Carnage.
He’s an MC biker from Hill Crest, and yet that doesn’t scare me away like it does when I see other bikers riding through town. If anything, I’m intrigued, something I haven’t felt for another man since Drake, before I realized there was no spark there. I haven’t even looked in this man’s eyes, yet, I feel like my body is on fire.
He turns his head as if he can feel me staring at him, and even though he has shades on, I know our eyes have locked. My body comes alive with the movement, and he slows down slightly.
Oh crap, my heart pounds in my chest and I quickly break the trance and look away.
I can feel my heart beating faster, my palms are sweating. Only when I hear the revs going past me do I look up and follow the biker as he drives towards the local motel.
Is he staying the night?
“No, no, absolutely not!” my mom instantly snaps me out of my thoughts, and I look her way.
“What?” I feign innocence, but she just shakes her head and reminds me, “The two biker groups live three hours on either side of our town, there is no way I am letting you fall for one, I need you close, I need my future grandbabies close!”
I scowl this time which just makes Dad laugh louder as I state, “Mom, I’m twenty three, there will be no grandbaby talk for a few years yet. Especially when I have only kissed one boy,” and she rolls her eyes though I don’t miss the tilt of her lips before I add, “Besides, that man was definitely pretty to look at…”
Dad scowls this time as Mom agrees, “Yes, he was,” and we both laugh at the look Dad gives us before he shakes his head with a sigh.
“That biker is Cage, he’s been through a lot, been in and out of prison a few times, and is riding through town after going nomad six months ago. Somehow I doubt he’d want a womanso it’s probably better off staying away from him. And maybe by some miracle we can keep your sister away,” he grunts and I swallow hard as my laughter dies down and I look back down the street towards the motel which is just in the distance.
“Crap,” Mom mutters, realizing her youngest will be all over the biker despite being with Drake.
I have the compelling need to walk down the road, to I don’t even know what, introduce myself?
Shit.
Clearing my throat, I give Dad a small smile while he looks at me intently and I don’t know what he sees. He tenses before he wraps his arm around my shoulders then Moms and says, “Let’s go get some grub and try not to vomit up our food with El’s antics,” and I allow him to guide me towards Dante’s Italian restaurant. Meanwhile, my head keeps swinging towards the motel as my mind repeats one word that scares the living crap out of me.
Mine.
Chapter 5
Cage – Age Twenty-Six
I gently bite my bottom lip as I sit on my bed in the motel room, and eye the light yellow walls as the woman standing in the street a few hours ago comes to mind. I swallow hard as my heart skips a beat.
Fuck.
I felt her eyes on me before I even passed her. Even through the haze of my anger, her gaze pulled me back and when I locked eyes with hers—through my fucking shades—my body lit up like the fourth of July despite not even seeing the color. Since then, I’ve felt nothing but fear, tangled with a craving for a line— I haven’t used in six months, not since my family forced me to ride nomad for a year.
I didn’t want to go at first, I wanted to self-destruct, and I tried, believe me, I fucking tried.
I shoved past Blaze, telling them all to fuck off with an intervention and grabbing Cotton. I planned to get lost and forget what fucking day it was before I’d probably end up in a fist fight and then back in prison. But before I could snort the cocaine she had spread over her tits, or even thrust into her ass… Both Blaze and Crusher barged into the staff room and dragged me out. After that, everything blurred together—the fuckers knocked me out before I could resist. When I woke up, my sister was sitting against my old bedroom door, a bedroom I hadn’t entered since Ang was killed. With tears in her eyes, she begged me to go for a ride. I knew I couldn’t say no.
I wasn’t the only one self-destructing.
I sigh as I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
Six months, and I haven’t been home. I've kept in contact as my mother and sister wanted though not with them, but I do speak to the brothers daily. Trick keeps me up to date with the club and all the businesses, making sure I know about profits and losses—even if I don’t want to.
Everyone is reminding me I’ll take over as Pres when I return but I just—fuck. Doubt creeps in every time I think about returning.
The open road is bringing me the peace I never thought I would have. That just makes me feel even guiltier because I don’t deserve peace, not anymore.
My phone rings and I grunt as I grab it from my cut that still feels too fucking tight.
Can’t risk another MC thinking I’m an enemy and shooting me down now, can I?
