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Marcus nodded. “Find some info on the mystery member of the family. I still don’t know why you don’t let moneybags pay for it.” He jerked his thumb toward Beckett.
I just shook my head. “Because it’s my business and I’ll do it on my terms.”
“Such pride.” Marcus tutted.
“What’s yours?” Cayden asked Marcus.
“Nah, I don’t bother with them. Resolutions suck,” he announced and dodged a flying pillow from Cayden.
I listened to the brotherly banter for a while, my mind distracted, before getting up to leave. It was well after two in the morning. It was time to go.
Heading out took a while, saying goodbye to folks, getting drawn into the odd conversation here and there. All the while, as I was working my way through the house, I didn’t see Winter. Selena held court with a couple of cheerleaders, but no sign of her aloof, ice-queen friend. Had she left already?
I was driving down the winding coastal road that led to town from the beach when I saw her. A distinctive figure on foot by the side of the road.
I slowed immediately. It was unsafe to be on this road. There was no sidewalk, no streetlights, every fucking corner was blind. My headlights flickered over her figure, and she flinched.
I drove ahead of her and then pulled in and stopped. She paused mid-step when she saw me and then continued toward me.
I shoved my visor up. “What are you doing here?” I asked her. Her blue eyes looked dark in the moonlight, her hair like liquid gold.
“Walking. What does it look like?” She had the cheek to roll her eyes at me.
“Why are you strolling like a fucking idiot down this road? It’s dangerous.”
She let out a jagged laugh. “And I’m supposed to think you care if something happens to me? You don’t need to pretend. I’d rather you didn’t.” She took a step to the side.
“Get on the back. I’ll drop you off,” I ordered her.
She shook her head. “Pass.” She stepped out into the road and moved past me.
She really was the most annoying person I’d ever met.
“I’m serious, Your Majesty. I don’t want to go home and find out tomorrow that the cops had to scrape you off this road. Get on the bike, and we’ll be in town in five minutes.”
Winter sighed. “Stop pretending to give a shit, Asher.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, losing patience. I got off my bike, kicking the stand up, and strode toward her departing back. My arms went around her middle, and I lifted her in the air, carrying her backward toward my bike.
She struggled fruitlessly in my arms. “Get the hell off me!”
“I will, once you’re on my bike.”
“No — get off me now.”
She wriggled violently, and I nearly lost my grip. Finally, I managed to get her to my bike. She fought me as I lowered her to the ground and then caged her in against the seat with an arm on either side. She immediately brought her knee up to hit me in the balls, but I anticipated her move and grabbed her leg.
“If you want to touch my balls so bad, you just need to ask.”
“You’re a lunatic,” she shot out.
“The lunatic you were just begging for a favor,” I reminded her. “Listen. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way, you get on, I take you home in one piece.”
“And the hard way?”
“Hard way, I tie your hands around my waist and make you sit there. You cry and beg and complain the whole way home, and then I leave you hog-tied in your front yard for your daddy to find. Better hope he’s planning on coming home soon.”
“Very funny,” she said.
