Sayer grinned, continuing to lean against the tree. He didn’t even have to say more—Teller had already seen through him. It wasn’t like Sayer to get hung up on anyone, especially not a woman like Diamond. But damn, there was something about her that gnawed at him, something that made him want to stick around longer than he usually did.
“She’s different,” Sayer muttered, his eyes scanning the group around the fire, but not really seeing any of them. His thoughtswere on the way Diamond had looked when she’d slipped away earlier. The way shemade it easy for him to get close, he felt that flicker of something.Connection, maybe?
Teller’s grin only widened. “Different’s always a dangerous game, brother. But I guess that’s what makes it interesting, right?”
Sayer took another sip from his beer, the taste bitter but grounding. “I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “But I’m gonna find out.” He wasn’t sure whether it was the challenge or the undeniable pull of Diamond that had him tangled up, but he wasn’t about to back off just yet.
Teller’s eyes glinted with amusement. “Good luck with that. If she’s as wild as I think she is … she’s gonna make it interesting.”
Sayer shrugged, a slow, confident smile tugging at his lips. “I do like interesting.”
Chapter Seventeen
When the sunpeeked through the tent flaps, Diamond groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. The air inside was thick with the scent of campfire smoke, stale beer, and the lingering musk of leather. Outside, someone was already up, the crunch of boots on gravel mixing with the distant roar of an early riser’s engine. A lighter clicked, followed by the faint whiff of cigarette smoke curling through the air.
Too damn early. But if they didn’t get moving soon, they’d be stuck waiting hours for a half-decent breakfast. By then, every diner in town would be packed with riders nursing hangovers over black coffee and greasy plates of eggs.
She sighed, rolling onto her side. “Nova, you up yet?”
A groggy groan came from the next tent. “Wishing I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, well, we need to get the others up and get the day started,” Diamond muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. With a resigned huff, she kicked off the blanket. Reaching for her boots, she knew damn well no one else was going to be in a hurry to get moving.
Outside, the morning had fully settled in—low chatter from early risers, the occasional rev of an engine, and the unmistakable clang of someone dropping a wrench.
She unzipped the tent flap and winced as sunlight stabbed her in the eyes. “Alright, ladies, time to rise and shine.”
The response was a chorus of groans from the surrounding tents.
“Five more minutes,” Nova grumbled, dragging her blanket over her head.
“Nope,” Diamond said, standing and stretching. “If we don’t get to the showers now, we’ll be standing in line for an hour behind a bunch of dudes who think soap is optional.”
That got movement. Zippers buzzed open, and one by one, the others started crawling out, each looking as wrecked as she felt. Hair in messy buns, pillow creases on faces, and the sluggish movements of people who had definitely had one too many the night before.
“God, my back,” Stix groaned, cracking her neck as she stood.
“Sleeping on the ground is for people in better shape than me,” Rio muttered, shuffling into her boots.
“Coffee. We need coffee before we do anything else,” Nova demanded, her voice still thick with sleep.
“Shower first,” Diamond ordered, pulling her bag over her shoulder. “Then coffee. Then food.”
No one argued, mostly because they were too tired to. The group trudged toward the comfort center, yawning and stretching, the gravel crunching under their boots. Riders they passed lookedjust as rough, some already sipping steaming cups of coffee, others half-asleep on camp chairs.
The comfort center was already buzzing with activity, the sound of running water and chatter leaking from the open doors. The ladies stepped inside, greeted by the sharp, clean scent of soap and the promise of hot water.
“This…” Nova sighed, tossing her towel over her shoulder, “this might save my life.”
Diamond headed back first, her body still warm from the shower, hair damp against the back of her neck as she walked across the campground. The early morning chill had burned off, leaving the air thick with the scent of brewing coffee, sizzling bacon, and the ever-present musk of gasoline and leather.
She stepped over a stray beer can and sidestepped a makeshift fire pit that had long since burned out. When something in the distance caught her eye, she saw a familiar patch on the backs of a few men milling around a camp.The Royal Bastards.
Her steps slowed, and a small smirk tugged at her lips. Well, that answered one question. Now she knew exactly where to drop off Sayer’s jacket before they headed into town for food.
She lingered for just a second, taking in the sight of the men—half-dressed in jeans and tees. Some still shaking off sleep, others already nursing cups of coffee or swapping stories from the night before. It was a comfortable, familiar scene, but she didn’t stick around to be noticed.
Adjusting the strap on her bag, she picked up her pace and continued toward her tent. She hoped she could drop his jacket on his bike without having to have a conversation. Sometimeswhat you hoped for and what you got were two different things all together.
