Edge Of Fear (Arrow's Edge MC Book 4) by Freya Barker (best love novels of all time .TXT) 📗

to repeat my question when I hear running footsteps outside.

Mandy comes charging around the side of the truck, her face flushed.

“I’m so sorry. Traffic accident blocked the road and I was—”

I stop her with a raised hand and a smile.

“No worries, I happened to be in early.” I indicate the driver in the back of the truck. “I think he’s still looking for our order anyway.”

“I’ve got it right here,” the driver says, putting a hand on the stack of boxes near the door.

What an ass.

The order was right there the whole time.

Tse

“Grab me another coil of nails from that box, will ya?”

Ravi, who’s been here since I picked him up from summer school again, rushes to the back of my truck.

Paco is the only other guy left here, working on the opposite end to help me brace the framed front wall until the beams go in. That work is supposed to happen next week, along with a start on the roof trusses.

If working on the Habitat for Humanity project taught me anything it was that many hands truly do make light work, as long as everyone works together well. Jed was here with a crew of three for most of the week, along with Paco and myself, and some of the other brothers popped in for a couple of hours here and there to lend a hand. It’s the only reason we were able to get the exterior walls framed and up in five days.

“Thanks, kid.” I reach down and grab the coil from Ravi. “Last one, then we’ll head back to the clubhouse. I bet you’re hungry.”

“Starving,” he grumbles, and I bite off a grin.

Not much later I’m lifting the compressor and nail gun into the back of the pickup, while Ravi hauls over the ladder. Until the structure is up and sealed in, we’ll have to contend with lugging tools back and forth.

Paco looks to be done on his side as well and is loading up his truck.

“Why don’t you get in?” I tell Ravi, taking the ladder from him. “I’ll be right there.”

I secure everything in the back of the pickup with a couple of straps and walk over to Paco.

“Plan on being back here tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Yuma said he’d bring the Bobcat from the compound and I’m hoping to get the foundation for the garage dug up. Nothin’ but sun in the forecast the next couple of days, so with a little luck the concrete can be poured.”

“I’ve got plans tomorrow, but I can help out on Sunday. At least part of the day.”

“That’s fine. You sticking around tonight?”

This weekend is the big rally in Pueblo and traditionally some of the local clubs stop in Friday night for a cookout at the clubhouse and head out in convoy in the morning. The Arrow’s Edge has passed on that rally for a few years now, but has continued the traditional cookout.

I won’t be there. I’ll stop in for a shower and head out again.

“Nah, I’ve got shit to do.”

Paco chuckles and shakes his head.

“Lemme guess, at the Backyard?”

I don’t bother denying anymore. Every-fucking-one in the clubhouse seems to know where I am when I’m not there, which has been every night this week. I swear these guys spend more time gossiping than the local sewing circle.

“Damn right,” I confirm. “And if you were smart, you wouldn’t waste every night at the clubhouse either.” I walk away and toss a casual, “Later,” over my shoulder.

“Can I come all day next week?” Ravi asks when I get behind the wheel.

“What about summer school?”

“Today was the last day.”

“No shit?” I twist in my seat and catch the grin he tries to hide by tipping his head down. “So how’d you do? Did you pass?”

“Yeah.”

I flick the bill of his ball cap.

“Nice work, kid.”

I start the truck and do my best to avoid the potholes in the drive down to the road.

“So can I?”

“Weren’t you supposed to be working on a car with the other boys this summer?”

He’s suddenly quiet and when I glance over, his face is turned to the side window.

“Hey, Ravi.” I nudge his shoulder, but he shrugs off my touch.

“I wanna work with you.”

“Is this about that thing with Maska? Didn’t we already clear that up?”

I’d talked to the kid myself this week to find out what happened. He said he sometimes sleepwalks—something both Shilah and Wapi have seen him do in the past—and doesn’t remember what happened. Ravi hasn’t mentioned the incident at all.

“I’m better with a hammer.”

I slow down for a stop sign and turn my head to look at the boy. He’s facing me, a plea in his eyes that tugs at my heartstrings. If only he would open up, even a little, but I know only too well how slim those chances are.

Fuck.

“Tell you what; let me talk to the brothers this weekend. See what we can come up with.”

“Sure.”

I can tell he doesn’t believe me.

_______________

“You’re here.”

Sophia gets up and comes around her desk toward me.

“I am.”

I tug her close and drop a kiss on her lips.

“I thought you said there was something going on at the club tonight?”

“There is.”

In fact, the cookout was already in full swing by the time I left. Trunk and Jaimie were at the clubhouse with the little ones when I got back with Ravi. Lisa took one look at the boy and sent him to the dorm to have a shower before dinner. I figured it was as good a time as any to have that talk with Trunk, but unfortunately, with the crowd around the clubhouse growing by the minute, we didn’t really get a chance.

It took another hour and a half before I finally managed to walk back out of there.

“You know Mack could’ve walked me to my car, right?”

“Not the only reason I came, Fee.”

She tilts her head back and smiles up at me.

“Is that right?”

“Mmm.”

I slide a hand down the back of her pants over the swell of her ass and give it