Riding The Edge by Jaci Burton

“I’ll fit right in, huh?”

Lacey giggled and threw herself on Ava’s bed. “Well, at
least physically. It’s a unique lifestyle, Ava. It might
take some getting used to. It’s not all five-star hotels
and room service.”

Ava glared at Lacey in the mirror. “I’m hardly spoiled,
Lace.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Please. Senator’s daughter. Only
the finest schools. And the idea of sawdust and peanuts on
the floor, not to mention spilled beer, probably makes you
want to faint. Look at this place. No knickknacks or art on
the walls.” Lacey ran her finger over the bare tabletop
next to the bed. “Not even a speck of dust. You have no
clutter. You’re a clean freak.”

Ava lifted her chin. “I am not. I just like . . . order
in my life.”

Lacey laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. A
biker lifestyle is anything but orderly. Are you sure this
is what you want?”

Lacey used to like things orderly and neat, too. Ava
went and sat next to Lacey on the bed, surprised that the
leather she wore was soft enough to give when she
sat. “Yes. It’s what I want. I’ll give it a try, anyway. I
think it’ll be fun.”

Lacey grabbed her hands. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re going
to be riding with us. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too. We don’t see each other enough.”

“I was afraid we’d drift apart. But you’ve been busy
with school, and that’s just not my life anymore.”

Ava wanted to ask her why it wasn’t, but Lacey had made
it clear she didn’t want to talk about school anymore, so
she let it pass. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

Lacey grinned. “He’s on the Strip now. Probably getting
drunk with all his friends.”

She said it with such pride. Ava resisted wrinkling her
nose. “Uh, great.”

Lacey looked at her watch. “We should get going. We’re
meeting them at eight.”

“Okay.” Despite only being here for Lacey, Ava ran into
the bathroom to take one last look. She had no idea if she
looked appropriate or like a fish out of water. She
supposed she’d have to take Lacey’s word for it.

Finally she’d get a chance to see Lacey’s world. Spend
more time with Lacey’s boyfriend.

Then she’d find out if she had anything to worry about.

Riding again with Bo and the Hellraisers was a lot like old
times, and then again not. Last time Rick had ridden with
Bo and the gang, they’d been kids and low on the totem
pole. Ten years later and Bo was in the upper echelons of
the organization, riding lead in this particular group.

That said a lot about what Bo had been doing for the
past ten years. And that meant whatever the Hellraisers had
been doing, Bo was really good at it. They rode the Strip
for a while, and Rick realized it really had been ten years
since he’d been there. A lot had changed. Growth had
exploded the Strip. There were more casinos, hotels, and a
lot more to do than just gambling now. He gawked while he
rode, barely noticing the throng of Hellraisers adding to
their numbers until the congested group pulled to a stop in
the older part of town. Bike upon bike pulled into the
parking area. It looked like a freakin’ parade. There must
have been a hundred Hellraisers by the time the last one
parked.

“Damn. The Hellraisers have expanded.”

Bo nodded as they walked from the parking area to the
street. “Membership grows by about ten to fifteen every
year. We’ve gotten really popular.”

“Yeah? What do you attribute that to?”

Bo grinned. “We get laid a lot. Guys notice all the
chicks that have joined the club.”

Rick laughed. “I guess I came back at just the right
time.”

Bo slung his arm around Rick’s shoulder. “Yeah, you did.”

They got to the corner and a flash shot by Rick. A
skinny female leaped onto Bo, wrapped her legs around him,
and planted one hot, tongue-involved kiss on his lips. Bo
grabbed the woman by the ass and held onto her, returning
the kiss.

When he broke the kiss, the woman squealed. “I missed
you today, baby!”

“Missed you, too,” Bo said, letting the woman slide to
the ground. He wound an arm around her waist. “Lacey, this
is my cousin, Rick Benetti. Rick, my girlfriend, Lacey.”

So Bo had a girlfriend, huh? Interesting. And a pretty
one at that. Not at all like the skanky girls he used to
hang out with. This one had straight brown hair, a nice
body, and pretty blue eyes.

“Your cousin? Wow. I didn’t know you had a cousin.”
Lacey held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Rick.”

Rick shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, too, Lacey. And
I’ve been out of town the past few years, so that’s why you
didn’t know about me.”

“Really. Are you joining the Hellraisers for bike week?”

“I am.”

“Have a girl with you?”

“No. I ride solo.”

She grinned. “That’s perfect. My best friend is here and
she doesn’t have anyone to ride with.”

“Uh, I don’t think—”

The woman had been standing behind Bo. With all of
Lacey’s flash and exuberance, he hadn’t even seen her. He
did now as Lacey pulled her in front.

Wow. To Rick, one woman was just as good as another.

This one was different. She was stunning, with rich
black hair, silvery gray eyes, and a lush body that rocked
his dick into shocked awareness.

And she looked damned familiar.

“Rick, this is my very best friend, Ava.”

This was Ava Vargas? It had to be. She looked a lot like
the picture he’d been given, only the picture must have
been a few years old. This Ava was a hell of a lot sexier
now that she was gift-wrapped in leather.

And she’d just been dropped right into his lap.