Page 5 of Shine: Sins of the Father (Evil Dead MC: Second Generation #8)

“That’s pretty far. We’re safe, right?” I ask.

The clerk’s eyes shift to me. “Depends which way the wind blows and how fast it moves. A wildfire can travel as fast as fourteen miles an hour.”

“So, it could be on us in less than four hours?” Shine glances toward the door.

“I’m not saying it’s headed this way. Right now, the wind is keeping it moving south, but that can change. I’m just saying it’d be smart to keep the news on.”

“Hell, I don’t even know if the cabin’s got a TV that works,” Shine murmurs.

“It does. I had it on before you came,” I quickly add.

The clerk nods. “I’d keep the news station on all night. And watch the sky. You smell smoke, then the wind’s shifted this way.”

“Thanks,” Shine says, then pays and grabs the beer and the paper bag of supplies, and we return to the bike.

Glancing back, I lift a brow. “You worried?”

“Nah. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

I nod, knowing the odds are we will be. “So, you fish, huh?”

He squats to load the saddlebags. “My dad used to take me when I was little.”

“Are you and your father close?”

“We were until I joined the club. That pissed him off. We didn’t talk for years.”

“And now? Did you work it out?”

“Nope. Now he’s dead.”

My smile falters. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was he sick?”

“Yeah. Heart failure.”

He doesn’t seem like he wants to talk about it, so I don’t pry.

When he latches the saddlebags closed, he stands and hands me the helmet that obviously belonged to someone he cared about—someone he cared about enough to keep the helmet, perhaps in the chance they’d come back.

The sudden thought occurs to me that maybe that girl is dead, too.

Maybe they had a wreck, and she was hurt.

My mind always seems to run away with me, and I put the brakes on.

I need to stop making up scenarios that probably aren’t true.

Still, as I stare at the cute little pink heart sticker, I can’t help but wonder about her.

We mount up and head out.

The sun has climbed in the sky, and the return ride is warmer. I’m sad when it’s over too soon, and Shine turns in the gravel drive.

When we get inside, I pull out an iron skillet and get busy frying up the bacon. While it’s sizzling in the pan, I make a pot of coffee, then scramble some eggs.

Shine flicks on the television and finds a news station.

“You worried?” I look over my shoulder to where he stands in front of the flat screen.

“When isn’t there a wildfire in California, right?” He tries to make light of it, but he’s closely studying the map they’ve put up.

I finish cooking breakfast, and the entire time Shine is glued to the news.

Carrying the bowl of eggs and platter of toast and bacon to the table, I whistle. “Hey. Chow time.”

Shine’s arms are crossed, and he hasn’t moved an inch, but at my whistle, he glances over his shoulder and unfolds his arms, then takes a seat across from me at the long dinner table that can hold up to ten people. It’s a golden wood with an old oil lamp sitting as a centerpiece.

I’ve got two steaming mugs of coffee set before each of us.

I added a little cream and sugar to mine, but Shine drinks his black.

He fills his plate and digs in.

I do the same.

“Thanks for cooking, sweetness. It’s good.”

I glance up to find his eyes on me. “You’re welcome. So, what did the news say?”

“It’s moving in the other direction.”

“Good. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I reiterate.

Shine just nods, and we eat quietly.

He takes a bite of bacon and stares at the crisp strip in his hand. “Bacon… the most beautiful thing on earth.”

“It is pretty damn good, isn’t it?” I agree.

He points at me with the strip. “You want to know how good bacon is? To improve other foods, they wrap it in bacon.”

I giggle and keep the ball rolling. “Bacon bits are like the fairy dust of food. Not interested in this potato? Bibbidy bobbidy bacon, now it’s your favorite part of the meal.”

Shine’s laughter lights up his face. “Said the bacon fairy.”

“She’d be the best fairy of them all.”

Shine’s phone vibrates, and he digs in his pocket for it, looks at the screen, then stands.

“Gotta take this.” He grabs another strip of bacon off his plate and heads to the door, stepping outside for privacy.

