She offered a look of sympathy. “Hard when they have a mind to do something that takes them away, isn’t it?”
“And something you know is dangerous,” Francesca put in.
They got it. Of course they did. “Yeah,” I agreed. “But I know he can take care of himself and that he wouldn’t put himself at risk.”
“No,” Liv agreed. “He wouldn’t. He’s never been happier, that I can say with complete certainty. He wouldn’t risk that.”
“How’s he doing with the news about Thorn?”
My brows arched. “News travels fast, huh?” Cash had shared that he’d spoken to Cole, but I was still surprised that everyone seemed to know in such a short period of time.
“Oh yeah,” she agreed as the other ladies made noises of agreement. “But it wouldn’t if Cash didn’t want it to,” she was quick to clarify. “For safety, I think it was important to him that the guys knew the deal. Especially while he’s out of town.”
“Makes sense,” I agreed, knowing that for Cash, safety was always paramount. “I think he’s doing okay, especially after talking to Thorn and learning that he didn’t give him up voluntarily, that he never would have done that. But he’s cautious. Outside of the military and the Knights, he didn’t have a family until Riley and me. I think he’s afraid to let Thorn in but willing to give him a shot.”
“This trip is a good opportunity to begin that then,” Wren replied thoughtfully.
I hoped the same.
“It’ll be interesting to see what this does for the two clubs,” Grace mused.
“Time will tell,” Wren replied, just as her phone pinged. “All right, ladies. My man is waiting. This was fun. Breakfast tomorrow?” She raised a brow toward Francesca, knowing the only spot we’d want to go was to her bakery.
“Sure,” Frannie agreed with a grin.
“It’s a date,” Wren replied, giving my shoulder a squeeze in parting. “Let me know if you need anything, but I think you’re in good hands.”
“Thanks.” I smiled as she grabbed her bag. “See you tomorrow.”
She let herself out, and we soon heard the roar of Max’s motorcycle taking off down the street.
There was a moment of silence before Ginnie spoke up, a mischievous smile on her lips. “Who wants another bottle of wine?”
Though I knew I wouldn’t stop worrying about Cash until he walked back through the door, these women had made what would have been a very long night into one of laughter and fun. One I’d always remember.
Chapter 21
CASH
We pulled into a roadside diner late that evening after spending hours on our bikes. Our destination, a little town by the name of Rosewater, was just twenty miles up the road. It was off the beaten path, along a narrow strip of highway that, if the last fifty miles said anything about it, made Hawthorne look like big-city living.
A perfect hideout.
“You think he’s still there?” I asked before taking a giant bite out of my burger. We hadn’t stopped much, and I was fucking starving. The only stop we’d made, I’d taken the time to check in on Layla. Gunner had texted, letting me know the girls were over there and keeping her company, and that knowledge put me at ease.
Thorn grunted in the affirmative, as I’d learned was typical for him. The man didn’t say much, and that suited me just fine.
“You think he’s alone?” I wanted to know.
Thorn took a sip of his beer, considering my question. “I know none of my guys took off with him. So if he’s with anyone, I don’t know ’em. Which means we need to be cautious.”
I nodded in agreement. It was a scenario I’d thought about more than once, knowing that if he wasn’t alone I’d likely pull back. This was a mission about justice, not suicide. I had a life to get back to. One I loved a hell of a lot.
“Layla and Riley doing all right?” he asked as though reading my mind.
“Sounds like it,” I replied. “A bunch of the women from the club are looking out for her tonight.”
“She likes the life?” he wondered.