GET OUT OF MY HEAD, MEADOWS!

CODY

I pulled my bike to a stop on the abandoned road at the outskirts of Seattle. The place was filled with indistinct noises, the rumbling of vehicles, and mists of smoke.

Neon lights lit up the whole place. The place I had lived long enough to call my home.

"Ice, you are here!" Gabrielle, one of the Father's daughters, walked towards me dressed in a tank top and tight jeans.

The neon lights did a great job of highlighting her tattoo—the same snake-in-a-vine tattoo as everyone else.

"Get on your bike and make those b*tches shut up." She kissed both my cheeks.

My gaze swung to the Vultures, the second most notorious biker gang in Seattle. They worked under the Vice President, unlike us who worked for the President.

I moved my gaze back to her, and she was equally watching them. "Is Antonio going to be here?"

"Nah, Mama is very sick so Papa has to be with her. He trusts you’d be able to handle things yourself." She then looked at me and furrowed her brows. "Your girlfriend didn’t come tonight, why?"

"She is not my girlfriend," I muttered, a muscle in my jaw ticking. "She had something important to attend to."

She smiled pitifully. "No wonder you look so pissed tonight. Cheer up and get your head focused on the game, you know how important it is." She lowered her voice. "Not just for this gang but for your mother too."

She patted my back and walked away. She had never missed any of my races since I’d known her, but tonight—because of a man who didn’t give shit about her—she missed one of the most important races of my life.

I got the pink helmet she had always ogled when we went to the store together. I thought maybe we could race together tonight and right after... I would come clean about my feelings. About how I’d always been attracted to her from the very first day she summarized the whole Pride and Prejudice in my face even though I hadn’t asked her.

It felt just like yesterday. I could still see her wearing those large glasses, an oversized Pokémon shirt, and braces, with her hair in a ponytail with bangs.

Call me weird, but I had found her cute with those glasses and bangs, even though she had always been self-conscious of them. After she met William, she got contact lenses and cut her hair short to fit her bangs.

I remembered how painful it felt seeing her with that bastard. I had all the ladies at my feet, but the one I loved only saw me only as a friend.

And now she is probably f*cking that bastard.

"Earth to Ice?" Dante snapped me out of my thoughts before I could explode. "Lady problem?"

I stormed past him, walking to God knows where. "When does the bloody race start?"

He matched my pace. "You aren’t getting on a race angry, Ice. Especially not the one that matters so much to everyone in this gang."

He was right. I needed to get my shit together. I wasn’t the one whose name she was probably moaning right now, so why the hell was I letting her bother me?!

The announcer called for the riders to take their spots. Dante and the rest of my brothers gave me a thumbs up while the ladies cheered.

I took off my jacket and switched into the gang’s signature jacket before getting on Lucy and putting on my helmet.

I grabbed the handles, my gaze on the track before me.

"Prepare to get your ass kicked, Ice," my opponent said.

His mother wished.

My grip on the handle tightened as the announcer began the countdown. At the sound of the whistle, I kicked the bike into gear.

He took the lead. I maintained my speed but made sure to keep close distance, so it would be easier to win this race when I was closer to the finish line.

My gaze locked on the brunette behind him as she snuggled against his back.

Focus, Cody.

But my mind betrayed me. The picture of William thrashing into her while she pretended to enjoy it flashed through my mind. Shit!

I had wanted to have that part of her. I had wanted to be the first man she made love to. I had never banged any virgins because I knew how easily they got attached.

Stupid me thought maybe after college I could finally quit this shit of a job and be responsible enough to take care of her as my wife.

My grip tightened.

"Unfortunate bastard," my father whispered to me, and then just there, I saw him.

By the trees, he was holding up a belt to mini-me, and I couldn’t do anything about it—

"Ice, what the hell are you doing?!" Dante cursed through my earpod.

I pressed the accelerator harder, even though I had already broken the limit, my eyes heavily locked on the finish line.

"F*ck, Ice, you are going to kill yourself!" Matteo barked.

I spotted Gabrielle clapping in excitement from the finish line. The crowd split.

Smoke swallowed me as I cut through the finish line and then I pressed the brakes—hard enough I almost toppled over. Almost.

The crowd immediately encircled me, cheering.

The moment I got down, Dante slapped my face, glaring at me. "That’s for almost making me shit my pants."

I almost smiled. The rest of my brothers came, most of them slapping me first. Just after them, Gabrielle squeezed through the crowd.

She grabbed the back of my neck and stood on her toes, pressing her lips against mine. "You are making me regret breaking up with you." She chuckled after pulling away.

I handed over my helmet, creating space between us. "Just don’t try this in public again."

I turned around, walking away.

"Come on, Ice, I’m sorry," she shouted, but I ignored her, clenching my fists.

I snatched a pack of cigarettes as I headed back to my bike. How the hell did that goddamn man creep into my thoughts?

I lit up a cigar and inhaled deeply, leaning against my bike, even though I knew how much Med hated it when I smoked.

When my head finally felt lighter, I took out my phone and called my mother’s personal nurse.

"Is she awake?"

"No, she’s asleep. Do you want me to call you back tomorrow or maybe you have something I could tell her?"

"No, it’s fine. I’ll be there this weekend. Goodnight."

"Good night, Mr. Larson."

Just as I was about to put my phone away, I saw a snapchat message from Serenity. I clicked it.

My heart flew to my mouth instantly at the image of William smiling up at a woman ina wedding dress.

~ I can’t believe he’d do such a thing to Med. Shit! He literally got married last month. ~