lot, a convoy of soaked bikers headed back to the Flamingo Inn, where dry clothes, burgers, and maybe a drink or two were waiting.
And if we got a few stares on the way back? Well, we earned them.