Page 124 of Ride or Die

“The floor doesn’t deserve that,” Wheeler said and leaned against the door.

“How can you be okay with this?” Riley choked. She coughed and wiped her face on her sleeve. The sympathy in his gaze made everything worse.

“I’m not okay with it. I’m just not wearing a hole in the floor over an uncertain outcome. You’re both stressing yourselves out.”

Kristi let out a harsh laugh. “This is fucked.”

Riley blew a length of hair off her face, and sweat dripped down her spine. Every second of every minute was crawling by, the engines louder and louder. She hauled herself to her feet, balancing on the wall. Wheeler offered his hand, but she didn’t take it.

“Where’s Saint?”

“Preparing.”

She shifted back and forth. “For what?”

“Anything.”

Kristi snorted, and Wheeler ignored her.

“The abundance of detail is so helpful.”

The loft was silent, but sounds from the shop made it under the crack in the door. Riley wanted to press her ear to it. She snapped her fingers at Kristi before she could say more. “Shh.”

A metal door clanged open and closed and she was pretty sure they were checking guns, if the slide and click was anything to go by.

She wished she didn’t recognize that sound so well, but her dad had been very strict about gun safety, and she’d learned the basics.

“What if they’re not okay?” she whispered. Cookie sighed mournfully and watched her from the bed. He licked his paws. Who would take care of him if something happened to Saint? Her apartment wasn’t pet-friendly.

Throat stinging, Riley met Wheeler’s gaze and braced for what she might see.

His blue eyes were soft as he pushed off the frame and walked towards her. “That would suck, but you can trust us.”

Kristi let out another snort but raised her hands in apology.

“We know what we’re doing, and we have some time. It’s how we operate.”

“Five minutes isn’t ‘time,’” Kristi said.

“Plenty of time,” Wheeler drawled, and Kristi rolled her eyes. Riley didn’t miss the flicker of unease when Kristi looked away.

Five minutes was a lifetime and a moment.

He reached out and flicked her nose. “We’re going to be fine. The bikers aren’t the worst we’ve come up against.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Kristi wandered over and slid her arm around Riley’s shoulders, resting her chin on her head.

Citrus settled over her.

A breath trickled out, and Riley’s shoulders dropped.

“Saint ever tell you why he became a mechanic?” Wheeler asked.

She shook her head. “One of many mysteries.”

A soft huff ruffled her hair.