“A couple more miles. How are you doing back there?”
“I’m fine. Regretting not bringing my lucky blade.”
I barked a laugh. “You won’t need it. Trust me.”
“You keep saying that—”
Before she could finish, I accelerated down the stretch of dark highway, and she squeezed me to the point of nearly choking off my air.
“Kai, you bastard! You did that on purpose.”
“I didn’t take you for someone afraid of riding.”
“I’m not. It’s just, I have a hard time giving up so much control. You’re literally holding my life in your hands.”
I placed my arm over hers and interlaced our fingers. “Hey, I vowed to always keep you safe. I meant it.”
She remained silent for several moments. “You vowed a lot of things that weren’t true, Kai. So did I.”
Her tone was somber, reality always knocking us down. She loosened her grip, but I promptly accelerated once more, ignoring the creeping uncertainties the future held. Cool air whipped past us, and I felt euphoric as always. Riding was my escape. It was the only thing that brought me comfort when the demons refused to quiet. Somehow, I knew that would no longer be the case.
Giving her hand another squeeze, I slowed as we came around a bend to a small clearing just off the road. I rolled the bike toward a thin hedge of trees and cut the engine. Amalia dismounted first, removed her helmet, and shook out her hair.
Fuck. She was beautiful. She couldn’t see my eyes through the dark visor, so I took advantage and roamed every perfect little feminine curve of her body. My cock pulsed in my pants, painfully pushing against the seam.
“Okay, explain yourself. What is this place?”
I finally took off my helmet and hung it on a handlebar. “The other day, after the compound, I needed to clear my head. I took off and found myself here.”
Dismounting the bike, I walked toward her and took her hand. There was a sliver of hesitation, but she relented and let me lead her through the trees. When I found this place, it was early morning, with the sun high in the sky. The darkness now masked most of the familiarity, but I knew this was the right spot.
The forest broke, and we came upon twinkling lights in the distance toward the edge of a mountainside.
The city below was starting to wake, and a smile tugged at my mouth because I’d known the view would be so much more at night.
Amalia’s pretty features softened, and she released my hand and moved forward, close to the rock’s edge. “Kai, I’ve lived here most of my life and never thought to venture this way. It’s gorgeous.”
“Breathtaking.”
She caught me staring at her and smiled. “So, are you going to tell me about Gloria finally?”
“Why are you so invested in who she was?” I asked, tugging her to my side.
“Why did you kill a woman and name your precious bike after her? I’m not going to lie, that’s a bit creepy.”
“Are you scared or something, vicious?”
“I’m not afraid of killing people. Sometimes I think I like it more than I should.” She turned to look at me. “That’s a warning,” she added with a wink.
“Duly noted.” Moments ticked by in silence. But it was a calm reprieve from the chaos of the last few weeks. Oddly enough, I wouldn’t change a thing…well, mostly.
I felt her shiver, and I slid off my jacket and placed it over her shoulders.
“Tell me,” she whispered, as she leaned into my chest.
I sighed a long breath. My eyes fixated on the faint tendrils of color stretching from the horizon. “I’ve been part of Ares for a long time. I almost don’t remember my life before joining. But more in the sense that time seemed to be suspended before them. Derek and I…we survived as best we could. He took me under his wing the day I arrived at that home. Younger, smaller at the time, he protected me.”
Another shiver rolled through her body, and I held her tighter.
