Page 10 of Fang (Lotus MC: San Antonio #2)

C lass sucked today.

Not only is it a class I share with douchebag Zak, but I feel like I tossed and turned all night, which made me feel cranky. Everything has been setting me off today. From my shirt getting caught while I was trying to get it over my head to the rock that somehow ended up in my shoe.

I even got irrationally upset at the lock on my door not turning right.

My period must be coming. That’s the only time I feel this on edge.

Nothing a little nap can’t fix. I just need to get home first.

Another reason I hate this class, it’s not on the main campus. It’s on a satellite campus across town. Had it been on the main campus, I could have walked to class and would already be home.

I’m humming to some pop hit on the radio when there is a slight pause between songs.

That’s when I hear it.

The tire doesn’t sound right. The car has been a little wobbly this morning, but I was hoping if I ignored it, it would go away. Pulling over to the side of the road, I step out and check over my tires. I see the problem immediately.

One of my tires is going flat.

“Fuck,” I groan.

I really wanted that nap.

Pulling out my phone, I search for a video to change my tire. It doesn’t look too hard, I’m just not sure if I have the tools to do it.

Opening my trunk, I look for the most important thing. The spare tire.

When I bought the car, the salesman did tell me there was a spare in the trunk, but I never looked at it. I’m regretting it now as I stare down at it.

There’s no way I can use this tire. Even I’m not dumb enough to think it’s usable with the way the rubber looks cracked.

It’s always pouring in my life. It never just rains.

I let out a guttural scream as I feel my nerves on the surface of my skin. If little things upset me before, this is about to send me into a nuclear detonation.

I take a few deep breaths to try to calm down. Losing it won’t help me.

I’m considering my options when I hear a motorcycle pass me. I didn’t even bother to look, so depressed as I stared into my trunk.

Then the motorcycle comes back. This time I do look up, surprised to find Fang.

He stops in front of my car, kicking the kickstand to hold the bike up as he walks toward me. That shouldn’t be so attractive to me, but it is. He is.

“You have a flat, huh? I can get it changed for you.”

I suck in a breath trying to keep the tears at bay.

“You could if the spare wasn’t also fucked,” I tell him.

He comes to my side, looking into the trunk. He winces.

“Dry-rotted. How long has it been in here?” He asks, no judgment.

That helps settle my nerves.

“It was in here when I bought it seven months ago. I never looked at it. Rookie mistake, I guess.”

He pats my shoulder. “No worries. I’ll get it taken care of.”

He pulls out his phone and calls someone.

“Hey, yeah, get me a tow truck out to the location I’m about to pin drop you.

Take it to the tire shop. Yep. Thanks.” Then he hangs up and calls someone else.

“Hey Antonio, I need a favor. I have a car coming in. The tire is flat and the spare is dry-rotted. Can you take care of it? Yeah, whatever the car needs. Got it. Thanks.”

He turns to me and smiles, “All taken care of.”

I shake my head. “So easy for you. I can’t afford all of that, you know.”

“Don’t worry about it. Where were you headed? I can give you a ride.” He puts his hands in his pocket as he leans against the car.

I don’t want to admit I was headed home to take a nap. I don’t want him to see any cracks in me.

“I just finished class. Was headed home.”

He pushes off the car. “Great. It’ll take a couple of hours for your car to be done, so let’s go get some food.”

“What about my car? I don’t want to leave it here. What if someone steals it?” I ask him.

I don’t add that it’s all I have.

He heads to his bike, rummaging through his saddlebag before coming back. He peels what looks like a sticker as he places it on the back window in the bottom corner. When he pulls away the back, I see the same Lotus MC logo on his jacket now reflected on my car.

“Why did you do that?” I whisper.

“You were worried about your car. Now anyone that messes with it would be risking the wrath of the club. It’s safety for the car and, by extension, for you as well.”

“I…” I trail off.

I have no idea what to say to that. It’s actually kind of comforting to know that I have the protection of the club even if it’s something small like this. I like even more that he didn’t even hesitate to give it to me.

Safety.

I feel safe.

