Page 35 of Tanner (Dirty Misfits MC 5)
I blinked. “You aren’t coming along?”
He shrugged. “Didn’t want to make any assumptions. I wasn’t sure if this is how you wanted to introduce me to Cheyenne.”
I took his hand in mine. “I don’t think there’s going to be a good or bad time to introduce you two. I think it’ll happen when it happens, and it might as well happen now.”
He smiled a bit. “You think so?”
I nodded. “I know so. Because I know that if you aren’t in that car with us, I’ll be panicking the entire ride down and back. I know that if you’re not with us, Cheyenne will keep asking me what’s wrong and I won’t be able to hold off for too long before I tell her.”
He chuckled. “Can’t keep secrets any longer? You used to be so good with that.”
I shook my head. “I have one major rule in my house, and that is that I’ll never be upset with Cheyenne over something unless she lies to me about it. If she coughs up the truth, we work through it. Only when she tries to cover something up will I ever get upset.”
“That’s actually a good rule to have. But the trust goes—”
I smiled softly. “Both ways, yes. I can’t expect her to be truthful with me if I can’t be truthful back.”
“And you want to, what? Use me as a distraction?”
I shook my head softly. “No. I mean, not really, though it might serve as one. But what I really need is for you to be with us in case something happens. I need you there if something happens because I know you’ll do whatever it takes to get Cheyenne back, and that’s what I need. I need someone who will be as sacrificial with her as I am. Because I’m telling you, Tanner, I can’t live without her. If something happens to her, I’ll never come back from it.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “You have my word that no harm will come to her. At all. All right?”
I curled tightly against him. “Nothing can happen to her. She has to be okay. She has to come out of this okay, you hear me?”
He pulled me into his lap. “Shhhh, shh, shh, shh, shh. It’s okay. I gotcha.”
But then, a knock came at our door. “Tan? Summer?”
I sniffled. “Who’s that?”
Tanner cleared his throat. “What’s up, Porter?”
Ah, Porter. “Everything okay?”
He cracked the door, but didn’t come in. “We gotta head out in a few minutes. Just wanted to let you know.”
Tanner kissed my forehead. “We’ll be out in a few minutes, thanks.”
“No problem,” he murmured.
And when he closed the door, I stood to my feet. “Let me find her luggage full of things and I’ll throw on some clothes. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.”
Tanner stood. “I’ll go get the cars in order and pack some road trip snacks, because this isn’t the kind of trip where we’ll be able to stop.”
I reached for my clothes on the floor. “Good idea.”
“Does Cheyenne have any allergies I should know about?”
I smiled at his question. “No, but she doesn't like bananas. It’s a texture thing.”
He chuckled. “Her and me both. They have a great taste, like in milkshakes, but that’s about it.”
I barked with laughter. “Her favorite damn milkshake is a fucking banana milkshake. That’s hysterical.”
He laughed with me. “Then, maybe we can stop once to get us some milkshakes. How does that sound?”
And when my eyes met his, my future rushed around behind his gorgeous green eyes.
“Sounds wonderful if we can be safe about it,” I said.
“You’ll always be safe with me. You and Cheyenne, both.”
His sentiment struck my soul hard just before he eased out of the bedroom to give me some privacy, and I prayed to any God listening that he was right. I prayed to any God that still gave a shit about us that Cheyenne and I would make it to my sister’s safely.
Even if I had made the decision to come back with Tanner instead of staying in Santa Barbara.
Seventeen
Tanner
“You should talk to the guys, you know.”
As Summer and I got dressed, her voice echoed behind me. “Don’t worry, I will.”
“Good. They need to know what’s going on. They also need to know that I’m coming back with you.”
I paused before I slowly turned around. “You’re not staying in Santa Barbara?”
And when she smiled, my entire world came alive. “Nope. I’m coming back with you. I want to see this through and know, firsthand, when Cheyenne and I are truly safe.”
I walked over to her as she perched herself on the side of the bed. While she struggled with her bra, I cupped her cheeks and kissed her furiously. I let our tongues slide together in a moment of effervescent love. The kind of love that never faded over time.
