Page 14 of Unbound By You (The Viper’s MC #1)
SILAS
A mixture of muffled curses and thumps comes from behind the backseat. I reach over and turn the radio up, unconcerned with her getting out since I had the escape latch removed and the lights reinforced so they can’t be kicked out. This car has seen a few things.
Five minutes out, she quiets, and unease settles in my stomach. Not because I’m worried she’s hurt herself. No, I realize I didn’t check her before I threw her in, and now I’ll be opening the trunk to a live wire.
Harlow’s place comes into view. Her bike is now parked next to the box truck, which is currently being loaded with the stuff I marked in her room.
My sister stands against the porch banister.
Her arms crossed while she scowls daggers at my guys.
They smartly avoid eye contact, rushing past the pissed blonde.
She’s still speckled black and blue from that fucking asshole. I wish I could raise him from the dead and beat the shit out of him like he did Lexi. Harlow’s form of torture was gnarly, but it didn’t feed the demon inside me that’s always gearing up for a fight.
Harlow on her own, when she sees what’s happening, would be enough to drive anyone up a wall. But Harlow and Lexi feeding off each other almost makes me want to leave her in the truck.
That idea doesn’t work when Lexi stomps to the car and grabs the handle to yank it open. Her head whips to the ass end of the vehicle when Harlow starts up again. I drop my head to the steering wheel.
“Here we go,” I whisper and step outside.
“Si, is my best friend in your fucking trunk?” Lexi storms over to me, poking me in the chest.
“She wouldn’t be if she’d come willingly.” I try to placate my sister, but it doesn’t work.
“Open it right now!” she screeches and reaches for the keys in my hand.
I shake my head and push her away, knowing Harlow’s likely to come out swinging with something a little more damaging than her fist this time.
The moment I open the trunk, a booted foot flies free, missing its target by a mere inch.
“You fucking asshole, I can’t believe you threw me in the trunk. I’m going to kill you!” she screams, eyes wild as they lock on me. She’s never looked more beautiful.
Lexi steps between us, blocking the death glare shooting my way, and Harlow’s demeanor shifts when her best friend reaches to help her unfold from the back of my car. They move toward the townhouse, heads tipped together, probably planning my demise.
Harlow pulls up short on the walkway as Pierce walks out, chatting with one of the other guys. He pauses, catches my eyes over her shoulder, and quickly shuffles past to the back of the truck.
“Are you moving?” I overhear her asking Lexi when we make it inside.
“Uhm, I’m not,” Lex answers. “But it seems you are.”
“I’m not moving.” Harlow’s brows pinch together in confusion.
“Tell that asshole hovering in the corner that. He barged in here not five minutes after you left this morning with his band of merry men and started packing up your room.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I ignore both their stares as they wait for me to explain myself.
All packed and headed to your place. We’ll take her bike too.
My lips tip, imagining throwing her back into the trunk so we can finally make it over to my place and chat about how her life is going to be different from now on.
“Lexi’s right, wildcat. You’re moving in with me.”
She scoffs. But when I quirk an eyebrow back at her, she jumps to her feet.
“No.”
“No? Well, this place certainly isn’t big enough for the three of us, and I don’t plan to live separately from my wife, so, yes, you are.”
“Wife?” Now Lexi’s on her feet, mouth agape, head swinging back and forth between us.
Their matching shocked expressions are comical. My sister genuinely looks confused, and Harlow has a bloodthirsty sneer that will keep me sleeping with one eye open tonight. Or I’ll just have to handcuff her to my bed again.
“First off, I’m not your wife. Just because you say it, that doesn’t make it true. And Lex, your brother has lost his goddamned mind. I’m not going anywhere, babes.” She works to assure my sister.
I push off the wall and slink to their tight living room space. Their couch is tiny and full of pillows, leaving only inches for you to sit on. I opt for the single chair positioned opposite and plop down. It looks like this cycle of realization won’t be coming to a stop anytime soon.
“Check your email,” I tell Harlow.
She removes her phone from her back pocket and scrolls on the screen. Lexi leans over her shoulder and looks at what should be the copy of our marriage certificate. I had Branson email her for this exact moment.
“Pft, nice try. Just because you download some certificate off the internet and fill it in also doesn’t make it true.”
“Uhh, Lo,” Lex points to the phone. “I’m pretty sure that’s a certification stamp from the county.”
“Told you it’s legit, baby.”
“I’m annulling this bullshit. You can’t honestly believe I’m going to roll over and let you pull this.”
“I think that’s exactly what you’ll do when you hear what I have to say. But that’s a conversation for when we’re home, alone, and don’t have sensitive ears in our mix.”
Lex watches the volley of conversation but doesn’t miss that little bit about her.
“What the hell is going on!” She stomps her foot like she used to when she was little and didn’t get her way.
My father spoiled her too much and her mother thought her little angel could do no wrong. I love my sister to pieces, but this isn’t one of those times when she’ll get what she wants.
“This is between me and Harlow, Lex. Be happy knowing that your best friend just became your sister-in-law.”
“Yeah, under duress, probably,” she snarks.
Harlow’s gone quiet as she types away on her phone.
That full bottom lip I want to be wrapped around my cock—that’s still half-hard—is caught between her teeth.
She looks serious, her brows pinched together, her fingers flying over the screen.
I’ll have to get Branson to hack in so I can see what she’s doing and who she’s talking to.
This relationship isn’t starting out high on the trust front, so why not add another mark to those she’ll hold against me? Whatever she was doing, it doesn’t seem like she got what she was looking for. She shoves her phone back into her pocket, locks eyes with me, and pulls her shoulders back.
“Lex, could you give us a few minutes to discuss some things privately.”
“Hell, no. This is my house, too. You’re not banishing me to my room when all this is happening out here.”
That’s precisely why I said we needed to have this conversation back at our place. Even if Lexi slinks away to her bedroom, she’ll have her ear to the door, desperate to hear what’s going on. And the last thing my little sister needs to know is where the bodies are… or aren’t in Harlow’s case.
Harlow lets loose a frustrated sigh before saying, “I’ll take my bike, then.”
“Boys are dropping it at our place, but I’ll let you take the passenger seat this time.”
She’s not amused by my offer and turns for the front door, stomping the whole way there until the door slams shut behind her.
“See you later, sis.” I throw over my shoulder, following close behind the pissed-off woman of my dreams.
“This isn’t over, Silas Kane. We’re going to talk about whatever the fuck it is you just did,” Lexi yells after me.
“Love you, too!” I yell right before the door closes behind me.