Ride For Me (The North Shore Crew #1) Read online

  I shoved various condiments out of the way until I found the ginger beer stash. Quietly celebrating to myself, I moved a few to the bench and danced to the beat of the outside music.

  I had my head in the fridge again when an unfamiliar growl of a motorbike caught my attention. It pulled up to the house then cut out, and it wasn’t long before a new voice rumbled in conversation with Mace close to the back door. Mickey invaded my mind at that precise moment.

 

  With the fear of missing out getting the better of me, I tightly clasped three bottles in each hand then drunkenly ran through the kitchen and across the deck. In my haste, I utterly failed to see where the last step ended and the lawn began.

  One moment I was on my feet, the next I had lost all contact with the ground. One leg folded at an awkward angle, my arms flailed and sent bottles in all directions, and my long hair whipped wildly around my face before I landed on my ass with a mortified shriek.

  “Shit the bed! My ankle!” I growled and clutched the throbbing joint.

  Despite the pain, I still had the sense to glance around to ensure I wasn’t surrounded by broken glass.

  Mace’s booming laughter commandeered my attention until a deep, cynical voice spoke.

  “Who are you and what the fuck does that even mean?”

  I snapped my head skyward to see a large silhouette of a man standing between me and the fire.

  “It means, I just smashed up my ankle. I’m fine by the way, thanks for asking,” I deadpanned.

  The newcomer may have chuckled, though it sounded more like a scoff. He did, however, offer me his hand

  After a moment’s hesitation, I slapped both my hands in his and hopped slightly as he hauled me to my feet. I was about to release his grasp when a tingling sensation prickled through my palm, causing my fingers to involuntary squeeze against the unexpected feeling.

  Judging by the stranger’s explosive reaction, he felt something too; he dropped my hands, reared back and drew to full height then eyed me cautiously.

  I raked my gaze up and down the entire length of his body, automatically assessing and drawing conclusions.

  He was tall and muscular, long, straight nose, dark eyes and dishevelled hair. And, to complete his hostile demeanour, a dark beard surrounded the scowl on his mouth.

  Black. Black everything; motorcycle boots, jeans, leather jacket hanging from one hand and t-shirt that revealed the barest hint of ink at the bottom of one sleeve.

  I swear to God my ovaries swooned as every last hint of moisture left my mouth.

  What an… an...

  ASSHOLE!

  A shadow seemed to shroud his presence, so raw and unreceptive, and I could practically feel it vibrating around his space. His eyes held a hollow soullessness and he wore sorrow like a second skin, yet his unmistakable arrogance countered any sense of sympathy I felt for him in this moment.

  Despite unwittingly being drawn to this stranger, just looking at him made me grind my teeth together. I scoffed and returned his scowl while popping a hip for added sass.

  “Who are you? Like, Batman or something? Because I don’t believe the real Batman wears a small animal on his face.”

  He laughed for sure this time. A rough, contemptuous chuckle rolled over me and his scowl turned into a smirk.

  “Well, aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine.”

  Before I got the chance to reply, Mace (who was completely forgotten beside us until now) cut in with his voiced raised.

  “Lil, this is my cousin, Gage Westbrook. He’s just moved up from Tauranga to work with me and Dad.” Mace glared and pointed the top of his bottle my way. “Play nice, Missy.”

  Ignoring Mace’s bitchy tone, I folded my arms across my chest then darted comparative glances between the pair of them.

  Despite being cousins, the physical family resemblance was non-existent. They did, however, possess the same manner of assertiveness in the way they held themselves; both standing tall with their shoulders back, showing that they not only looked powerful, they felt it. But that’s where the similarities ended.

  Snapping from my assessment, I turned to Mace. “I always play nice. You just can’t handle all this badass,” I declared and waved a hand over myself.

  Mace dropped his chin slightly and raised his brows at me. “Lil Bean,” he warned.

  I waved him off with an irritated flick of my fingers then stepped back a pace. Batman’s presence was too commandeering and suffocating for my liking.

