“The hell I am.”
Dylan said, “Didn’t she say for you to come alone?”
“She kept her family and her history a secret from me this whole time. I still don’t know what’s going on. She can send me to hell, but she can’t make me go there by myself.”
“Did you ask us if we wanted to go?” Sonny didn’t turn around.
Dylan snorted. “The answer would be no. And, if he tried to go by himself, we wouldn’t let him.”
“Exactly.” Jake reached for the other controller and waited for Sonny to reset. “I’m saving you the trouble of following me like a couple of lost puppies.”
“Besides, you know you can’t sleep unless Jake tucks you in, Sonny.”
“Screw you.” Sonny reset the game.
“HEY NILE, THIS IS MAYA. How have you been, girl?”
Nile made a face. “I’m great, Maya. What can I do for you?”
Tigris slid the phone from Nile’s fingers. She swished her box-braids out of her way. “This isn’t the favor-bar, Maya Ann. What do you want?”
Damn it. Maya frowned. She and Tigris were both twenty-two. They grew up together, but Tigris was not friendly—at least not to her. Had she known Nile was anywhere near her bitch-sister, she never would have called. “Hi, Tigris. No favors. I’m on my way home and I thought I’d try to squeeze a girly visit in to catch up. How are you?”
Searching through her own phone, Tigris said, “Got your chart right here. You’re not due back for three weeks. Did you forget to take your vitamins?”
“No, Ma’am. I’m good. Healthy as a horse.”
“I imagine there would be no horse-vets if all horses were healthy.”
Nile took her phone back and put it on speaker. “Why are you coming home, Maya?”
Maya took a deep breath. She made the call. “I’ve been seeing a guy...for a while.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing, Tigris. I swear.”
“More to the point,” Nile said, “what do you want to tell him and what does this have to do with me?”
“I...I...”
Tigris didn’t hide her impatience. “No favors, my ass. Out with it, Maya Ann.”
“His name is Jacob. He asked me to marry him.” She blurted out the rest. “I’m hoping for approval, obviously. Or...maybe...one of you...could speak to your brother on my behalf.”
“Not one of us,” Nile said. “Me. You called me because you can guess what Tigris will say and you thought I would be your best shot at persuading Jordan to help you.”
“No. No, it’s not like that!” Maya corrected.
Tigris talked over her. “She’s not wrong.”
“Yes, she is,” Nile said. “Don’t call me for favors, Maya. I don’t owe you any.” She disconnected the line.
“Shit,” Maya said in the wake of silence. Calling Nile was a gamble, and she lost. “Oh, God, please.” She hoped Nile’s parents would be generous. She prayed Jordan would be merciful.
Chapter Two
There was nothing Dylan liked better than cruising. Jake’s CV Limited was an eye-popping stiletto red, while Dylan preferred the midnight blue of his CV Ultra. You could see Jake coming a mile away—which he wanted. You didn’t know Dylan was coming until he was on top of you—his preferred method of approach. The elaborate Christmas gifts they received from their had-never-been-there father were suited to their personalities, courtesy of their overbearing mother. Jake loved the thinner front tire and the wings. He claimed they kept his hands warm. Dylan thought they were a for-show flamboyance—a thing his brother was known for. He, himself, appreciated the solid frame-mounted fairing, the extra compartment space, and the better speakers. Other than that, a Harley was a Harley, and the brothers lived for the road.
Sonny labeled himself a working man who earned his rewards. He didn’t do much past existing to be rewarded with Jake’s Intruder that wasn’t a year old. Jake’s May purchase gave their dad the great idea to buy his sons matching Harleys, because originality was not his forte. Neither was timing. Jake didn’t mind. The CV Limited was bigger, faster, and showier than the sleek Yamaha. Sonny didn’t mind either. The Intruder was fast enough to keep up. He made it his own with American-muscle decals and flags and no understanding of irony.
The trio blazed through miles of highway and open road, traveling from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Rain, a watershed town in Southern Maryland.
“This feels like a summons to me,” Sonny talked into his Bluetooth.
“So you’ve said.” Dylan gunned ahead. He’d been listening to Sonny whine since New Jersey. He wasn’t saying anything new or pertinent.
“Yeah, well,” Jake said, “this is where Maya is. This is where they live.”
“I thought she said she came from New York. This ain’t no New York.”
“She lied, Sonny,” Jake snapped. “What would you like me to do about that?”
“Ask her what the hell is going on. You could start there.”
Jake pulled ahead. He was tired of Sonny too.
Cool air, colorful trees, light traffic; Dylan chased birds and blurred past fishermen casting off bridges. He pondered what they knew, which was nothing. Maya called Jake and asked, no, told him to come meet her family. He had to get there within two days. Otherwise, it would be too late. Too late for what? This wasn’t the wedding. She said she hoped to explain things when he arrived. Hoped? What was she thinking? This wasn’t the Maya Dylan knew and loved. She had become some Dr. Jekyll psycho making unrealistic demands. If this was the true her, what would Jake’s marriage be like?
He didn’t doubt they would get married. Jake lived for Maya. They were four and a half hours into their almost six-hour ride and it hadn’t been a full day since she called. Jake was angry for sure, but he’d do anything for her. Rush hour on I95, the toll road, and Maryland’s gas prices...there wasn’t anything Jake wouldn’t do for Maya.
Was Maya worth three men calling out of work and biking down the East Coast at her behest? Before, Dylan would have said yes. Now, he didn’t know. That bothered him. He couldn’t solve it, so he let it go and enjoyed the scenery. That was the number one reason to have a bike - to enjoy the scenery and let things go.
Sonny said something about needing to take a leak. Jake responded with a parental admonishment. “Can’t you hold it? We’re almost there.”
Dylan switched off his Bluetooth.
THEY DID STOP. WITH tanks riding E, it was worth it to let Sonny take a piss. Other than gas, water, and gum there wasn’t anything the guys wanted from the Seven-Eleven. They took a few minutes to stretch their legs and for Dylan and Sonny to give Jake the pep talk he needed to stir his confidence.
“You sure you want to do this?” Sonny said. “We can turn around now if we want.”
Dylan said, “As much as I hate to agree with him, he’s right. If you feel like something’s off, we can bail.”
Jake shook his head. “It’s not off. It’s not normal, and that’s unsettling. But, it’s not off.”