Page 53 of Thorns of Silence

She hugged me, squeezing me tight, then pulled back to mouth her next words. “Thank you for being a good sister, but leave all the worrying to me.”

I glared at her. “I’m the older sister. It’s my job to worry.”

She grinned and hugged me again. “We’ll worry about each other.”

TWENTY-ONE

DANTE

“What are you doing here?” she signed, looking off-kilter. Her brows lifted to nearly touch her hairline. She couldn’t have possibly forgotten about my question.

Could she?Fucking hell!

I had given her a month—a long fucking month—to come to me after I ate her out on the balcony. The only reason I even waited this long was because of my brother. His sudden breakup with Reina put a dent in my plans.

“Not happy to see me, Nix?” I leaned against my bike, letting my gaze travel the length of her. She wore shorts and a T-shirt that read “I can do it better” and it made me smile. I liked that she wasn’t wearing dresses to school. It’d be difficult to kill off every man in her class.

“No, I’m not.” She flicked a look at the bike, then back to me. “Now get lost.”

She turned on her heel and stormed away from me.

“Not so fast, Nix.” I pushed off the bike and closed the distance between us in three big strides. It was the only day that her class schedule didn’t sync up with her sister’s and friends’. Fuck if I’d wait another week before I could snatch her.

I grabbed her hand and started to guide her back to my bike. “I’m going to take you for a ride.” She shot me a glare, obviously misinterpreting my words. I meant them innocently. “Someone’s mind is in the gutter,” I teased.

Her cheeks stained red and I loved the look on her. She was so close that I could see the tiny freckles dusting her nose and the different shades of blue of her eyes. Close enough to breathe in her scent.Spring rain.

Everything about this woman fascinated me, every word and look engraving itself so deep beneath my skin that it would be impossible to remove her. Not unless I cut myself open and bled out.

Cesar sat on his own bike two parking spots over, having insisted he follow me in case Phoenix pulled another can of mace. A valid but unnecessary concern.

We came to a stop in front of my bike.

“Hop on,” I ordered.

She flashed me an annoying look, shooting imaginary daggers at me. “I don’t like motorcycles.”

“Ever been on one?”

That seemed to piss her off even more. Frankly, it pissed me off too, picturing her riding a bike with another man.

“Get on the bike or you won’t like what follows.”

She hesitated, probably weighing her options. I saw exactly when she realized there were none—at least none that ended well for those around us. I could feel the animosity radiating off her, floating around us and attempting to veer me off track.

But before I could let that happen, I pulled out the extra helmet and set it on her head, fastening it under her chin. I put on my own helmet and straddled my bike. She cast one last glance at the school, probably hoping for a last-minute rescue.

Then she got on and grabbed on to my shoulders just as I revved the engine. Her body jolted against me when I started forward, then she wrapped her hands around my waist and clasped them tight.

Her breasts smashed against my back, her curvy body molding into my muscles, and I fucking loved it. Her thighs pressed against mine, shuddering. I kept a steady pace, but whenever she attempted to put space between us, I sped up, which had her grip tightening.

I could have driven the length of the entire continent like this. It’d be the best ride of my life.

Cesar was right behind me, and knowing him, he was loving the wind and the long way to our destination.

It was just outside the city, a field of dandelions that stretched for miles.

The second I parked the bike, she removed her helmet and hopped off, putting her hands on her hips.