Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Alpha plays along. He smiles at the waitress. “Nothing too good for our old lady, right?”
“R—right,” she stammers, rushing off to put in our order.
“We should be quick,” says Blade, pulling his hand away when she’s gone. “We’re still in Pit Viper territory. Their compound’s fucking huge and only a few exits down. There’s a lot of trafficking that comes through here, and we don’t know how far news has spread. I’m all for riding like the fucking wind until we’re out the other side.”
“I’ll put a bullet through their fucking head if anyone tries anything,” growls Ripper. “We didn’t start this war, but I know for damn sure that Eagle-eye wouldn’t mind if we ended it.”
Alpha nods towards me. “If it was just us, I’d be good with fucking shit up, but we’ve got precious cargo.”
It’s dumb, but when he calls me precious, it makes me quiver just a little. I have to concentrate on all the reasons not to get involved with guys like this. Sure they look good, and this morning proved it would be a heck of a lot of fun, at least for a while.
God, this morning.
What would’ve happened if the phone hadn’t rung? Probably nothing, but my brain has its own ideas about it, each one less likely than the next, but all of them ending up with us naked and me getting to know that monster he was grinding into me a whole lot better.
Turns out it’s not tiny at all.
Also, minds are stupid.
While the guys talk and we wait for our food, I people-watch out the window. There’s a gas station next door where travelers are filling up their cars at the pumps. Motorcycles too.
A chill runs down my spine when I catch sight of one of the men with his back to me. I can’t make out his patch, but he’s definitely a member of some club. I know the look. A couple more bikes pull up next to him. One of the riders takes the pump behind him and starts to fill. Then he turns and I freeze.
Shovelhead. His face is seared into my brain for a whole lot more reasons than just the scars. He points to where we parked the bikes while talking to the others. One pulls out his cell phone and makes a call.
Crap.
“Guys. Guys!” I point out the window.
“What are you—fuck.” Alpha groans. “There’re only three of them. If we—”
Four more bikes roar into the parking lot, cutting him short. They’ve called in reinforcements.
“Out the back,” snaps Blade. “If we’re quick, maybe we can get to the bikes before they figure it out.”
“And if we can’t?” Ripper pulls his jacket open, exposing the grip on his pistol. “I’m fucking ready.”
“Don’t be a martyr.” Alpha pushes back from the table and stands. “Faith could get hurt.”
“Yeah, but even if we get to the bikes before they see, they’re going to notice when we start and it’ll be fucking last night all over again. You wanna take bets on if the train gets us this time? We go in hot because that’s our only chance to surprise them” Ripper stands too, looking grim but eager to get into it.
“They’re going to fucking assume that we know and act like it. Whatever God damn hero complex you’re building, let it go.” Blade’s voice is cool, calm and deadly.
“Hey,” Alpha says as he approaches the guy behind the counter. The guy looks nervous as Alpha towers over him. “Where’s the back door?”
I feel bad for him. He’s just a teenager. “I’m—I’m not supposed to let—”
“Back door.” Blade leans onto the counter, and there’s suddenly a knife in his hand. “Now.”
The guy points at the kitchen door behind him. “Through there, but—”
“C’mon.” Ripper waves for me to follow.
“Thanks! Sorry,” I say with an apologetic smile, but the guy doesn’t look relieved at all. Guess I wouldn’t either if I were him.
We get some strange looks from the people in the kitchen, but apparently nobody is being paid enough to say anything. Ripper pushes open a metal door with a green emergency exit sign over it and waits a moment before peering out. “Clear.” Then he slips outside, waving for us to follow with his stump.
If the Pit Vipers are looking for us, they haven’t come around to this side, at least not yet. “Maybe they’re doing something else,” I whisper hopefully.
The guys shake their heads. We stay close to the wall, Blade taking over lead, with Ripper and Alpha keeping me between them.
At the corner, Blade signals for us to stop. “Fuck. Two of them are checking our bikes. I can’t see the rest.”
“Inside?” I ask.
“Probably. Or waiting in front.” Ripper grimaces. “What do you think, Blade? Can we liberate the bikes?”
“Need a distraction.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.” Ripper pulls his gun and runs to the other side of the building.