I dialed Sloane’s number and held the phone to my ear while Tanner talked with someone on the end of his line named “Blaze.” I grinned at the name as the phone rang in my ear. Did all guys in motorcycle crews have such weirdly powerful names?
But my amusement was replaced with worry when Sloane didn’t pick up.
I hung up the phone without leaving a voice message and called back. While I was riding the high of taking that guy out right on his bike, it was quickly replaced with panic. One moment, I felt badass for knocking a guy off his bike with a sawed-off shotgun, and the next moment I was a worried mother wondering if my child had been kidnapped.
“Come on,” I groaned.
Sloane’s voice message picked up again and I wanted to vomit.
While Tanner talked away, I tried to focus on all I had been through. After my parents tried to control me, giving birth all by myself, and after several strip club attendees attempting to grope and take advantage of me—and after those Black Flags guys slapping me around at The Body Shop—I knew I could handle a lot. I knew I could handle more than my fair share of “a lot.”
But one thing I couldn’t handle was Sloane not picking up her phone during a time like this.
“Come on!” I exclaimed.
I hung up the phone and dialed back a fourth time before Tanner settled his hand on his knee.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
I held my cell phone up to my ear. “It will be once my sister picks up my fucking phone call.”
“She’s not answering?”
I peered over at him. “No. Going straight to voicema—hey! Sloane!”
Tanner chuckled as he went back to driving and I tried not to vomit with relief in my lap.
“Any reason why you’re currently blowing up my phone?” she asked.
I sighed. “Not now, Sloane.”
“What do you mean not now? What in the world was that boy doing in the car with you?”
I giggled. “He’s not really a boy now, you know.”
“You know exactly what I mean. I’m over here getting Cheyenne settled in with some snacks and a movie marathon, and I’m wondering whether or not you told her that she rode here all the way with her—”
“Enough,” I hissed.
She drew in a deep breath. “Does she know?”
I swallowed hard. “Not yet. There are some things I’m working out on my end before Tanner and I speak with her.”
“Dangerous things?”
I lied as best as I could. “Not particularly, no. Just some kinks and hiccups that I don’t want Cheyenne around.”
“So, he’s the lowlife he always was.”
“That’s enough, Sloane. I called to see how you and Chey are doing, not to take a verbal lashing because you believe something about someone that isn’t true.”
“He ruined our family, Summer.”
“No, Mom and Dad did that just fine. Look, I know you don’t realize what all they did, but—”
She scoffed. “You think I don’t know what kind of hellish prison Mom and Dad carved out for us? What, you think they only tortured you? That somehow, you taking on some of my punishments somehow blinded me to what they really were?”
I was shocked to my core. “Then how in the world can you still think that Tanner ruined our family?”
“Because he had no right to get you pregnant. He knew what kind of family you came from. He knew the bullshit we put up with. He knew what would happen—or at least he had an idea. He’s not stupid, just idiotic. And he got you pregnant anyway.”
I rolled my eyes. “It takes two.”
“Trust me, I think you’re equally as stupid.”
My voice fell flat. “Are you and Chey okay?”
“Yes, we’re fine.”
“Good. I’ll call tomorrow.”
Then, I hung up the phone on my sister and leaned heavily against my seat.
“Should I pretend like I didn’t just hear any of that?” Tanner asked.
I looked out the window as a tear rolled down my cheek. “I don’t care.”
The fact that my sister could still think so little of me after all these years broke my fucking heart. There had been a time where the three of us—her, me, and Chey—were all each other had. And to know that my sister still judged me for a decision I made over a decade ago made me sick to my stomach.
So sick that I rolled down the window, stuck my head out, and threw up.
A text rolled through my phone from Sloane, but I didn’t check it. I didn’t want to. I didn’t need to. All I wanted was to lean back, close my eyes, and wake up from this fucking nightmare. Tanner dug out a half-chugged bottle of water and I used some of it to wash my mouth out. And after spitting vomit-laced water out the window, he pulled into another fast food place.
“I think we could both use a little something on our stomachs, yeah?” he asked softly.
I put the cap back on the water bottle and tossed it into the backseat. “Sure.”
“You should check that text.”
“I’ll do it later.”
“Do it now, Summer.”
I glared at him, but I did as he asked. And I was glad I answered it.
Sloane: I know we don’t see eye to eye, and what I said on the phone was really harsh. You know I’m proud of what you’ve done with Cheyenne. I just don’t like that Tanner took your future away. That’s all.
I typed back as quickly as I could.
Me: This isn’t a conversation for text. He didn’t ruin my life by getting me pregnant with Cheyenne. My daughter is the best thing to ever happen to me. Call if you guys need anything.
Sloane: And you know you can always call if you need something. Anything. Even some more help for whatever the hell it is you two are doing.
Me: Thanks.
After that, I put my phone back in my purse while Tanner ordered food for us. I wasn’t necessarily hungry, but I definitely needed something to drink. He handed me a small water as well as my favorite soda, a huge-ass Diet Coke with Lime. And after chugging the water back, I stuck a straw into that mountain of soda and chugged with all my might.
I let the burn pull me out of my emotionally-induced trance and felt more clear-headed than I had all day.
“Feeling better?” Tanner asked.
I smiled softly. “Yeah, actually. I am. Thank you.”
He unwrapped a burger for himself. “I got you a large fry with extra salt to help your stomach and I also grabbed you a grilled chicken wrap with honey mustard.”
My stomach growled. “That sounds amazing. Let me get at that wrap.”
He smiled as he handed me the bag and I dug around until my hand fell against the cylindrical object. I pulled it out and unwrapped it before I took a gargantuan bite, practically inhaling a third of the damn thing just to keep my stomach from growling again.
And once we turned onto the deserted road that went on for miles before we hit the warehouse, relief washed its way through my veins.
“Almost there,” I whispered.
Tanner squeezed my knee. “Yep. Getting closer to that shower by the second.”
I looked down at my drink. “It’s coming into the shower with me, you know.”
He chuckled. “So long as you don’t judge me for bringing a beer in.”
I giggled as I finished off the rest of my wrap, and as the warehouse came into view Tanner filled me in on his conversation.
“So, our crew has a chapter in Santa Barbara, and I called in a favor to a friend of mine. They’re going to be taking rotations watching over Sloane’s place until we can get ourselves out of this mess.”
I snickered. “You sure that’s a good idea with her? If you think I’m a good shot, you should see her.”
“Trust me, the guys can handle anything that comes their way.”
I barked with laughter. “Not when we’re talking about Sloane. She’ll take those guys out one by one if she sees them outside her place. She knows something’s up. She doesn’t know what, but she knows something is wrong.”
He cleared his throat. “Well, she won’t even know they’re there.”
“Twenty bucks says she spots them and fires.”
He peeked over at me with a smirk on his face. “Make it forty and you’re on.”
And just as we pulled up to the warehouse, we shook on our deal.
Before Cole and Porter pulled in behind us a few seconds later.
