“Why do you antagonize them?” Dani asks, rolling her eyes.
“The real question is: why do they antagonize me?” I grumble.
Ransom, the lead K-9 Officer, shifts the sucker in his mouth and tucks his fingers into his bulletproof vest. His eyes don’t leave mine. He nods, barely perceptible, and I return it.
Dani turns away with a sigh, watching the now cloudless sky. The sun dipped below the horizon five minutes ago.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket. I check the message.
Dime: Is the fireworks show on time?
Devil: Yup. Not a cloud in the sky. How’s it look over there?
Dime: Everything’s ready. When the fireworks go boom, so will the Rebels’ grow op. We’ll show our faces in the midway after. Ride a few rides. Eat some cotton candy.
Devil: Sounds good. See you soon.
“Put it away, Dev. The fireworks are about to start,” Dani says, looping her arm through mine.
“Come here, woman.” I spread my knees to make space for her to lean back against my chest.
As the sky explodes in color above us, I know exactly what’s happening on the other side of town.
We just started a war.
Chapter 2
Dani
We’re stuck in the throng of people leaving the fireworks field, heading back toward the midway. As is tradition for the Fourth of July celebration, the kids go home now, and the adults get to play.
When I was younger, being in a crowd like this would’ve made me uncomfortable. It always felt like everyone in Laurel Springs looked down on us—on me. Being the daughter of the MC President, I never knew quite how to deal with it. My dad was never good-looking like Devil. He didn’t hold people in the palm of his hand the way Devil does. People looked at my father with fear, not respect.
That’s the difference with Devil. People respect him.
“You okay?” he asks, leaning down so close it feels like the rest of the crowd fades away. His voice is quiet, just for me. “Wanna head home?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I wanna ride some rides with you. The lines were too long earlier, and the best part of this celebration is after dark, don’t ya think?”
His brown eyes heat as he gazes down at me. “Yeah, I definitely think so.”
He pulls me in front of him, looping his arm around my neck. Always touching me. Always pulling me close. That’s how I knew he was mine before either of us said the words. We move with the crowd in easy silence, our fingers brushing as we walk. It’s been hard finding time like this lately—just us. Club business, personal responsibilities... they’ve swallowed us whole.
We’re quiet as we follow the flow of people, just enjoying each other’s company. Lately, it’s been hard to get time alone—his responsibilities, mine... it’s a lot. As the crowd begins to thin, he pulls me to the side, grabs my hand, and starts swinging it gently as we stroll.
“I haven’t seen Dime all night,” I say casually. “Allison was asking if he’s going to be here.”
“Allison was asking—or you were asking for her so you can play matchmaker?” He tips his head, raising an eyebrow.
“Does it really matter?” I squint up at him.
He laughs, loud and unbothered. “Guess not. But he’s over there.”
I follow his chin jerk and spot Dime standing with a few other Saint’s Outlaws members. But what really grabs my attention is Allison standing right in front of him.
“Ooh, that’s exciting,” I squeal.
“Wish you’d get this excited about me,” he grumbles, steering us in their direction.
