Page 9 of Finn (Dirty Misfits MC 6)
She sighed. “Okay.”
I put the car in park. “Now, grab your things and be prepared for a lot of hugging and kissing. You’re their only grandchild whom they’re meeting for the first time, so try to be kind to them. They’ve lived a hard life.”
She started gathering her things. “Are they really as bad as Mom thinks they are?”
I turned around in my seat. “What has she told you?”
She shrugged. “Not much. But, enough to let me know that she ran away because of them.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “You trust me, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“So, you trust that I wouldn’t just drop you off at anyone’s house, right?”
Her face softened a bit. “Yeah.”
“Then, trust me that when I say that your grandmother and grandfather are good people--at least, now they are--I mean that with everything I am.”
She smiled softly. “Okay, Auntie Sloane.”
I winked at her. “All right, get your things and let’s get you inside.”
The meet-and-greet was short and sweet. I took Cheyenne inside where Mom and Dad rushed her with hugs and kisses to her cheek. Dad had cookies baking in the oven and Mom already had a spread on the table, complete with her favorite soda and snacks that I had sent over to them in a text message list a little while ago. I watched from the foyer as they led Cheyenne into the kitchen for lunch, and when she looked back at me the smile that crossed her face warmed my heart.
I knew she’d be okay, even if Summer didn’t think so.
“I love you, CheyChey.”
She sat down at the table. “Love you too, Auntie Sloane. I’ll see you soon?”
I backed out the front door. “As soon as I can get back.”
I closed the door and steeled myself against the tears that threatened to pour down my cheeks. Yes, there were still scars that throbbed with pain every time I stepped foot into their house, but little by little we were healing.
Well, as much as we could with the Summer-sized hole still lingering over our heads.
Nevertheless, I texted Summer before I backed out of the driveway and got on the road. She wanted pictures of Cheyenne with Mom and Dad, but I wasn’t about to drive back just to take some snapshots. We had work to do; work that involved keeping my niece safe. And I took that very seriously.
So, I sped to Santa Cruz as quickly as legally possible before I pulled up to a wrought iron gate.
“Passcode?” the security guard asked.
I remembered back to one of Summer’s texts. “Forty-twenty-one.”
The guard punched it in. “Name?”
“Sloane Riley.”
He punched something in on his keyboard. “All right, have a nice evening, Miss Riley.”
“You too, sir.”
As I navigated my way through the neighborhood, the sizes of the houses astounded me. But, my jaw physically dropped open when I pulled up behind some bikes in a roundabout driveway that sat in front of one of the biggest houses on the block.
I mean, since when did motorcycle gangs have mansions?
“Sloane!”
Summer’s voice hit my ears as I got out of my car, but Tanner was right behind her in tow. I glared at him as my sister wrapped her arms around my neck, and not once did I take my eyes off him.
Still, he tried his best. “Sloane, it’s good to see you again.”
My eyes fell down his body. “Wish I could say the same.”
Summer released me. “You promised.”
I rolled my eyes. “You too, Tanner.”
He chuckled. “It’s okay, she has every right to be angry.”
I grumbled. “You’re damn right, I do.”
Summer whispered in my ear. “Just be nice, okay? Please?”
I peered over at her. “You know I’m always nice.”
She barked with laughter. “Yeah, if a bed of nails is considered nice.”
And for the first time in three years, my sister, myself, and Tanner all laughed at the same time. Almost as if we were sharing a moment. Almost as if none of this bullshit had ever taken place.
Almost, anyway.
Five
Finn
I heard them all giggling outside like nothing was happening and I turned up the video game I was playing. Everyone else was either on the porch or taking a dip in the ocean and it made me sick. We were in the middle of the fight of our lives and we were doing dumb shit like swimming and talking with cops.
But, when the door opened, I lost my boss fight because I couldn’t pull my eyes away.
Tanner was the first to talk in with Summer right behind him. The woman that came behind both of them, however, was absolutely breathtaking. Her warm brown skin glistened in the lights of my childhood home and her big curly hair hung down just past her shoulders. She had high cheekbones and sat on top of a chiseled jawline, and the slope of her waist told me she kept herself up in the gym quite a bit. She had strong legs that walked tall with pride, straightening her back and making her look as if she were gazing down at the world from beyond the tip of her nose.
