Road Tripped (Satan's Devils MC Utah #1) - Manda Mellett Page 0,51

by the coast.” I don’t know the area, so I hope they don’t ask me for more. But then I hear a reassuring voice straight into my ear, and I’m immediately able to name a street. “She’ll be here in…” I pause, grimacing with real pain, but giving time for Piston to give me an ETA and complete my statement with, “ten minutes.”

“Tub get your phone.”

“Can I come in? I could really do with a glass of water?” I hope I’m not laying it on too thick, but that’s what an injured man would ask, isn’t it? And he’d want to get comfortable rather than lying on a concrete porch under the burning sun.

“Christ,” the second man says. “Oh for fuck’s sake, yes.” He even holds out his hand to help pull me to my feet.

I’m not a small man, so it takes his other hand as well, and then I’m leaning on his shoulder and hopping into the room, taking the opportunity to slip the listening device into his pocket when my hand grasps his hip for support. He leads me to a sofa. I flop awkwardly on the seat, my sharp exclamation of pain not an act in any way. Not thinking, I tuck back my hair.

“What’s that in your ear?” he suddenly asks, suspiciously.

“Hearing aid,” I tell him, pointing to the scarring on my leg. “Fucked up my ears when I was knocked off my bike. I had a bad concussion.” Isn’t it always best to stick as close as possible to the truth?

“Take it out,” the man instructs. I do. When he speaks again, I act like Swift had done on the plane, and lean in, focusing on his face.

“Is that what it is?” Tub looks concerned.

“Fuck, how would I know?”

I shake my head. “I can’t lip read yet,” I explain. “Are you talking to me?” In truth, I’m holding my breath, but he examines the device that stays silent in his hand.

“You really deaf?”

I let my face stay blank.

With another look toward Tub, he hands it over to me and I put it back in, remembering the look on Swift’s face when she’d done the same thing, letting my face relax as though I’m relieved.

“Thank you, being deaf, well, it sucks, man.”

I seem to have convinced him. “Neat little thing,” he tells me.

“Best I could afford,” I agree.

“Here’s the phone.” Tub extracts his own from his pocket. “Faster you call, the faster you can get out of here.”

I grimace, not having to pretend I’m in pain. Nodding, I take out my wallet, and extract Snatcher’s handwritten note.

I’ve raised their suspicions again. “You don’t know your fuckin’ girlfriend’s number?”

“Do you?” I challenge. “It was stored on my phone.” It’s a safe bet. No one knows numbers by heart anymore. Or not many, unless you’re in an MC and need to be able to call any of the brothers from a burner phone.

I close my eyes briefly as another wave of pain goes through me. Tub disappears and returns within seconds with a glass of water. I wasn’t lying, I need it, and drink it greedily. Then without wasting more time, I tap the numbers on the screen. It’s only then I realise I don’t know her first name.

“Hey, babe… My knee’s gone... Yeah, I’m at…?” I look up questioningly, and the man who’s clearly in charge gives me the address. “Sure… Yeah, thanks babe… I know, you were right…” I roll my eyes. “I know, I pushed it too soon… Love you too, baby.”

“She’s on her way,” I inform the men watching me, passing the phone back to Tub.

Then, I rest my head back as though I’m exhausted, but really I’m listening for any cries of help, or anything to suggest a kid is here. But apart from the whirr of the air conditioning, there’s no sound at all. I don’t ask questions like, how long have you lived here? Or make observations like, nice place. I’m the epitome of a man in pain who’s lost in his own head. Cracking my eyes open, I see Tub and the other man starting to relax.

The minutes tick by. When, at last, I hear a car driving over gravel, I sit up. “I’m really grateful, thank you. Tub, and?”

“Weaver,” Tub helpfully supplies.

Weaver gives him a look as though Tub’s going to feel his wrath when I’ve gone.

Which shouldn’t take long. The doorbell rings. Tub glances through the peephole, satisfies himself it’s to him a harmless-looking woman, then lets