Chapter 6
Jinx
I’m riding miles out of my way to pick up a car part, almost to the county line. It’s an expensive one and retrieving it from a private seller will net our store around five hundred bucks in the end. Plus, I get to take a nice relaxing ride on a bright, sunny day. Riding on the open road is the best feeling in the world. I feel the motto ‘ride hard, die free’ so deeply at times like this.
Jasper and Striker increased security around the clubhouse. They’re not taking any chances on the Hyenas getting into our compound again, like they did a couple of years ago. We’ve also been taking turns riding out past the Kildare Hills, keeping our eyeballs peeled for the Hyenas. So far, we haven’t run into any of them. It’s like they have a secret way in and out of the area. We’ll fuckin’ find it though, we always do. Thinking of secrets, Striker didn’t find anything else out about Nora. But I can’t shake the idea that she might somehow be connected with the Hyenas. I need to put her out of my mind.
My attention is only half on the road when I come flying around a blind curve and see something that pisses me the fuck off. Two Hyenas are a few hundred yards ahead of me. They’re riding those trashy, souped-up bikes that look like they were made from straight-up scrap.
What pisses me off is they appear to be trying to force a small gray car off the road. Images flash in my mind of themrobbing the family inside or dragging out the man so they can beat him in front of his wife. They’re known for shit like that.
But not on my fuckin’ watch. Today, I finally get to confront some Hyenas. If I’m lucky, maybe I can even get a little payback for them trashing our parts store and stealing our equipment. Excitement strums in my chest. I turn the throttle, and my bike makes a burst of speed.
That little gray car is trying desperately not to get run off the road. They’re doing a good job of holding their own, in spite of the two bikes trying their best to run it down.
The bike on the left pulls up and kicks at the driver’s side door. The car jerks slightly to get away and slams into the guardrail. Once the car is against the guardrail, physics takes over. The sound of metal on metal scraping reaches my ears and I know it’s game over for that family in the car.
I come upon the scene and give the bike on the left a taste of his own medicine. He’s slowing down to circle back around to the car. I ride past him, reach out one big, booted foot and slam it into the side of his bike, sending it skidding into the guardrail. I can hear him let out a long string of curses.
I immediately roll the throttle again and head straight for the second rider. He’s come up behind the car and is getting off his bike. I ride in hot, lift the back of my bike, and slam it into his body. He gets thrown back against his bike. He lets out a scream of pain, but I don’t have any fucks to give for an asshole who forces innocent civilians off the road. Fuck them both.
This close I can tell they aren’t fully patched Hyenas. They’re just prospects half-assed trying to do some crime, by the looks of it. The one I slammed into the guardrail is limping backtowards the car on foot. The one I just knocked into his bike is already scrambling to his feet and making a run for the car. He reaches for the driver’s door and jerks it open.
“Get the fuck out of the car, you dumb bitch. Your old man wants a word with you,” he growls at the driver.
Whoever he’s trying to get his hands on outsmarts him by climbing out through the front passenger side door.
A familiar female voice screams, “Get the hell away from me!”
I lift my visor to make sure I’m seeing what I think I am. Sure enough, it’s the woman who’s been on my mind for the past few weeks.
Seeing Nora again stokes all those old feelings of desire and warmth. Realizing she’s terrified and trying to keep distance between herself and the prospect enrages me. I jump off my bike, grab the prospect by the back of the neck, and slam him onto the ground.
Putting one foot on his chest, I say, “Don’t even think about laying one hand on her, you stupid fuck,” I spit out, not giving a shit how threatening I sound right now.
He gapes up at me. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m the guy who’s gonna beat your ass for running a poor helpless woman off the road in broad daylight.”
I’ve spent weeks wondering where Nora went. Even Striker eventually told me to let it go. And here she is along the side of a county road with two Hyena prospects harassing the shit out of her. Nothing about this makes any sense. I don’t havetime for questions because the one I slammed into the guardrail has made it to the scene and he’s working his way around the car to get his hands on Nora.
He says something to her I can’t hear. Her chin comes up and she shouts at him to get back. She’s not scared of him at all. If I wasn’t so shocked about seeing her again, then I’d be admiring her courage. But she’s no match for those two prospects, so I’m gonna have to step in.
I press my foot into the one on the ground’s throat, just enough to make him scream. That catches the other one’s attention.
“What the hell are you doing here, Rager?” he yells. “This is Hyena business. It’s got nothin’ to do with you.”
“I need you to step back, because if you don’t, I’m gonna crush your friend’s throat.”
“Get the hell away from us, Rager.”
I just press my boot against his neck some more. The guy makes a pitiful, desperate sound, trying to push my foot away.
The other one throws his hands up. “What is it you want? Maybe we can make a deal.”
“Get on your bike and ride outta here,” I tell him. “That’s the deal. Do as I say and your friend lives. Refuse and you get to carry him home in a body bag. I keep one in the storage compartment on my bike for times like these.”
“What about him?” he points at his friend who is currently gasping for breath as my boot crushes his neck.
