I start looking around for Cruz when the familiar sound of my bike roaring to life down the street rumbles through my chest. “No,” I breathe as my worst nightmare slams straight through me. “What the fuck is that asshole doing? He’s going to ruin my bike.”
“Chill out,” King murmurs beside me, his hand dropping to the seat and brushing against mine, his silent way of showing me that, for some reason, he actually gives a fuck, maybe two. “Cruz probably rides that thing better than you do. You’ll get it back tomorrow.”
I meet King’s gaze before my brows drip. “How’d he get the key? It was shoved down my bra.”
King just looks away, leaving the question floating between us, the answer to that one clear as day.
As we wait for Grayson, and what I’m assuming is his mission to get Ember out of there, Cruz flies past the Escalade, his shirt blowing up in the wind behind him and showing off his perfectly muscled torso. He looks as though he belongs on my Ducati more than I do, and honestly, he probably does. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more erotic in my life.
A fierce jealousy cuts through me. I’d do anything to be on that bike and feeling the freedom that Cruz is no doubt experiencing right now.
I stare after him, and once he fades into the distance, I find my gaze shifting to Carver’s who watches me through the rearview mirror. I have so many things that I want to say to him, but not a damn one that I’ll allow to pass my lips. He’s such a mystery to me. They all are, but there’s just something about Carver that I can’t quite get a grasp on, especially the mystery of why he wanted to come and save my ass tonight.
I’m just about to work up the courage to ask when the side passenger door is opened and Ember practically comes flying through. Grayson slams the door behind her, and not a second later, he’s in the front passenger seat and the Escalade is roaring down the street, putting as much distance between us and the club as possible.
Ember finally rights herself, pressing her ass into the seat and grabbing hold of my leg to keep her sitting upright. She glances around, way too late realizing where the fuck she’s sitting. Her eyes go wide before she gapes at me, her jaw dropped as the shock radiates out of her. “What the fuck are we doing in Dante Carver’s Escalade?”
I shake my head, unable to resist glancing up at him through his mirror. “Trust me,” I grumble. “I’m still trying to work that out.”
Silence falls around the car, and before I know it, Ember is fast asleep, her head resting against my shoulder as her light snores sound through the car.
I stare out the windshield and as Carver drives, I’m left with nothing but my own thoughts. The guys were right. Tonight could have been avoided if I wasn’t being so stubborn and listened to King’s warnings to stay away. I really was being stupid, though I firmly stand by my opinion that his warning of ‘stay away from Knox’ could have been delivered with a little more substance so I knew exactly what I was dealing with.
There’s no way I would have ever taken Ember to that club had I know Knox’s intentions were to parade me around in front of a sex trafficker. For the most part, I can handle myself but put Ember in my position, and I don’t know how she would have survived. She’s sweet, and while she can more than stand up for herself, she wouldn’t be able to fight someone off. My stupidity put her life at risk, and I’ll never forgive myself for that. She deserves better from me as a friend.
The Escalade comes to a stop and my gaze snaps up to find Carver’s stare already on mine. “Is this her place?”
My gaze sweeps out the window to find a big home, complete with big white pillars stretching across the front of the property. We’re definitely not on my side of Ravenwood Heights anymore. I shrug my shoulders. “How am I supposed to know? I’ve been here a week.”
King groans. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.” He gets out of the car and walks around to the other side before scooping Ember out and holding her tightly in his arms. “Well,” Grayson prompts. “What are you waiting for? Are you staying the night with Ember or going back to your shithole across town?”
Well, shit.
Without another word, I’m out of the Escalade and rushing after King, reaching them just in time to help him unlock Ember’s front door. We get in and make our way up the stairs before finding her bedroom. King dumps her on her bed as though she doesn’t mean shit to him, and as he turns on his heel and stalks back to the door, I find his disappointed gaze on me, his silence screaming so damn loud.