I can see him through the window as he walks away from the cabin toward the shoreline, munching away.

The sun is now sparkling on the water like a million crystals, and all I can see is his dark silhouette against the blinding reflection of it.

He pauses as if something he just heard shocks him. A moment later, he seems pissed, his body stiffening. Even through the glass, his words carry to me.

“Are you fucking kidding me? And you’re just calling now?”

He paces and lowers his voice, glancing toward the cabin.

Now my curiosity is piqued, so I move to the window, staying in the shadow behind the curtain, and strain to hear more.

“And where does she fucking live?” he snaps, pausing in his pacing.

I can’t hear more, and soon he shoves his phone in his pocket and stares at the lake, then drags his hand down his face. In the next moment, he’s striding purposefully toward the cabin, and I scurry to my chair and have my mug halfway to my mouth when the door opens.

“Everything okay?” I ask, my eyes dragging over the tension radiating from his body.

“No. Got someplace I have to go.”

“Club business?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t.

“Yeah. Sort of.”

“Will you be gone long?”

“How are you getting home?” he asks, not answering me. “The club sending someone to pick you up?”

“Um, yes. Tomorrow night.”

“How far of a drive is it to San Jose from here?”

“About five hours or more. Why?”

He paces into the adjoining living area, glances at the television, then his hands land on his hips and he turns to me. “So, if I leave, you’ll be up here alone with no way to escape if that fire changes direction.”

“If there’s an emergency, and you can’t stay, that’s okay. I’ll find a way home.”

“Babe, I know we just met, but there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you here with no transportation home.

And you said it yourself, even if someone leaves right now to come get you, it’ll be five hours before they get here.

A lot can happen in that time, especially with something as unpredictable as a wildfire. ”

“So, you’re going to give me a ride home?”

“I can’t. I don’t have time. Fuck.” He paces some more. “Maybe I can drop you off at that general store.”

“You want me to wait around for five hours at the general store?”

“At least they could get you to safety if things change.”

He’s seriously considering this.

“Look, forget it. I’ll be fine. Go do what you have to do.

I’m not your responsibility.” So much for any knight in shining armor fantasy.

That armor just crashed to the ground. My chair skitters across the wood floor as I jerk to my feet and carry my plate and mug to the kitchen, dumping my coffee in the sink with a fling of my hand.

And that’s when I feel his body press against my back and his arms come around me.

“I may be an asshole, Desiree, but I’m not that big of an asshole.” A feather-soft kiss brushes my ear. “I’m not leaving you, which means I guess I’m taking you with me.”

“Where?” I know the guys in the club don’t bring women with them on club business.

“Stateline, NV.”

“Where’s that?” I turn in his arms.

“Just across the line from South Lake Tahoe.”

“What’s there?” I dare to ask, knowing I’m pushing it.

“Hopefully, the guy I need to find.”

“Why do you think he’ll be there?”

“Got a tip he’s headed to his mother’s place. That’s where she lives.”

“Is this guy a bad guy?”

He cups my face. “He is, but trust me, you’re not going to get anywhere near him. Okay?”

“Okay.”

His eyes drop to my lips, and he presses a soft kiss to them. “Wish we had more time here. I was really enjoying this.”

“Me too.”

“I need to grab my pack. I think I can fit that little bag of yours in the other saddlebag if that’s all you’ve got. Time is of the essence. Need a hand with the dishes?”

“No, I’ve got this. I’ll be quick. Go on and load up the bike.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re on the road.

As I cling to Shine’s back, I can’t help but feel the thrill of adventure.

This is what life is about—racing down the highway, with my face in the wind, and really experiencing life.

The risk, the danger, the unknown. It’s like we’re on a real-life quest, like in the movies, only this time I’m in it, not watching someone else’s life play out on the screen.

What Shine said earlier sticks with me. I do trust that’ll he’ll keep me safe. I haven’t felt this safe with a man who wasn’t my father or brothers.

As we roar down the blacktop, I tighten my grip on him, and his left hand drops to rub my thigh. Fantasy complete. I lay my head on his back and smile.