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatevs, Macey.”

  Ignoring Mace’s growling retort about being called Macey, I turned on my uninjured heel and crouched to collect scattered bottles. As I stood, I mentally reset my mood to fun-loving and forced the sullen, party-crasher from my mind.

  Taking the deck steps as fast as I dared, I made my way inside to exchange my drinks for non-shaken ones while willing myself to resist the urge to glance back at Gage. He had me unreasonably flustered and I didn’t like it one bit.

  The feeling of eyes boring into my back made my lungs constrict. I ignored the shit out of them, and I’d be damned if I admitted to emphasising the sway in my hips ever so slightly.

  THREE

  GAGE

  FUCK. COMING AROUND here was a mistake.

  I had only moved to Auckland a few days ago and every aspect of my life was in various states of disarray; being in this bullshit city just emphasised that fact. Now, standing with my cousin at some random broad’s house, I regretted my decision even more.

  Mace insisted I make an appearance tonight since these were his best mates, and I would apparently be seeing a lot of them. He had assured me that they were a decent group of people who would do anything for each other. ‘The Crew’ they called themselves.

  I wasn’t exactly thrilled about acquiring new ‘friends’, but better to hang with the devil you know than the devil you didn’t. I didn’t want to be part of their clique, but I trusted my cousin. He knew what had brought me here, and I couldn’t blame the guy for trying take my mind off things.

  Mace studied me with hope shining in his eyes. His aspiration that I would fit in here made me want to make an effort simply for his sake. Plus, I had nothing better to do tonight.

  Our conversation was interrupted by some long-haired bimbo blazing across the deck before landing tits up at my feet. When she looked up at me with her big round eyes, I felt as if she stripped me bare in that single glance.

  An internal battle waged within me as I tried to summon all composure and not lose my shit by laughing in her face. Laughter didn’t pass my lips often, and tonight wasn’t going to be the exception.

  I glanced at Mace who wore a shit-eating grin while he laughed loudly. His features were alight and adoring; the girl meant something to him, that much was obvious. The least I could do was show an ounce of gentlemanliness, so I extended a hand to help her up.

  The tip of her tongue darted out as I tugged her to standing, and out of nowhere I wondered what she tasted like.

  Jesus Christ. Get a grip man!

  I tightened my grip on her hands and waited for her to become steady on her feet. That was when I felt it; whatever the hell it was that surged between us.

  I recoiled and dropped her hands like a hot fucking rock. Taking a hasty step back to see her properly, her eyes were wide and her shiny lips were parted in surprise. Those same eyes skipped over my entire body in a way that exposed me infinitely more than it should have. I knew she was judging me based on first impressions. I drew myself to full height and held still under her scrutiny.

  She was hot and intense while unintentionally drawing me in like the fucking sun. Damn, this girl was somethin’ else, that was for sure. I resisted the urge to cover my crotch with my hands, opting to tuck my free hand into the pocket of my jeans.

  Thank Christ Mace finally spoke up before I burst into flames. However, his introductions didn’t provide any further information apar
t from the little spitfire’s name.

  Lil.

  He said her name was Lil.

  Despite my curiosity, I didn’t want to know more. There was no point; I wasn’t prepared to go down that road again.

  Mace’s introduction caused her eyes to flick back and forth between us and a crease to appear between her brows. I was aware of her having a clipped conversation with Mace, but I couldn’t hear a goddamn thing as I visually drank her in.

  She sauntered back into the house and my eyes dropped to her ass as she excessively swayed her hips, obviously having had a few drinks tonight. No matter how much the little voice of warning inside my head screamed, I simply couldn’t tear my eyes away from her.

  With much effort, I shook off my thoughts and blinked hard before turning my attention back to Mace. What I saw slammed into me like a tonne of bricks. Mace also stared after Little Miss Sunshine with his eyes glazed over. I twigged; it was like that between them.

  I resisted the urge to rub my chest where an unexpected pang rocketed through me, then I thumbed towards the house. “Who the fuck was that?”

