more than savor her from a distance. Why? Because she has been the English teacher to some of the teens of our motorcycle club. I’ve been told that throwing her on the back of my motorcycle would cause a conflict of interest.
Translation? If I were to date her and suck at the whole dating thing—which I do—then that might cause Caroline Whitlock to take it out on the Reign of Terror teens. I say they’re big kids who can handle failing a class, but when I saw those stupid doe-eyed teens going through all their life-threatening issues, I took a step back.
That’s all ending today. In a matter of minutes, all the pictures of Chevy, Violet and Razor’s coma-inducing high school graduation ceremony will be taken, and there will be two years before another club teen will grace Caroline Whitlock’s gum-coated classroom.
Tonight, I begin my quest to woo the most desirable woman in the world.
“The fact you like my English teacher is creepy.” Chevy stands beside me, graduation cap tilted on his head. He’s the spitting image of his uncle and my best friend, Eli. Dark hair, dark eyes and every bone is dedicated to taking care of the people he loves.
It’s gonna break a lot of people’s hearts when this kid leaves town to go to college in the fall. He lost his dad before he was born, but the club took him on, and now he’s everybody’s son. Chevy hasn’t patched into the club, the club’s initiation to officially become a member. Whether he does or not, he’s part of this big, messed-up family.
No doubt most of the club will be there when he plays college football. It’ll probably scare the hell out of the small college town when the stands are full of Reign of Terror biker cuts, but they’ll figure out quick that we’re all about supporting our boy and not about causing trouble.
Chevy makes a show of glancing back and forth between me and Ms. Whitlock. “There’s something wrong with you.”
“No, there’s not.”
“Yes, there is.”
“No, there’s not.”
“For some reason, women think you’re good looking and that you’re funny, so when you have women who give you their phone number without you asking, why her?”
Hence my road name, Pigpen. The guys in the club said I was too good looking, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a ripped body, courtesy of my service in the Army. To even the playing field, they gave me a road name designed to offset my appearance. I don’t have problems walking into bars and finding a one-night stand, but I don’t want a one-night stand. I want a date with Caroline Whitlock.
“That woman revels in people’s pain,” he says. “Do you know how many football games I almost missed because of her?”
“None.”
“That’s not the point. She’d shut her door to class thirty seconds before the bell. If you didn’t make it in, you were locked out and ran the risk of being reported for cutting. And as I stood outside waiting for her to let me in, she’d give the class a quiz no one could make up. I almost missed games because my grade would be low that week from the missed quiz.”
“Yet, you played.” Because he learned quickly to get his ass in his seat early.
While all the other teachers are taking photos with students, Ms. Whitlock is gathering papers at the podium and straightening them. Her long fingers slip along the edges to nudge them into line. How is it that she makes that simple gesture seem sexy?
“The point is she’s a sadist.”
“She’s an angel.”
“That’s messed up.”
I flash a grin at him because I’m aware how messed up I am. “No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not, and I can do this all day.”
Chevy laughs and shakes his head. I offer him my hand, he takes it and I pull him in for a hug. One that includes a strong thump on the back. “I’m proud of you.”
“Chevy, Mom wants a picture of us,” Violet says from my right. I let Chevy go, and my smile grows at the sight of Violet decked out in the purple cap and gown, and with honor cords and sashes around her neck.
I hold out my arms. “I need a hug.”
Her eyes go wide because she and I both know I’m not going to give her the polite public hug going on all around us. I’m too crazy for that. Violet sticks out her finger like I’m a rabid dog that