Bullet: Devil's Rose MC #5

Chapter 36: Mason Ohara

Three Months Later

"Are you ready to meet the hectic Bardot family?"

"Absolutely not. You have two very famous brothers that I think I'm going to faint when I see."

"No, you're not, Mason. They're just people."

"People that everyone knows."

"Not everyone."

"Angel, I know you're trying to help and I appreciate that, but I need you to match my nervous energy okay?"

Piper nods her head in understanding, giving my hand a firm squeeze.

"Would it help if I told you I was nervous too?"

"Why would you be nervous?"

"They're meeting my boyfriend for this first time."

"Yeah, but you're boyfriend's amazing, so they are going to love him," I declare, kissing the back of her hand.

She rolls her eyes at me before looking out the window at the scenery that passes by. We've been on the road for about three hours, our two dogs in the back seat, Piper either reading a book or having her music playing on the radio. 

It's mostly been a mix of Led Zepplin and Taylor Swift, but I'm not hating the combination, and it's been fun to test how many songs I know the lyrics to as my girl reads next to me when she doesn't feel like reading aloud. 

Every so often, she'll turn down the volume to read me a line she truly loves. For I think about the tenth time, she's decided that she wanted to read I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. I mean, I've seen her read in twice in the three months that we've been dating. 

Anyway, every time she comes across this quote she reads it to me. Like right now.

"Mason, you ready?"

"The quote."

"You've heard it."

"I've read that book for you. I know exactly what quote you're talking about. I've memorized it."

"You have?"

"Of course, I have. I live with you. You got a printed picture to hang on the wall of our bedroom."

"Because it's beautiful."

"Very much so. Almost as beautiful as you," my voice coming out low, and hopefully, seductive.

Piper isn't affected one bit.

"Alright, smooth talker. Let's see what you got."

"The night is alive with stars, and when I lie down and look up, I get lost up there. I feel like I'm falling, but upward, into the abyss of sky above me," I announce, tilting my head toward her slightly and giving her my best I-got-you expression.

"I'm not even going to tease you," she huffs.

I chuckle under my breath and focus my attention back on the road.

I glance at the GPS to see that we only have about twenty minutes until we reach her parents' house. Piper wanted us to have our first Christmas and New Year's celebrations together with the Devil's Rose MC. 

Because of that, her parents made a deal that she would come for Vernal Equinox Day, or what individuals in the US call the Spring Equinox. Anyway, according to the cultural studies that my Japanese grandparents taught me, in Japan, it's a day of rebirth, nature, and a celebration of springtime.