  Mace scoffed. “That, my dear cousin, is hell on wheels in the form of Lily McMillan.” A hint of pride pricked his voice before he chuckled and took a swig of beer.

  “Christ,” I muttered and ran a hand through my hair.

  One of the guys headed for the house and offered a beer on his way past. I took a long pull from the bottle and tried to wrap my head around what just happened. That woman was one gorgeous train wreck...

  Leaning forward and tilting his drink in my direction, Mace elaborated. “And that was her brother. They’re both my best mates, so don’t get any ideas.”

  I matched his patronising tone. “And you looking at her with your tongue hanging out counts for nothing?”

  “Bullshit I was! She means more to me than you’ll ever know, but she’s family and totally off limits,” he bit back.

  Frustration lit his face; Lil seemed to be a sore point for him.

  “Riiight,” I drawled. “So, you going to be rude all night or properly introduce me to these mates of yours?”

  I needed a distraction, and being scrutinised by strangers seemed the best way to go about it after meeting Sunshine.

  “I’ve just been letting you warm into it. Little ol’ Lil back there is nothing compared to the whole crew together. And it’s rare that we are, because, Nico is usually away.”

  “Away?”

  “Army,” Mace explained.

  He gestured towards the firepit and walked me over. “Yo guys,” Mace yelled over the music and laughter. He rattled off a round of introductions, and as he spoke I exchanged bottle salutes and head nods while trying to remember everyone’s name and occupation.

  Nico was in the Army, Trav was a piss-head mechanic, and Kimmie liked to get her freak on with a pole between her thighs.

  “You’re so full of shit, Mace!” Kimmie shouted and pegged a half-eaten sausage at him.

  It hit him in the chest, leaving saucy spots on his light-coloured shirt. A glare accompanied the action before she turned her pretty smile on me. “I’m a photographer. It’s nice to meet you, Gage.”

  Mace let out a string of expletives and fingered the greasy stain. He licked his fingers before wiping them on the side of his jeans, then stabbed a finger at Kimmie.

  “That’ll keep, lil’ Kim.”

  She giggled and wiggled her brows at him.

  Lil and her brother strode across the lawn together, both of them scowling and ignoring each other. Mickey stopped at my side and offered his hand.

  “Mickey is our pyromaniac Firefighter,” Mace explained as the guy openly sized me up. Mickey said an icy, “Mate,” before releasing my hand and throwing himself onto a couch.

  “And last but not least, this is Lil. But you two are already acquainted,” Mace chuckled, obviously thinking he was a fucken comedian.

  Little Miss Sunshine didn’t acknowledge me as she wove through her friends towards the spot Kimmie created for her. She did, however, spare me a single glance when I sat in the only seat left; a tatty old armchair directly next to her. Her focus appeared to remain firmly fixed on Mickey as if they were having some sort of silent argument.

  Her being distracted gave me the perfect opportunity to study her a little closer. Initially, I thought she was a brunette, but now next to the fire I saw her hair was a stunning deep shade of red. Her ripped jeans gave me teasing glimpses of her legs, and her dark top totally exposed a smooth shoulder. A whiff of vanilla breezed my way and I bit back an involuntary groan. Usually perfume of any scent made me want to gag; it always reminded me of someone I couldn’t forget.

  A swift backhand to my chest jolted me from my assessment.

  “Eyes up here, Batman,” Lil drawled and cocked a knowing eyebrow at me.

  Her teasing eyes sparkled as they danced over my face. I hid my smirk behind my bottle, analysing her as I drank. I then pointed at my chest.

  It had the intended effect; her eyes dropped to the spot she just backhanded then lingered for a beat much too long.

  I flicked my forefinger upwards and mimicked her words in a dry tone.

  “Eyes up here, Sunshine.”

  Our gaze snagged and locked. Neither of us seemed to be able to look away. As much as I needed to break our trance, I never wanted it to end. The seconds stretched into what felt like minutes.

