Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Then I swung on behind her.
Pinning her back to my chest as I reached for the handlebars.
Shock gusted from her. “What are you doing?”
My mouth dropped to her ear.
Easy since I was fully wrapped around her, my body a steel blanket covering her whole.
Heat blasted from her skin, and my guts twisted into those knots that I was pretty sure were going to squeeze the life out of me.
“Told you I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you,” I grumbled low. “And I’ll do it by any means necessary. You want to get stubborn with me? Get rebellious? Then that means you’re going to find me putting you back in your place.”
Yeah, I was being a dick.
But she didn’t know who she was contending with.
I hooked my heel on the kick starter and struck it.
The engine roared as I pulled back on the throttle.
Power vibrated through the metal.
“Hold onto the handlebars.”
It had to be the eighth wonder of the world that she actually listened.
Adrenaline pounding, I eased us down through the lot, dread glomming up my insides as I turned my head left and right, searching for deviants hiding within the trees.
Not sure if we were being ambushed or if someone was trying to send a message.
My guts tangled in a fist.
If we’d been compromised…
I gritted my teeth and took to the street.
Going faster than I had on our way here but still trying to keep our speed controlled.
Painful when I wanted to go flying back to the compound.
The position with Brinley in front of me should have been awkward.
But no.
Leave it to her to mold perfectly into my body.
Taking my shape as if she were meant to do it.
Trembles rolled through her as I took a curve hard then barely stopped at the red light to make the left onto Crimson Creek Blvd.
The second we were on it, I pulled back on the throttle, ticking the tempo upward.
Motor roaring in our ears and the trees blurring by on the sides. Flashes of greens and browns blearing into an abstract painting.
I came up to a car in front of us, and I whipped around the left to pass, then glided back into the lane before I hit the brakes about a quarter of a mile up to make the left onto Deer Springs Lane.
The back tire skidded a bit, and I put my boot out and let it skim the pavement to keep us steady, then the bike righted as I pulled back on the throttle again.
I could feel Brinley’s heart bash against her ribs.
There were always kids out playing in this area, so I forced our pace slower through the neighborhood.
I never ceased in my vigilance. Eyes darting in every direction, and every few moments, I threw a peek over my shoulder to make sure there weren’t any beasts coming up on our rear.
Brinley might as well have been wearing armor with the way I was covering her. A shroud who would take a thousand bullets to protect.
I’d always known my death would likely be precipitated by trying to protect an innocent.
But there was something about this that felt different.
The lengths I would go.
Similar to what I felt when Elena had been held hostage by Kent Ellison. The outright desperation to get her to safety.
Similar to when I’d found out what was happening with Kai, and I knew I had to get him out of that place.
But this was skewed and contorted.
Like new DNA had formed inside me.
Completely foreign. Changing me in a way that I could no longer recognize myself.
We finally came up on the big curve on the right, the sporadic industrial buildings blipping by before we were taking the left through the open gate and onto my property.
The shop doors had been rolled down and locked tight for the night.
I kept moving, my Harley jostling over the gravel drive as I rounded the shop on the left.
Soon, under the cover of trees, the clubhouse came into view.
An army of motorcycles were gathered out front.
We had Church tonight, which meant every member would be in attendance.
I weaved around to the backside of the large building and came to a quick stop near the exterior staircase.
Brinley heaved strained breaths as she shoved me off.
Pushing me out of her way as she somehow managed to get off the bike with me still on it.
Climbing up onto the seat, her ass in my face, before she hopped off the side.
She didn’t even slow to look back at me. The grocery bag filled with all her treats dangled at her side as she stormed up the steps.
I was right behind her, pulling out my phone and texting Brody as I went.
Me
Bring the truck to the backside of the clubhouse. STAT.
My heavy boots clomped against the wood as I climbed.
They might as well have been a base drum with the way it drove the intensity higher.