“Who are the photographs for?” he asks.
“For the Royal Bastards. Thought it might be nice to have some shots of all of you in the clubhouse or in your ownenvironment.”
“Ahh… the wild men in their natural habitat,” Highway says with a bad English accent.
I laugh loudly. “Something like that.”
“How’s Lucy doing?”
“Good. She’s healing nicely. Dad did an awesome job.” My sister was hurt recently, but lucky for her, our dad is a plastic surgeon.
Highway gestures toward Reaper with a quick lift of his chin. “I’m surprised he’s here and not with her.”
“Oh, God, please don’t say anything to him. He’s driving Cel-Lucy crazy. She told him I need him here to protect me, or she wouldn’t be able to rest.” My sister’s club name is Lucy. She was born Celeste and has made it very clear she’s Lucy now, but sometimes I slip up.
“Is it hard to call her Lucy?”
“No. It suits her better but old habits.”
The sound of a gunshot pierces the air. I jump and press myself against Highway. His arms immediately wrap around me.
“Jesus! Who did that?”
“They’re blowing off steam, is all,” he replies, chuckling.
Staring up at him, I ask, “So, notatsomeone, just having fun?”
“Yeah. Creed will put a stop to it. He won’t want the cops showing up.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere. Do you really think they’d come out?”
“Gunshot noise travels. Someone might report it. We don’t need the heat.” I put my hand on his chest and try to step out of his embrace. “Are you going on a date with Justice?”
Surprised, I lean back to stare into his eyes. “Sort of.”
“Define ‘sort of.’”
“He’s taking me to the Okefenokee Swamp to get shots of the gators and some of the other wildlife.”
“Ahh… wild animals in their natural habitat. ForNational Geographic?” Highway has a crease between his brows.
“For them or whoever else wants to pay me for them. Why do you ask?”
Highway pauses for a beat, then says, “I don’t like you being alone with him.”
Tilting my head to the side, I say, “Well, maybe you should have asked me first?”
“Yo, Highway!” Reaper is walking toward us. “Are you bothering my future sister-in-law?”
Highway’s arms drop away, and he shakes his head. “Nah. The gunshot startled her, is all.”
“Is that a fact?” Reaper asks with a smirk. “Really? I’m sure Lucy told me you told her you did a stint in Afghanistan. You’d think you’d be used to loud noises.”
Blushing, I hold up my camera. “Better get back to it. And you, Reaper, should mind your own business.” I smile at Highway and walk away.
There are women, men, and motorcycles everywhere. I pick my way through the crowd and take photographs of all of it.
Another gunshot sounds, then another. No one seems bothered, so I keep snapping away. The weight of my camera is a solid reminder of my purpose here, shifted against my chest as I lift it to my eye. Through the lens, life among the Royal Bastards MC sharpens into focus, a tableau of raw energy and unspoken bonds.
