“What if I had said no?” I smiled. There was no way he hadn’t planned all of this, and my heart gave an extra beat before my chest warmed from within. He reached for my hand, guiding me towards the entrance.
“Come on, sweetheart. Wouldn’t want to disappoint your fans.” He was kidding, but there was just enough bite in his tone that I could barely tell the difference. I didn’t want to be with anyone else, but if I told him that, I’d be the one scaring him. A knot settled in my chest, excitement racing towards panic. He must have felt it, holding my hand.
His fingers curled around mine, steady and sure. I hated how much I needed that. Needed him. “Turtles,” he said. “They crawl at their own pace, like us.” The knot in my chest loosened.
Chapter twenty-two
The Phoenix Rises
Cactus
I’d spent all morning preparing for a three-day run with Tumbleweed. Drug shipments were coming across the border, and they’d paid us for protection. I’d signed up for this the moment I’d accepted the patch, but Roxy hadn’t. I wasn’t leaving without seeing her first. Picking her up from the motel, I'd taken her to a local restaurant for dinner.
We were riding out first thing in the morning, which left little time. I needed to tell Roxy what to expect. Besides, I enjoyed spending time with her, banking the memories for when the quiet got too heavy.
She sat across from me, snickering each time the vinyl creaked when she shifted. Her eyes were bright, but she barely held back the yawns. The exhaustion was hard to ignore as it crept in.
I leaned back, buying a few seconds to find the right words. “I’m scheduled for a run this weekend.” She’d be fine. I just needed to be straight with her.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “When are you coming back?” she asked, wiping her lips with a napkin.
“Three days, hopefully.” I shrugged. “I won’t be available, and I didn’t want you to think you were alone. If you need something, you call Angelica.”
“She’s my boss. I’m not calling her on a weekend. I appreciate the thought, but I’ll be fine by myself.”
If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I would have missed the mischief settling in her eyes. Placing her elbows on the table, she batted her eyelashes at me. “Maybe I’ll hook up with a cowboy.” She smirked, teasing.
“Sure. Most of them live with their mothers—basements and all.” I folded my arms against my chest as I watched her.
She mirrored my position, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. “I could definitely do younger, but not sure about hotter.” We stared at each other until she broke first, laughing as she reached for her glass. “I won’t do that. Be safe, and I’ll be here when you get back.”
When I dropped her back off at the motel, I held her longer than usual. I thought about leaving, but she buried her face in my neck, and I wasn’t ready to let go. Neither of us spoke. We didn’t need to.
This was the slowest I’d ever taken things with a woman, but it felt right with her. After she’d held my hand, I’d tested the boundaries, experimenting to see how far she would allow me to go. I could throw an arm around her, and she wouldn’t flinch, but hugging was new. In a few weeks, I might get a kiss. For now, this was enough.
“You take care of yourself,” she mumbled against me. “Be selfish.” Her words hit harder than I expected.
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, but Roxy pulled away first. She kissed my cheek, saying goodnight before sprinting up the steps to her room. I waited, watching to make sure she got in all right before I took off.
She opened her door and flipped on the light. I thought she’d head inside, but she paused, turning around. Waving to me from the balcony, she stood there an extra second.
Hopefully, three days would go by quickly. After that, I’d take her somewhere nice. Maybe then, she’d finally kiss me.
Maybe not.
Crawling.
***
The glow from the red light bathed my bike as I sat, engine idling. I scanned my surroundings, tension simmering under my skin. My leg bounced as I drummed against my thigh. No one else was on the road. Unusual even for a small town like Tombstone. Something was off. The stillness was eerie.
A high-pitched squeal ripped through the silence. Crotch rockets streaked into view. Their headlights flared in my mirrors, blinding me. The light turned green. I wasn't fucking around. I took off.
I cruised through a few more green lights before the next one turned red on the outskirts of town. I glanced in my mirror—two bikes, barely a few lengths behind my back tire. If they were trying to be inconspicuous, they fucking sucked at it.
Turning right, I pretended I hadn’t seen them. I made another sharp cut, easing off the gas to bait them. They swerved, barely taking the curve as their bikes hugged the ground. Predators—and I was the prey. There was no chance of calling in reinforcements.
The clubhouse was out. They’d kill me on the deserted road. No saloon. No motel. It was night, and there wouldn’t be enough people around. Police station? Fuck, no.Keep moving.