  There was something oddly unique about her that I couldn’t put my finger on. Something I had never stumbled upon before. I wasn’t used to feeling like this; stumped, blindsided, perhaps mildly flirtatious, plus shit scared for what that meant.

  FOUR

  GAGE

  OUR SPELL BROKE the instant Kimmie jumped into Lil’s lap and declared that it was time to get their groove on. She tugged Lil to her feet then danced in front of the fire.

  I cursed when my gaze landed on Lil’s ass, making me feel like a dirty fucking cheat. Hating myself once again, I retreated into the dark place within my head—the place I came to welcome.

  The girls combined high pitched noise was grating on my nerves and making my jaw tick. There was no way I would tell them to shut the fuck up, not after only being here for an hour.

  Lil’s giggle rose above the pandemonium, drawing my eyes back to her. Horror dawned during that same second as I realised they were now hug-dancing dangerously close to the open fire. It would only take one of them to trip and... The thought made me shudder.

  I jumped to my feet as Nico launched to his. Together, we man-handled the swirling mass of arms, legs and hair away from the flames and onto the open lawn. It was like herding goddamn cats—cat’s that were high on catnip. Fucking hilarious to be sitting back watching, but a right royal pain in the ass when you were the one trying to get their drunk asses to safety.

  Trav and Mace were pissing themselves as I made my getaway. I vented my frustration by flicking them off as I threw myself into the couch beside Mace.

  We watched as Nico tried desperately to leave the dancing duo. His efforts to escape were impeded by the death grip the girls had on all parts of his body. I swear to God their hands were everywhere all at once. I’d never heard a guy giggle before, but that’s exactly what he sounded like—the kind of smart-ass laugh that made others crack up.

  I rolled my head Mace’s way. “So, is this what your ‘low key’ barbeques are normally like? A pack of raving lunatics?”

  Mace barked a loud laugh. “There’s been some crazy shit go down in the past, but this is pretty normal for when we hang out.”

  I watched Lil being tossed around on Nico’s back. She raised her arms above her head and laughed loudly as her long hair whipped around her face. I was starting to see how much of a free spirit she was.

  Mace chuckled again. “Aside from Trav, Lil’s normally at the centre of the mayhem.” Casting me a pointed look, he continued. “Thought I should give you fair warning about that.”

  I stiffened. My throat became tight and m
y heart thumped faster. “You don’t need to worry about that, cuz. It’s too soon.”

  I had no intention to pursue someone when I didn’t plan on entering into a relationship.

  “Gage.” Mace seldom used my given name. “It’s been a long while, I thought maybe—just maybe,” he emphasised then paused to mull over his words.

  I cut him off before he could even go there. “No.”

  Mace scowled briefly before cracking a grin. “Bro, anyone with eyes in their head could see you two had a moment over there.” He pointed back towards the house. “I could’ve cut that sexual tension with a knife, and it was outright fucken awkward to be standing around as a third wheel.”

  “I said NO! Jesus, I’ve only been up here for a few days. Enough of this conversation already!”

  Christ, he was grindin’ my gears by not letting it drop. I had to nip his ideas in the bud before they caused problems.

  “And I’m not blind either, anyone with eyes in their head can see how into her you are.” Bomb dropped, waiting implosion.

  “Bullshit,” Mace snarled and scrubbed his hand over his face. Realising he still had a drink in hand, he downed it and turned back to me. “Don’t get me wrong, I love her to bits, but it’s not like that.” He was right up in my face now. “She’s helped me through things, things that you don’t know about. Hell, things that no one in our family fucking knows about. And for that, she means the world to me. End of.”

  Shit. That came as a surprise. Mace seemed to have his life together and under control, now though… It seemed that I wasn’t the only Westbrook with skeletons in their closet.

  I lowered my tone. “Everything okay, cuz?”

  “Dandy,” he snapped.

  The conversation was now closed until another time and place.

  I eyed him warily then nodded. “Okay, I get it.”