Fantastic. Amantis was in town. Rachel had no time to meet up with Adrian, but she had all the time in the world to go on joyrides with that famous ass.
The kids were spellbound—by the bike or Josh, he wasn’t sure. Probably both. Now Adrian understood why Ash and Monti were there.
Josh kicked the stand into place.
“Hi,” Rachel greeted Adrian cheerfully. “What are you doing here?”
“Visiting. And you?” he asked, plastering a smile on his face.
She chuckled. “I work here. We went for a ride to check something.”
He crossed his arms. Sure.
“Josh, this is the local sheriff, Adrian,” she introduced them.
“We know each other,” Adrian said curtly, extending his hand. Josh shook it, offering him that sexy smile that melted the panties right off half of America. It did squat for Adrian, aside from worsening his mood.
Josh turned to Rachel and directed his smile at her—with much different results, Adrian figured. “Did you notice the sound?”
So the joyride’s excuse was to inspect some rattle or other. Like they couldn’t check that in the garage. Please.
“Yeah,” she said to Josh, oblivious to Adrian’s treacherous thoughts. “Just leave this beauty here. I’ll have her running smooth in no time. Maximum priority.”
“I thought you were swamped,” Adrian interjected.
She waved her hand in dismissal. So did the three kids. Apparently everyone was dying to work on Josh’s motorcycle. What a surprise.
“I have to be in Boston this evening for some business,” Rachel said, “but first thing tomorrow morning, I’ll start working on her. You can stop by to pick her up in the afternoon.”
“I’ll come in the morning and keep you company while you work on the bike,” Josh suggested. “Deal?”
“Sure.” The thugs were also assenting. Starstruck, the bunch of them.
“I’m going to Boston to see my parents today,” Josh added. “I can drive you there in the Hummer. Are you going where I think you’re going?”
The complicity in Josh’s words rubbed Adrian the wrong way.
Rachel didn’t seem to mind. She let out that husky laugh that drove him insane with lust. “No. And no need, I have it all covered today. Tomorrow evening, though, I have a stupid date in Boston. If you’d give me a ride, we can ensure the bike makes the purring sounds it should—and then I can drink on my date.”
Why the fuck was she explaining all that to Josh? Adrian knew the guitarist always had the maintenance on his bike done in Rachel’s garage, but that was too much familiarity.
“Stupid date?” Josh asked, amused. At her nod, he recommended, “Ditch him. I’ll take his place.”
Adrian tensed, but she didn’t even spare him a glance. “Oh no, no, no,” she answered, laughing and patting his chest. “If the OGs heard about that, they’d never let go of you. I think being groupies for a day is on their bucket list. Being related to someone like you would be a dream come true.”
Josh threw his head back and laughed. Adrian’s kids, Adrian’s, too. Traitors. “I’m in if you’re in,” Josh said, winking at Rachel, who broke into laughter.
Adrian wasn’t sure if she was flirting or humoring the guy or both. Whatever the case, his patience had a limit. “You seem busy. I’m taking the kids.”
She nodded and continued talking with Josh.
Adrian motioned to the three thugs. “Follow me.” He’d come here originally for XL, but Ash and Monti would benefit from this too.
They went along grudgingly and didn’t stop complaining until they made it to Mike’s gym.
“What are we doing here?” Ash asked, grimacing. “Did Rachel loan us out again?”
XL touched his side. “I’m still recuperating. I can’t deal with the grandmas.”
Right, as if he hadn’t been moving around in Rachel’s garage without any issues.
“No grandmas,” Adrian promised, pushing the three punks toward the tatami where Mike was practicing. “If you want to be free from Tito’s claws and you don’t want to report him for assault, you’re going to have to learn to defend yourselves. Mike will teach you.”
The kids looked at Mike, all bulging muscles, moving smoothly on the tatami.
They snickered. “Sorry, Sheriff,” Ash said, “but we don’t have ten years to go from white belt to black.”
“Neither do I.” Mike stopped his exercises and approached.
Max jumped off the treadmill and walked toward them. His eyes opened wide when he saw XL’s black-and-yellow busted face. Then he turned to Mike. “Did you do that? Because of Sara?”
“No. Not yet,” Mike said, giving XL a cold stare. Kudos to the kid, he didn’t shrink. Most men would have.
“Mike is going to teach them to fight.” The guys were about to complain; Adrian could see it in their faces. “He has so many black belts from so many different martial arts, you don’t have enough fingers among the three of you to count them. And he retired unbeaten from the illegal fighting rings in Boston.”
That last piece of info seemed to interest the boys.
Mike noticed that too. “I’ll teach you to fight dirty and defend yourselves from multiple assailants with an array of weapons. That will give you a fighting chance in very unfavorable circumstances. I want you here every day for at least an hour. And I don’t have any patience for excuses. You waste my time, I’ll make you pay for it.” He walked to the counter, got some sweatpants and shirts, and shoved them at Ash’s chest. “Bring your own clothes next time. Guys’ locker room is that way. Change and start warming up.”
“You’re so toast.” Clapping XL on the back, Max headed for the locker room with them.
Adrian had expected the kids to throw the clothes on the floor and march out, but miracles of all miracles, they obeyed.
While he waited for them to change, several women approached him, asking how his foot was and offering to help with whatever he needed. He was too wound up to utter the usual niceties and got rid of them without much tact. Then he took out his cell, discouraging approaching women by pretending to be in the middle of a conversation.
A low chuckle and a pat on the back made Adrian turn around. It was Cole, who had been training on the weight machines. He pointed at the cell. “Buy yourself some headphones and listen to some music. More effective.”
Cole Bowen should know. He’d done his fair share of shooing—still did, although he’d never been too tactful about it.
“Why do you look so angry, man?”
Fuck if Adrian knew. Well, he knew. He just didn’t want to think about it, much less concede anything. He was cranky from his injury and his sick leave—that was the reason. The official one, at least.
“OGs?” Cole offered.
He shook his head. The OGs had been rather quiet lately after setting XL’s nose straight and stitching him up. Kudos to them, they hadn’t done that badly. XL, of course, had a different opinion, which he’d voiced clearly during the procedure. Rebecca had just shushed him and called him a crybaby.
Cole studied him for a long second. “Rachel?”