It’s an illusion. I know that sticker isn’t going to actually stop someone from hurting me if that is their intention, but it gives me peace of mind.

“You can say thank you. I know you have had to live life by yourself up to this point, but you aren’t alone anymore. Stripping might not be your end goal, but you have family there,” he tells me.

He’s wrong. Everyone there hates me. Well, at least the girls. The men seem to love me. Him and Happy are the only two who seem to actually enjoy my company. I don’t correct him, though.

Instead, I bow my head a little. “Thank you.”

The words are hard for me to say. I’m not used to being able to say them.

“You’re welcome. Let’s go.”

He leads me over to his bike. That’s when I realize what he is saying.

He wants to get me on the back of his bike.

Oh, fuck.

I couldn’t believe it when I saw Cami on the side of the road. At first, I was upset with her because this isn’t the safest part of town. Then I stopped and saw the look on her face and realized that she was more upset than I could ever be.

Immediately, I wanted to make it all better for her. Solve all of her problems and see her smile again. Especially when I could tell she was barely holding her tears back.

So I took control and used my connections to get her taken care of. She is worried about money, but both businesses are club-owned, which means it won’t cost her a dime because it won’t cost me a dime. Not that I would have let her pay even if it did cost me money.

“Isn’t there like rules about girls on bikes and stuff?” she whispers, looking uneasy as she stands at my bike.

There is. I’m not surprised she has heard about it because the girls at the club are all aiming to claim a patch of their own. I know they’ve been asking the guys things about being a woman in the club.

“Usually, yes. Only your old lady would ride on the back, but in extenuating circumstances you can make an exception.” I hand her my helmet. “Here, wear this.”

She holds it, unsure.

“If you aren’t comfortable, I can get you an Uber home and bring you your car when it’s done,” I tell her, hating the indecision on her face.

She shakes her head. “I don’t know how to put this on. I’ve never been on a bike before.”

The thrill that shoots through my body at knowing I’ll be giving her an experience she has never felt before.

I’ll be her first.

“It’s okay. Let me help you.”

I take the helmet back and place it on her head. I pull her neck up so I can see the strap. It takes me a few minutes to get it fitted for her, but once I do, I smile at her.

“How does it feel?” I ask.

“Weird, but good,” she admits.

I flip her visor down.“Good. Now where are your keys?” I ask her.

“In the car. I need my purse too,” she tells me.

I nod. “Wait here.”

Quickly, I grab her purse then lock the car, leaving the key on the back tire for my guys. Then I go back to the bike and put her purse in my saddlebag. I’m glad she only keeps a small one. Another reason I like her. She’s simple.

“Okay, I’m going to get on the bike and take it off the kickstand. Then you are going to climb on behind me. I’ll let you know when to climb.”

She nods. “What about a helmet for you?”

“Don’t worry about me, little dancer,” I tell her, flicking the visor.

She grumbles but doesn’t say a word.

I do as I explained to her, telling her when to get on. She tries to sit away from me, but I reach back, grabbing her arms and pulling her forward so her front is plastered to my back. Then I press her hands into my chest.

She keeps them there as I turn on the bike and head toward a little mom-and-pop place I love to eat.

Part of me wants to fly like I usually do, but the other part wants to savor having her on the back of my bike. I’ve never allowed anyone on the back of my bike. I don’t think it would feel the same if it was any girl, though.

No, Cami is special. I knew it the moment she walked into my club with all of her demands. The first time I watched her dance. Seeing her upset in my office.

She’s someone I want to get to know more.

Finally, we pull up outside the little deli. I turn off the bike and hold my hand out for Cami to step off.She does, her legs shaking as she stands next to the bike. I put my hands on her hips to steady her.

“Thanks,” she says, her hands trying to take off the helmet.

I push her back a step before getting off the bike. I grab her hands, setting them on my own hips as I undo her helmet. Pulling it off, I smirk at the way her hair flies wildly. She looks like a biker chick in this moment.

She looks like she could be mine.

Those thoughts have been sneaking into my thoughts more and more over the past couple of days.

She shyly pulls her hands away when she is steady.“Thank you.”

