I want to make sure she knows what’s she’s getting into.
It’s time I got my head out of my ass and got back on top of things with the club.
Mind made up, I jerk my chin at Ace. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Never.”
He laces his fingers through hers, and my jawclenches. She shoots Ace the kind of flirty, sexy smile she uses on me, and something knots inside my chest.
I want them to be together, because I want her to be loved how she deserves to be loved, but it also kills me.
I look around, making sure everyone is here who is supposed to be here. I catch the eye of the Jackal Riders—Crow, Zoo, and Phoenix—and jerk my chin in acknowledgement that we’re ready to go.
Revving the bike, I smoothly pull the sleek machine out in front of the others, the rumble of their engines behind me a balm to my soul. I might not feel as if I’m in control of much these days, but at least I’m in control of this beast beneath my thighs.
Once we are out on the open road, all the tension leaves my body, and I finally relax. Perhaps it’s a good idea to get some physical space between me and Camile. If she wasn’t around, would I be able to stop obsessing about her? I can’t picture it. Even if she was a thousand miles away, I still wouldn’t be able to get her out of my mind. If anything, I’d become worse not being able to see her or speak to her or touch her. I picture myself pining away like a heartbroken teenager, unable to eat or sleep.
No, I need her near.
I curve my body into the bends of the road, feeling like I’m flying. The engines of the others roar behind me, and the sense of camaraderie I always get on a run with the men fills me.
This is what life is about, and it’s about time I remembered it. We haven’t been making sure to keep up this side of our life, and it matters. It’s what the MC is built around.
As I round another sharp, hairpin bend, I frown. Theroad is wet in front of me. There is not time though to brake or avoid it, and I hit the water.
Horror fills me. My bike swerves heavily to the side, and I know… it’s not water. It’s oil.
Fuck.
Arm and thigh muscles burning with the effort, I struggle to control my bike and keep her upright, but she skids across the oil. The wheels go out from under me, taking me down. My right leg is pinned to the road, and pain screams through me as I’m dragged along the asphalt.
Time seems to slow, and I find myself thinking of the men behind me, hoping they saw what happened and can avoid the same fate.
Then something slams into me and shunts my bike heavily into the steep bank at the side of the road. The heavy metal finally sets me free, but as I bump and slam against the asphalt, it’s no comfort. I hit the bank hard enough to jar every bit of my body and finally come to a stop.
My head is spinning, and I can’t look around to see what’s happening because the earth is rotating around me like I’m in freefall.
The scream of metal and the whine of engines finally dies down. I push to sitting, willing the spinning to stop so I can take stock of how we are doing.
Everyone has come off their bikes, except for Ghost, who was bringing up the rear. It’s a fucking mess. I don’t think we’ve ever wiped out like this before. Our bikes are mangled, and several men look hurt. Rook and Phoenix pick themselves up, but others moan in pain, and Zoo cries, “What the fuck, man?”
With a grunt of effort, I stand and stare at the oilslick, disturbed by the sheer size of it. This doesn’t look like an accidental leak of oil, this looks… purposeful.
The moment that thought hits, pop, pop, poprings out from the woods opposite us.
“Get down,” I shout to my men.
My hand goes for my gun, but I’m still disoriented. Something zings across my leg, nothing major, just some shrapnel, I imagine. It feels like a bee sting.
A sharp bend right behind us, a deep curve ahead on the road, plus a steep bank to our backs, and the woods to our front means we’re trapped.
Two more pops ring out, and one of our men goes down. Shit.
Finally, freeing my weapon, I train it on the woods, trying to figure out any movement. Four men break from the tree line, all massive and wearing masks. I raise my arm to discharge my weapon in their direction, and all hell breaks loose. Bullets rain down on us. Rook and the men who have come off their bikes are moving, backing up toward where I am and providing a kind of human shield around me as they encircle me. Why are they trying to protect me? It’s my job to protect them.
I step forward to stand with them, but with a shocked grunt go down to the ground. I stare at my leg where the bee sting hit and gawp. There’s a large gunshot wound to my thigh. Fuck me, how come I didn’t feel it?
The next moment, I wished I still didn’t feel it because the pain hits in a sickening inferno of intensity.
