“Life360is going crazy! Ninety-nine miles an hour? Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I’m tailing someone.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rich, what aren’t you telling me?”
My anger boils over. “Damn it, Drac, I don’t have time for this. When I know something, I’ll let you know. Stop stalking me. I’m fine!”
The call ends before he can scold me. I don’t care if he outranks me or not, I want to know who the fuck this guy is, and why they were hiding behind Mindy’s shop.
For a second, I think I’ve lost them, then I see the trail of dust going up a side road not normally used, the rider using the secret side road for cover. It’s dangerous to drive that fast on a dirt road, but the rider doesn’t seem to care; they just keep going, disappearing behind a hill around the bend.
I barely turn the corner before I hit my brakes hard, my bike skidding out from beneath me the second I see the other bike up ahead, and the rider leaning against it, waiting for me.
My back meets the hard dirt road, the gravel scraping against my flesh until it’s burning in pain. At least nothing’s broken. I don’t hear a snap or feel anything give way beneath my skin. Thank God.
Before I have the chance to reach for my piece, the masked rider marches over to me, a taser shaking in their hand, ready to shoot.
A taser? Really?
“Why are you following me?” a familiar muffled voice shouts from behind the helmet. “What do you want?”
Carefully, I sit up, staring up at the taser that’s still pointed directly at me.
“Mindy?”
Her hand lowers slowly.
“Rich?”
We both remove our helmets together, revealing our faces even though mine is hidden by my mask again.
“You ride?” my mouth blurts out before I can stop it, the pain in my back a distant memory.
She nods, blinking at me a few times until I move just slightly, groaning loudly when the skin on my back starts to burn even more.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” she exclaims, reaching down to help me to my feet. “I thought you were…” her voice trails off, the fear evident in the way it wavers.
“One of Moseley’s men?”
She nods, bottom lip quivering. “Are you hurt? Please tell me you’re not hurt.”
The taser’s back in her pocket, but her hands are still shaking.
“I’m so sorry,” she cries, dropping to her knees. “I would’ve slowed down had I known it was you.”
“What were you running from?” I ask her, keeping my distance for her sake more than mine.
“I just needed to go for a ride,” she murmurs, tears staining her apple-swelled cheeks. “It’s how I process things.”
“Me too,” I agree. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
She looks up at me, the reluctance to open up more evident than she believes. She shakes her head, burying her face in her hands. “You’re already too tangled up in this; I can’t risk your life even more.”
Bending down, I get on her level, forcing her to look at me. “Mindy, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