“Of course,” I tell her, leading her inside.

“It’s my favorite child finally showing back up,” Mrs. Landry says as soon as I walk through the door.

“Nice to see you too. I haven’t been gone forever,” I tell her.

“Two weeks. Not even a peep from you. I was starting to worry,” she tells me, moving to hug me.

I hug her back before I step into Cami’s side.

“Mrs. Landry, this is my friend Cami. Cami, Mrs. Landry makes the best BLT sandwiches in the state.”

Mrs. Landry blushes. “You stop with all that. Flirting isn’t going to get you out of trouble. Nice to meet you, dear. You can call me Selene. I try telling him that, but he refuses to.”

“It’s a sign of respect,” I tell her.

Cami chuckles. “Nice to meet you, Selene. You have a wonderful place here.”

“Thank you. I like her. Keep her,” Mrs. Landry tells me. “Go sit. I will bring your guest a menu.”

I don’t contradict her. I simply lead Cami to a table in the back, placing my back to the wall so I can keep an eye on the door.

“She seems to like you. I thought she was your mother at first,” Cami says.

“She feels like it sometimes. I wish I had someone as warm and loving as her as a mother. Maybe I wouldn’t have joined an MC. Then again, the MC is my family and I can’t imagine life without them. It’s funny the way that works,” I tell her, hating talking about my parents.

She’s silent a moment before she mumbles, “It is. You’re lucky to have them.”

It makes me hurt for her.

“How did you like the ride?” I change the subject.

She perks up. “It was surprisingly fun. I always thought of motorcycles as death traps, but you really know how to control it. I never once felt unsafe.”

“Good. Next time maybe we can take a longer ride and I can show you some of the tricks I know.”

She shakes her head. “I said I felt safe, but I don’t think I’m ready for tricks yet.”

I laugh, loving being with her right now.

“Here is the menu, dear,” Mrs. Landry says, interrupting us.

“No need,” Cami says. “I trust him. I’ll take a BLT and a glass of water.”

Mrs. Landry’s eyes sparkle. “Smart girl. I’ll be back shortly.”

“I hope you are right about this,” Cami teases.

“If I’m not, I give you permission to punish me for leading you astray.” I put my hand on my chest.

“Why do I have a hard time believing that you could ever lead me astray?” she asks, tilting her head.

“Maybe because I would never,” I admit.

She stares at me like she wants to believe me. In this moment, I can see that there is something between us. Some energy flowing from her to me and back again. It could be something real.

My phone rings, breaking the moment. I curse in my head when I see it’s the tire shop. I’m not ready for this date to end.

“Hey, Antonio,” I answer.

“Hey. Bad news. She needs all four tires. Since it’s for you, I want to put the best on, but I don’t have all four in stock. I can get them here in a couple of days. What do you want to do?”

I look over at Cami. She deserves nothing but the best. I want her safe. Besides, if she doesn’t have a car, maybe I can steal some more time with her.

“Do what you have to. Only the best for this one,” I tell him.

“Got it. I’ll call you when I get them in and it’s done.”

“Thanks, man,” I tell him, hanging up the phone.

Mrs. Landry comes by, dropping our food and drinks off. Once she is gone, I turn back to Cami.

“Bad news. They had to order your tire in. Guess you are stuck with me for a few days.”

She frowns. “Stuck with you?”

I smile, spreading my arms. “You’re looking at your chauffeur.”

She scoffs. “I can take a rideshare.”

“And risk your life. Haven’t you heard of those girls who have to leave fingerprints or hair behind to solve their murder because they got into a stranger’s car and got kidnapped and killed?”

“Abducted,” she murmurs, looking down at her plate.

“What?”

“Abducted. It’s not kidnapped.” She looks up at me.

“Okay. I stand corrected.”

She sighs. “Okay.”

I smile wider. “Good.”

I pick up my sandwich, watching as she does the same. She moans as soon as she bites into it, making my dick harden.

“This is so good,” she says through the food in her mouth.

“I told you.”

“You were right.” Her eyes soften.

Fuck it.

Yeah, this is the start of something new. Something good.

I hope she’s along for the ride.