Bash (Kings of Carnage MC #1) - Sapphire Knight Page 0,4
car nearly killed the guy, and here he is hurting while attempting to fix it.
There’s a bit of clanging around, and the light from his phone is moving all over the space. It illuminates underneath the hood, and it takes everything in me to stay rooted in place as he instructed. I want to see whatever he sees. Maybe I would be able to fix the car myself the next time it breaks down and leaves me stranded on the side of the road.
“All right,” he calls out loudly. “Try it now.”
Pressing the brake and key in, I turn the ignition switch, and the engine starts right up. My headlights illuminate as well as the interior light, and my radio blares some country song. I hurry to turn the music down and watch as the biker steps away and slams the hood closed. “Oh, my God, thank you!” I cheer, a smile finally gracing my face after all the stress of the evening.
“You’re welcome, but, um, could I possibly ask you for a ride? My brothers aren’t in the best shape tonight to tow my bike or pick me up. I was coming from the bar.” He shrugs, wincing with the move. “I’ll have to come back for my motorcycle tomorrow. Hopefully, it’s not as bad in the daylight.”
The smile drops, and I sniffle, ready to explode with more tears. Knowing his motorcycle is trashed, and he’ll be wanting to be compensated for it has sent me into a panic. I couldn’t pay him no matter how hard I tried. “I-I have insurance,” I stammer, my mind going a million miles a minute, it seems. “They’ll pay for it…even if we don’t call the cops, right?” The last thing I need is the police over here. I can already imagine the tickets they’ll write for my car being in the street and causing an accident. Just one more thing to add to my already dwindling stash of cash. I’m supposed to be saving money, not creating new ways to have to spend it.
He shoots me a puzzled look before shaking his head. “You ever been in a wreck before?”
“No,” I admit softly, and gesture for him to get in on the opposite side. He may be a stranger, but after everything we’ve experienced tonight, I’m not leaving him on the side of the road.
He pulls the door open, and I watch his stiff movements. He easily fills the passenger seat. Although he’s not a huge man, he’s tall and packed with lean muscle. My little hatchback may as well be a clown car compared to him. The leather vest with various patches makes him look every bit the rebel I’m sure he is. Add in disarray from the wreck, and he appears more like a handsome serial killer or something along those lines.
“I’m sorry, the tiny space must be uncomfortable for you. You can have my jacket to put behind you if you need something to lean against for your ribs. The lever is under the seat if you want to try and get it to move back some more as well.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Also, just so you know, without us reporting the wreck, the insurance most likely won’t pay. Who’s your company anyhow?”
More tears fall as I realize that’s another indulgence I don’t have on this car. Rather than admit it, I say, “I-I didn’t pay my bill. I’m so screwed. I’ll figure out a way to pay you, I promise.” I’m an emotional mess. This wreck has me more sensitive than usual. I thought the man was dead, for Christ’s sake; fortunately, he’s alive and well enough to hold a conversation with me. “My word is good. I’ll prove it to you somehow.”
He reaches over and tenderly squeezes my shoulder. “It’s okay, Savannah Mae. We haven’t seen what my bike looks like. It may not be that serious. I’ll take a look tomorrow when it’s light out.”
I nod, already aware it’s a completely mangled mess, and he’s far too calm and friendly with me about it. Anything that sounds as bad as it did scraping against the asphalt couldn’t possibly be salvageable. “Okay,” I agree, even though it’s not anywhere close to being all right. I’ll pretend for the moment and worry about it tomorrow when he finally grasps the damage. There’s nothing I can do about it at the moment, except maybe offer him my tips for the night, and I’m too embarrassed