The Biker's Fate Chapter 489

Train

I shut my eyes and braced myself, unsure of which result I hoped for. If her chewing sent my anxiety levels through the roof, it might be easier to get her out of my head. On the other hand, I wasn't sure I wanted her gone. In truth, the more I was around Melody, the more I wanted her.

After a few chews, Melody swallowed, and I opened my eyes.

"So?" she asked nervously.

"Not bad," I said, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means I'm on alert, but not triggered."

Melody's smile told me she wasn't just happy, she was relieved. "Thank you for opening up to me. I can't imagine it's easy for you," she said.

"I'm gonna talk to the band, too. I don't want any of them to feel like I'm blowing them off. Sometimes I just have to step away from everyone and everything."

"I'm sure they'll understand," she said. "You're one of them now."

"I hope so, because I respect the hell out of every one of those guys, and I love being on stage with them."

"Doesn't all that sound on stage bother you?"

"The opposite, actually. Loud guitar amps, loud pipes, loud women," I said with a smile. "The more volume, the better. Big sounds, chase the little sounds away."

"Since you're being so open, can I ask you another question?"

"Fire away."

"What do you do for a living?" she asked.

"You might not know it by looking at me, but I'm currently Melody Morgan's touring guitarist."

Melody smiled. "Okay, but what about when you're not playing with that psycho bitch?"

"Just so you know. If I ever heard anyone else call you that, I'd hand 'em their teeth. You are not a bitch and you're only half psycho, at best. So how about you treat my friend Melody with the respect she deserves?"

"I'm your friend?" she asked.

"I'd like to think so," I replied.

"Okay, friend to friend. What's your job?"

"I don't have a job per se. I own several rental properties in the Portland area which pays my bills."

"Does that also pay for brand new motorcycles for the crew?" she asked.

"You're very direct, aren't you?"

"Only with friends."

I smiled. "I like Ant. He's a good kid and he works hard. I guess I see a little of my younger self when I look at him. Plus, I enjoy having buddies to ride with."

"So, you bought him a ten-thousand-dollar Harley?"

"It came with a certain set of conditions," I replied.

"Such as?"

"That's between me and Ant."

"Look, I'm not trying to be nosy…" She shook her head. "Okay, I'm totally trying to be nosy, but after what happened with Gill—"

"It's okay, I get it. You don't know me that well, and you've recently been burned."

"Yes, and I also have the uncanny knack of welcoming chaos into my life."

"Do I seem chaotic to you?"

"No, you seem…too good to be true, which is what freaks me out so much."

I laughed. "Don't think I've ever been called that before."

"You saved my ass, and I'm grateful, but I have to be honest. I'm still afraid to trust you."

"I'm gonna tell you something about myself that very few people know."

"What?" Melody asked, leaning closer to me.

"First, you have to promise not to get mad."

Melody crossed her heart.

"I wrote a piece of music ten years ago that ended up being quite lucrative. It's what made buying real estate possible and it's what's made Ant's gift possible."

"What's the song?"

"Remember you promised not to get mad at me?"

"Yes, yes, yes. I promise," she hissed out.

I cleared my throat and sang quietly, "When you're out on the run run. At work or having fun fun. When you get that feel in your tum tum." Melody joined me for the last line. "It's time for a chocolate Yum Yum."

"Oh. My god, you wrote the Chocolate Yum Yums jingle?"

"Shhhhhh." I motioned for Melody to keep it down.

"Why? Those ads have run non-stop for a decade. I can't tell you how many times that freakin' jingle's been stuck in my head."

"Exactly," I said. "Everyone knows the song. It's an earworm. And the last thing I want to be known as is the Yum Yums guy."

"I get that, but holy cow, you're the Yum Yums guy!" Melody whisper shouted excitedly.

"So, that's my big secret," I said. "Does that make you feel any better?"

"It does," she replied. "Except now I have the chocolate Yum Yums jingle stuck in my head."

"It'll be in there a while. Why do you think I made you promise not to get mad at me?"

She grinned, now humming the song.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Of course," she said.

"What's the deal with the white guitar thing?"

"What white guitar thing?"

"You know, forbidding white guitars on stage?" I clarified.

She frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

It was then that I realized I'd been played.

"Son of a bitch," I hissed under my breath, and Melody burst out laughing.

"Well, now you really are part of the band," she said, taking another bite of salad.

I glanced back at the rest of the band across the restaurant. Puddin' caught my eye and gave me a chin lift. I smiled slowly, plotting his and the rest of my bandmates' demise.