Biker Stepbrother - Part Two Read Online Free

just a moment until he pulled himself away.
    “If you’ll all excuse me, I’m heading back to bed. I’ve got an early conference call in the morning with China,” he said, shuffling off to bed.
    “Alfonso, can you give us a lift back to the hotel?” I asked.
    “Where are you going?” Mom interjected, her eyes still wild with disbelief at what had just transpired.
    “It doesn’t concern you,” I spewed at her, turning back toward the guys. The three of us headed toward the front door, my mom following behind, throwing down remark after remark.
    “Don’t do it, Eve,” she begged. “Don’t get messed up in the gang. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Women are second-class citizens. They don’t care about us. Don’t be an idiot and don’t believe a single promise he makes. He’s just like his piece of shit daddy…”
    Her word vomit continued long after we left the house and shut the door. Alfonso dropped us off at the hotel, where we gathered the rest of Gray’s things and hopped on his bike.
    “You need shoes,” I said. “How did I not see that? And how did that…?”
    “Don’t ask,” he said.
    We pulled into a big box store, where I ran in and got him a pair of size 13 leather boots, and he gratefully slipped them on.
    “Was needing a new pair anyway,” he said.
    “Do you care if I run over to Skylar’s real quick?” I asked. “Before we leave town? I should probably tell her goodbye.”
    “Skylar?”
    “My best friend.”
    His bike rumbled and groaned across town, the wind blowing in my hair felt like it was peeling off my old layers so the new ones could emerge. Within minutes, he’d parked in Skylar’s parking lot, and I ran up to her door.
    “Eve?” Skylar pried the door open. It was late. Maybe eleven. She’d been sleeping.
    “I’m so sorry to stop by so late,” I said. “Can I come in for a sec?”
    “Um, yeah, okay, sure,” Skylar’s words fumbled as she let me in.
    I took a seat on her sofa, the spot on the end was practically worn from all the talks we’d had over the years. I ran my fingers over the soft microfiber.
    “Everything okay?” she asked, reaching over and clicking on the lamp on the side table.
    “I’m leaving town for a bit,” I said, watching her face for a reaction. “I just wanted to say bye for now.”
    Skylar shook her head and scrunched her nose. “What? Wait…”
    She lifted her hand to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, and that’s when I saw it. A glimmer of sparkle and shine on her left ring finger reflected off the lamplight and nearly blinded me from across the room.
    “Skylar? What’s on your finger…” I stood up to walk closer to her, but she yanked her hand behind her back like a child hiding a stolen toy. I reached for her arm and pulled her hand to my face. There it was. The diamond ring I’d seen in the Cartier box in Holden’s sock drawer. “Huh.”
    Skylar’s hand trembled a bit, like a girl who’s biggest secret had suddenly come to light, and I suddenly remembered the fact that she’d bailed out of the proposal dinner on account of having a stomach ache. She loved Holden. She loved him so much she couldn’t bear to watch him propose to me.
    “This from Cartier?” I asked. I wondered how long they’d been secretly engaged and what exactly Holden was planning to do about having two fiancés, but then I realized none of it mattered anymore.
    Skylar bit her lip, not answering me, and focused on the carpet beneath our feet.
    “It’s beautiful, Sky. I mean, really. Beautiful. You and Holden are going to have a lovely life together. Congrats.” I released her hand in haste and gathered my composure, shocked that it didn’t hurt me the way it should have. Had I loved Holden, truly loved him, I’d have been crying. Instead, a smile spread across my lips. It was a simple twist of fate, but a perfect one at that. Those two truly deserved each other.
    Good riddance.
    I showed myself out and climbed back