I headed back to my place, locked it in the storage box and left it there. Then I burned it back to Summer’s.
As I was pulling into her driveway, I got a call from Jude.
I fucking sighed.
“What took you so long?” I answered, with all the sarcasm I could muster. I had very little sense of humor where all this biker shit was concerned, and I had a feeling Jude didn’t either.
Piper was the only one cracking jokes here.
“Let’s see,” he said. “I was considerin’ how to word this.”
“Speak your mind,” I said, as I got off my bike.
“Alright. Hear you been callin’ up Piper and givin’ him orders. I’m lettin’ you know, since apparently you never got the public service announcement on this or saw the after-school special, that that is a very bad idea. No-go. You don’t tell a biker what to do, and you don’t give the VP of the West Coast Kings orders.” I looked up at the sky as he reamed me out. “He’s got some friendly feelings for you, Ronan, since the two of you go back. But that won’t last long, you keep servin’ him shit.”
“Noted.”
“So this is how it works. Piper does his job, and trust me, he’s damn good at it. You do yours. You watch Summer’s back, and when the Kings have info for you, you’ll know.”
“Is he having me followed?”
“What?”
“Does Piper have a guy on me? Is he watching me? Or Summer?”
“Watching Summer is your job,” Jude said, and he didn’t sound amused.
“Just wondering. It occurred to me that maybe he doesn’t trust me and he’s having me watched.”
“Listen to me. You’re getting fuckin’ paranoid or something. Piper isn’t havin’ you followed. Just do your job and keep your nose out of his.”
“Right.”
I ate it, and didn’t bother arguing. Even though it pissed me off.
I’d had enough time to reconsider my attitude, and what good it would do me, on the ride here. It wouldn’t do anyone any good, and most importantly, it wouldn’t help Summer.
Jude hung up on me, so I figured he was mildly pissed, too.
Maybe I was getting paranoid.
But then again, I’d never had to protect anyone I cared about as much as I cared about her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ronan
When I walked into Summer’s house, I found Andre in the sunroom, alone. Summer’s parents where nowhere to be seen. Their car was no longer in the driveway.
“Where is she?” I asked him.
“Hello to you too, boss,” Andre said. “She’s down in her studio.”
I let him go, then headed straight down there. It was a single room in the back corner of the basement. The door was ajar and I pushed it open.
Summer was sitting with her back to me, her headphones on.
I slipped inside, trying not to startle her.
I’d been inside her studio the first night I was here, but I’d never been in here while she was working. Posters and flyers from events wallpapered the walls. Performer passes from shows she’d played hung on a coat rack, and there were a lot of them. A shelving unit was stuffed with vinyl albums. One wall had several keyboards set up on an ascending rack. There were a few microphones, the kind I’d seen in recording booths in movies. And the rest was a mess of computers, both old and new, speakers and wires.
Everything seemed to have a purpose and a place, but I couldn’t have guessed what half of it did. I’d never asked her to explain it all to me, either.
I’d wanted to respect this as her work space, and not bother her when she was in the zone.
I hadn’t even managed to fuck her in here yet like I wanted to. Was gonna have to remedy that, soon.
But right now, I just needed to see her. Kiss her.
Know she was okay.
“I hear you creeping up on me.” She slipped off her headphones as she turned to me.
“How’d you know it was me?”
“You have a scent. Motorcycle exhaust and wind on leather. And sex, of course.”
I slipped my hands onto her shoulders, under her hair, and kissed her on the forehead. “Where are your parents?”
“They went home.”
“They didn’t want to stay for dinner or something?” That surprised me, given how they’d reacted to the whole situation. They seemed like a close family, and they were definitely invested in their daughter’s safety.
“We had lunch,” she said, as I leaned back against the desk where she was sitting in front of a laptop. “But they had some shopping to do before catching the ferry home, and they wanted to beat rush hour. They’re creatures of habit. Plus, you impressed my dad enough that he chilled out a bit after you left. I managed to deflect them on the whole attempted break-in thing by telling them about the wardrobe case that got stolen the night before.” She rolled her eyes.
I raised an eyebrow. “You told your dad about the ring?”
I knew there was a special ring, a diamond ring that Summer’s dad had given her, that was in the case that was stolen; she’d told me about it, plus I’d seen it on the itemized list for the insurance company.
I was surprised she’d admit to him that it was stolen.
“Yup. That was hard, but I couldn’t not tell him.”
“How did he take it?”
“Okay. He was upset at first. But I managed to soothe him by reminding him how safe I am now… thanks to you.” She gave me a warm look that made me feel way too pleased with myself. “I think he really likes you, Ronan.”
“Good. Because I have a feeling you’d be getting rid of me pretty damn fast if he didn’t.”
“And what makes you think that?”
“You’re thirty years old, and I heard him call you both princess and honey-bunch. You tell me.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m a daddy’s girl. And I’m not sorry. It’s an awesome
