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Romeo, Brody, Turner, Sander, and Axel stood in the living room. Timber lugged her bag to the front door by herself. The only one who wasn't around to say goodbye to her was Caleb.
"I don't get it. Living here is better than staying somewhere else by yourself. You don't have anyone to talk to or to protect you." Sander's frown matched Axel's expression. "Hell, Timber, you're hardly here."
She was here more than any of them. Working part-time at the diner meant she had more free hours to sit around.
"I'll be fine on my own." She glanced at Romeo. "I'm used to it."
He was the only one whose opinion mattered to her. The other men were only an added bonus of living here. They made her feel like part of the family. They made her feel welcomed.
"Ready?" asked Romeo.
She nodded and opened the door, needing to get out of the house before changing her mind. Her dad had given her enough money to find somewhere else to live. It'd taken her three days to find other accommodations close enough to the diner to keep working.
Instead of running away, she'd sat Romeo down and explained to him her reasons for moving out. She wanted to leave the right way without anyone stopping her.
When she broke the news to the Muel family, she hadn't told them where she was going, though. It was for the best.
It was the only way.
Used to moving on short notice, she became accustomed to staying by herself. Her mom was rarely home, and her dad never came around. Plus, it wasn't like she was moving to an unsafe location. Staying in an apartment meant there would be others around to notice if something wasn't right.
Outside the house, she gave her bag to Romeo, who tied it on the back of the motorcycle seat. Once he straddled the bike, she squeezed in behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Knowing it would be the last time she'd ride with him, she pressed her cheek against his back, letting the warm leather of his vest comfort her.
She wanted to tease him by asking if he was taking her for a joy ride or if her being on the back of his motorcycle was all business, but she couldn't open her mouth. The lump of emotions sitting heavily in her throat choked her.
She'd miss him slipping into the bed, trying not to wake her every night. The shock of sleeping with him had worn off after the first time. They never came into contact with each other because the bed was large—too big for two people.
But, she loved listening to his breathing.
Once in a while, he'd let out a low moan in his sleep. It was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard. The sound always rolled over her as if he'd touched her. Touched her in the right place.
When he left the bed in the morning and quietly walked into the bathroom to take his shower, she would roll to the other side of the bed and lay in the warmth he'd left behind. It was almost as if she'd had a chance to touch him.
She never told him how she felt about him. He obviously wanted to keep his distance from her because he avoided being in the bedroom when they were both awake.
And what could she say about her attraction toward him? She wasn't even sure why being around him made her feel good.
Sure, he was sexy and confident. He was blessed with extremely nice features that seemed to work to his advantage when it came to the opposite sex. All he had to do was flash his dimples, and any woman within twenty feet stripped off their clothes—going by the rumor mill.
He was also the exact opposite of her dad, making her admire everything about him. He was a dedicated family man despite not being married and having kids. There was nothing more appealing to her than a man who put forth the energy to stay close to those he loved.
Her respect for him spanned the bridge of their age gap. She found him intoxicating. If that all-encompassing love came with maturity, she wanted what he had. Men her age were merely boys who kept a list of every girl they ever fucked. They treated girls like her as if they were toys to play with and then throw away.
Romeo had invited her into his house and treated her like family.
That's why she had to leave now before she started getting deeper feelings for him.
Having her dad show up and throw money at her only pounded the truth into her. She would never get the life she wanted. Forever would she be on the run, jumping from one location to the next.
She thought Spokane would be far enough away she'd stay safe and unbothered by her parents' lifestyle choices. She was wrong.
She always wondered why her dad hadn't taken her and mom to Spokane, considering Killere Motorcycle Club was based in eastern Washington. It only made sense that if her dad had removed them from the Seattle area, they would've remained safe. She couldn've had a different upbringing.
It angered her that he would selfishly leave them to fend for themselves.
But once she hit her teen years, she realized no matter where she lived. Her father would always neglect her. He would never want her around him. He would forever ignore her existence.
The short ride ended too soon, and she slid off the back of his motorcycle behind the diner. Romeo got off the bike and undid her bag for her.
She looked up into his eyes. "I want to thank you for everything you've done."
"Are you sure you get the new place today?"
She nodded.
"I can take you there after work," he said.
She swung the strap of the bag over her shoulder. "Vega's letting me use her bike to get back and forth to work. It's not far."
"How far?"
She motioned her hand. It was exactly three miles. A twenty-minute bike ride, one way—she'd Googled. Because she was not used to pedaling or sitting on the bike seat, she'd need to give herself thirty minutes to make it to work.
"I better go inside, put my bag away, and wash up before my shift starts." She stepped toward him, raised to her tiptoes, and kissed his whiskered cheek, right over his dimple. "Thank you for everything, Romeo. I'll never forget what you and your brothers have done for me."
Licking her lip to see if she could taste him, she slipped inside before he could ask more questions. Anytime her mom and dad forced her to move, she wasn't allowed to mention where she was going to any of her friends—not that she ever had any warning. She'd change apartments, schools, neighborhoods, and friends overnight.
Tomorrow was a new day.
The only thing that would stay the same was her job. She wasn't going to quit working at Killere Truck Stop. If her dad thought he was going to pay her to leave, he would find out that there wasn't enough money in the world for her to go back to Seattle.
At least here, she had the other girls who worked at the diner. She had Willow, who checked in with her every day and always seemed interested in how she was doing.
And there was Romeo. Even if she was no longer staying at his house. She'd still see him at the diner.