After the Ride (Night Riders Motorcycle Club Book 2) by Kathryn Thomas Page B
Authors: Kathryn Thomas
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fingers under her chin, Grace nodded, and Paul pecked her cheek as he passed her back to Callie.
“Look after her,” Paul started. “Tend to Lauren.”
Callie gathered both girls under her arms and stood taller than seemed possible given her squat form.
“Don’t worry. The girls are in good hands,” Callie said.
“That’s what I want to hear.”
Paul was nearly gone when he stopped in his tracks, and he succeeded where Blake had failed. Turning around, he swept back to their side, and he took Grace’s tear-stained cheeks in his hands.
“We’re heading out to start a new life,” he promised her. “Everything I promised you is gonna come to pass.”
Grace shrank into his shoulder and whispered into the leather covering his arms.
“You swear?” she asked.
“I would never lie to you.”
Paul lifted her lips to his, and he kissed her lightly. Lauren saw her cringe ever so slightly under his hold, and she wondered just how intimate they truly were.
He touches me. He kisses me. But mostly he’s just been real sweet. I… I know it’s crazy, but I think it’s kind of like lucky that I’m here.
Wanting to feel that with Blake, Lauren started to move into the darkness when Callie grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her side.
“Nuh-uh,” she chided. “Blake wants you cleaned up, and that’s just what we’re gonna do.”
Before she was led into Callie’s tent, Lauren saw Paul run his hands down Grace’s back. His palms settled at her waist, and Paul gazed into her teary eyes.
“You go, too,” he said.
“But… you need to sleep.”
“Come here.”
His lips met hers again, and Grace seemed stiff for all of a second. But then she appeared to melt in his embrace, and Lauren watched her arms surround his body. As they clasped each other close, Grace moaned into his mouth, and when Paul ended the kiss, their smiles met, and Grace sighed.
“You’ll be back soon?” she asked.
Paul kissed the top of her head and stroked her cheek.
“Not a damn thing in the world can stop me.”
As soon as he disappeared into the shadows, Grace bit her lip and wiped her eyes dry.
“Come on now,” Callie said. “Fucking cold out here.”
Callie’s makeshift home was a burst of pink and purple. It seemed soft and somehow homey against the desert winds despite the clutter of clothing strewn about the bed and a small table sitting before a rickety chair.
“Let’s get you out of this,” Callie said as she peeled Blake’s jacket from her arms. Grace gasped at the sight of her torn dress.
“It’s nothing,” Lauren assured her.
“Let me be the judge of that.”
Callie followed her words with a careful inspection of her bare back, and Lauren winced when she touched her exposed skin.
“They were going to whip you,” Callie said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Am I right?”
Unable to deny it, Lauren murmured the answer that Callie already knew.
“Lucky the guys got to you in time then, isn’t it?”
Pushing her hands into her pockets, Callie revealed a handful of safety pins, and she went to work repairing the dress.
“Far cry from what you’ll have to do make it like new,” she sighed. “But it’ll do for the moment.”
“I… what I have to do?” Lauren asked.
“You think I’m doing the patch job?” Callie asked as she continued to pin.
“But I don’t know how to sew,” Lauren confessed.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Callie said with a hearty laugh. Finishing the task at hand, she turned Lauren to face her. “Guess you’ll just have to learn,” Callie said.
Lauren started to speak when Grace pressed her lips to her ear.
“I’ll teach you,” she promised. “As soon as we’re safe. Now come on. Sit.”
Sinking into a pile of pillows, Lauren basked in the softness, and she peered into Grace’s eyes,
“Look after her,” Paul started. “Tend to Lauren.”
Callie gathered both girls under her arms and stood taller than seemed possible given her squat form.
“Don’t worry. The girls are in good hands,” Callie said.
“That’s what I want to hear.”
Paul was nearly gone when he stopped in his tracks, and he succeeded where Blake had failed. Turning around, he swept back to their side, and he took Grace’s tear-stained cheeks in his hands.
“We’re heading out to start a new life,” he promised her. “Everything I promised you is gonna come to pass.”
Grace shrank into his shoulder and whispered into the leather covering his arms.
“You swear?” she asked.
“I would never lie to you.”
Paul lifted her lips to his, and he kissed her lightly. Lauren saw her cringe ever so slightly under his hold, and she wondered just how intimate they truly were.
He touches me. He kisses me. But mostly he’s just been real sweet. I… I know it’s crazy, but I think it’s kind of like lucky that I’m here.
Wanting to feel that with Blake, Lauren started to move into the darkness when Callie grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her side.
“Nuh-uh,” she chided. “Blake wants you cleaned up, and that’s just what we’re gonna do.”
Before she was led into Callie’s tent, Lauren saw Paul run his hands down Grace’s back. His palms settled at her waist, and Paul gazed into her teary eyes.
“You go, too,” he said.
“But… you need to sleep.”
“Come here.”
His lips met hers again, and Grace seemed stiff for all of a second. But then she appeared to melt in his embrace, and Lauren watched her arms surround his body. As they clasped each other close, Grace moaned into his mouth, and when Paul ended the kiss, their smiles met, and Grace sighed.
“You’ll be back soon?” she asked.
Paul kissed the top of her head and stroked her cheek.
“Not a damn thing in the world can stop me.”
As soon as he disappeared into the shadows, Grace bit her lip and wiped her eyes dry.
“Come on now,” Callie said. “Fucking cold out here.”
Callie’s makeshift home was a burst of pink and purple. It seemed soft and somehow homey against the desert winds despite the clutter of clothing strewn about the bed and a small table sitting before a rickety chair.
“Let’s get you out of this,” Callie said as she peeled Blake’s jacket from her arms. Grace gasped at the sight of her torn dress.
“It’s nothing,” Lauren assured her.
“Let me be the judge of that.”
Callie followed her words with a careful inspection of her bare back, and Lauren winced when she touched her exposed skin.
“They were going to whip you,” Callie said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Am I right?”
Unable to deny it, Lauren murmured the answer that Callie already knew.
“Lucky the guys got to you in time then, isn’t it?”
Pushing her hands into her pockets, Callie revealed a handful of safety pins, and she went to work repairing the dress.
“Far cry from what you’ll have to do make it like new,” she sighed. “But it’ll do for the moment.”
“I… what I have to do?” Lauren asked.
“You think I’m doing the patch job?” Callie asked as she continued to pin.
“But I don’t know how to sew,” Lauren confessed.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Callie said with a hearty laugh. Finishing the task at hand, she turned Lauren to face her. “Guess you’ll just have to learn,” Callie said.
Lauren started to speak when Grace pressed her lips to her ear.
“I’ll teach you,” she promised. “As soon as we’re safe. Now come on. Sit.”
Sinking into a pile of pillows, Lauren basked in the softness, and she peered into Grace’s eyes,
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