Road Tripped (Satan's Devils MC Utah #1) - Manda Mellett Page 0,50
hope for is to get inside, use a phone, and drop the bug somewhere unseen. The listening device is currently burning a hole in my pocket.
It’s small and flat and doesn’t show, but I’m overly conscious of having it. If the men are suspicious and search me, well, with five million at stake or for whatever other reason they kidnapped the kid, I don’t have any illusions about my future.
If I get hold of a phone, I could call Drummer.
But that thought only fleetingly passes through my mind before being dismissed. It’s become a matter of honour that I play my part and help rescue the girl. Preacher can fly, Swift’s the most impressive woman I’ve ever met. Duty, Honor and Stormy are tech experts, and I’ve no doubt the others have skills I’ve yet to see. I’ve got nothing to offer, except my ability to ride at speed. Something makes me want to leave my mark on them, even if that’s only to show they can trust me to get a job done right. That translates to only calling one number, Swift’s, and leaving the update to my prez for later.
Okay, here we go. I start to run faster, but still carefully, picking each place to plant my feet, concentrating hard on not stepping on a stone or loose pavement that would cause my leg to twist. It’s a few hundred yards that I need to cover, so I run on. My breathing starts to labour at the unaccustomed exercise, especially in this heat. Sweat starts pouring off me, which is all to the good. I should look like I’ve been running a fair distance to throw them off the scent.
I’m almost at the house now. It’s the closest one to me, the nearest neighbour’s I'd passed about fifty yards back. I take a deep breath and lean my weight to the side and… Shit! Motherfucking hell that hurts! Shit! Fuck! Motherfucker.
I drop to the ground. I rock, holding my leg to me, genuine tears streaming down my cheeks while I fast look at my surroundings. The front door of the target house is about sixty feet up a driveway. It could be sixty miles right now, as I know there’s no way I can get to my feet. Trying to hop would just send more pain shooting through me.
Gritting my teeth, I put both my palms to the ground, and crab-like, dragging my ruined leg behind me, I crawl up the path.
Why had I worried about sweating? My face burns red, and rivulets run down my face mingling with my tears. If no one’s home, I’ll have to put my knee back in, and hope that I didn’t cause more damage by not doing so sooner.
I eye the front door, and the doorbell up high. As I reach out my hand to grab hold of the frame and pull myself up, the door opens.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I-I…” I’m not exaggerating the difficulty getting words out. I’m in genuine fucking agony. “Running.” I huff, then take a breath, feeling like I’m going to vomit and swallowing hard. “My knee’s popped, man. Please, I need to use a phone?”
He doesn’t immediately agree, but neither does he tell me to get lost. His eyes travel over me, settling where my leg is contorted dramatically and I see him wince and pale.
“Who’s there, Tub?”
“Runner. Fucked up his leg.”
Another man appears and pushes Tub to one side, subjecting me to the same examination.
Swift and Snatcher had been right, they’re as suspicious as hell, but my leg’s at such an awkward angle, it’s clear to see I’m not putting it on.
“Fuck,” the second man says, as he gets a good look.
“Can… can I use a phone, and man…” I grit my teeth, even speaking hurts.
“He needs a fuckin’ ambulance.”
The look the two men give each other is enough for me to know we’ve got the right house. They’re clearly concerned about bringing any type of authority here.
“My… girlfriend… she’ll pick me up. Just need to call her. Had enough of hospitals, man. She’ll take me to a doctor I use.”
“Don’t you have your own fuckin’ phone?”
“Some fucker stole it. Yesterday,” I explain, not having to lie as I give them the truth, the bite in my voice fuelled by the memory of Pip hanging on to it.
“You want to call your girlfriend,” the second man repeats, but not as a question, but as though he’d trying my suggestion out. “She live far away?”