Page 53 of Ride Forever

“I’d rather be hard.”

“Typical.”

Turning, I set my bag on the end of my bed and dusted off the front of my T-shirt.

“You’re very happy,” Chaser declared. “After this morning, I was expecting to have a fight with a wildcat.”

“Ironically, I feel safe here despite the memories.”

“The air is different.” He glanced around, taking in the room.

“Maybe staying here wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” I murmured.

“What about Montana?”

I shrugged. “When I think about the people here, the ones left behind…” I sighed and thought about Gasket. He’d been the father I’d never had, though we hadn’t been close in years. Not until I’d come back with Chaser. After my mom had died, Gasket had become the fun uncle, making sure I was kept away from the violence of the club, had food in my belly, and was safe from wandering hands. The night I ran away, I realized he’d been more of a dad to me than my biological one. It was a shame it had taken such a drastic event for me to realize it, but we were here now.

“Wherever you want to go, I’ll follow,” Chaser murmured. “Montana, LA, fucking Siberia.”

“There’s no way in hell I’m going to Siberia. I hate the constant heat, but that’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“I was going for remoteness.”

“A shack in the woods would’ve been remote enough.” I began to have visions of rugged mountain men and a lumberjack Chaser throwing me over his shoulder.That wouldn’t be so bad, I thought.

He grinned and sat on the bed, patting the mattress beside him. “Let me tell you about my plan. It’ll have to be revised now the Hollow Riders are a thing.”

I sat next to him, my leg pressing against his, and relished his warmth. I stared at our boots, both laces stained with red dust, and nodded.

“Let’s go out with a bang, huh?”

Chaser grinned and knocked his boot into mine. “I was planning on it.”