getting the fuck out of here.”
I tried to push past her, but she gripped my arm.
“You’re going with them?” she asked.
I slowly looked over at her. “I absolve you of any responsibility to pay off my debts like I would have with this job.”
She gripped me harder. “That’s not what this is about.”
I wrenched away. “No. This is about whatever personal vendetta you’ve got against those men and whatever bullshit you’ve got going on with this other crew that almost tried to kill us. And that backfired, too! What, you think I need two men coming after me now? My ex and this Skeleton asshole?”
“You know damn good and well I’m more than capable of protecting you.”
“It’s not you, Slash. Don’t you get that? It’s here. It’s this town. I stay here, and he’ll always find me. I stay here, and this asshole you’re running from or working for or whatever the fuck you’re doing will always know where to find you.”
“You can’t go with them. I forbid it.”
I shoved her out of the way with my shoulder. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re not my parent, then.”
“Hannah! Get your ass back here!”
“Over my dead body, Dorothy!”
“Stop calling me that!” she shrieked.
I walked out of the bar with my cousin quick on my heels. I picked up the pace, jogging back over to Ash’s bike and slinging my bags over the back of it. All eyes were on me as I tried stuffing them into the compartments on his bike. And while some of it still hung out, I was able to fasten the compartments and keep my things stable.
“Ready to go?” Ash asked.
I nodded. “Ready when you—”
“Stop it right there!” Slash exclaimed.
Boots skittered against the concrete as I turned around. And when I saw what happened unfold before my eyes, my heart skipped a beat. I watched every single man in that parking lot with a Dragon Riders’ leather cut step in between myself and Slash, with Ash looming behind me and his shadow covering me from the rest of the world.
I felt more like family to them in that one moment than I had to Slash in my entire life.
“Hannah, please,” she said.
I shook my head. “I have to do this. And you have you let me.”
“I can’t. You’ve always been my responsibility. Ever since your parents died, I’ve always looked out for you.”
“And I’ll never stop loving you for that. But you have to let me go. You have to let me find a new path now. Because this one’s only going to get me killed.”
Ash murmured behind me. “Not happening on my watch.”
I peeked up at him. “I know. That’s why I’m coming.”
“Think about what you’re doing, Hannah. About the message you’re sending.”
I snickered. “I think you and your girls should be more worried about that than anything.”
I turned toward Ash’s bike and I slung my leg over the back. He slowly turned around, eyeing me for a while as I straddled his motorcycle. He winked at me and I winked back, a shiver working its way through my bones all the way into my gut.
I like it when he stands up for me.
My wimpy-ass ex never did shit like that.
“Hannah, get off that fucking bike or so help me God—”
I scoffed at her. “Put a cork in it and deal with your own shit first.”
The blonde-headed man chuckled. “Everyone? Ready up!”
Even though Slash continued cursing me up and down, I didn’t pay attention. Because the second Ash settled that helmet on top of my head, I prepared myself for another world. For another life. For a second chance at doing things right instead of mucking things up. I wrapped my arms as tightly around him as I could and let my thighs settle against his. I scooted against his back until my breasts pressed against him, finding myself wishing I could get even closer.
Then, their bikes struck up.
With the sound of rumbling engines filling the air, we took off from the bar. Slash shrieked over the sounds, but I blocked her out. Ash had the radio turned on in my helmet’s earbuds and I found myself singing along to the music while I clung to his leather jacket. Preparing myself for a better life as we rode off into…
New York? Is that what he said?
It didn’t matter, though. All I wanted was to get out of here and never look back. And with my things jam-packed into Ash’s saddlebags, I felt like I could do