Heartless (Steel Demons MC #6) - Crystal Ash Page 0,55
her balance and handling of the bike. We took a few laps of the roads looping around Four Corners main city. While she drove, I took a few moments to enjoy the scenery, something I rarely got to do while in the driver’s seat.
Gigantic, snow-capped mountains lined the horizon to the north, red rocks and cliffs to the south. I could get used to views like this, I realized. I had my doubts about settling in Four Corners when we first ended up here, but even my nomadic heart was getting attached to the little place.
I dropped my chin to Mari’s shoulder after our fifth loop, placing a small kiss on her neck. “We gotta head back, babe. Take us home?”
I felt the sigh leave her body, her fingers wrapping around mine at her waist before she turned at the next intersection heading toward town.
“How’d I do?” she asked, her speed decelerating as we approached the city limits.
I chuckled, bringing both arms around her waist and leaving a bigger kiss on her nape. “You were born to ride, Mariposita.”
“Really?”
“Are you really surprised?” I asked. “You belong to three, almost four men who’ve made their lives on these roads. I had no doubt you’d take to the bike quickly.”
“Oh hey, look.” She pointed up ahead where a rusted car was parked on the side of the road, someone bent over in front of the vehicle and looking under the raised hood.
“Probably out of gas or something,” I remarked. “Go ahead, let’s help out.” If I was going to stay here, I might as well be neighborly. Hell, even Shadow was starting to rack up a list of tattoo clients by word-of-mouth, and I didn’t have my own mechanic’s shop yet.
Mari pulled up next to the car, an unremarkable old sedan that had seen better days. The driver peered at us from underneath the hood, a middle-aged guy in a dark blue shirt. I spotted a bright vest and a hard hat in his passenger seat, indicating the guy was probably off to a construction job.
“Need some help?” I swung a leg off the bike and started toward him.
“If it ain’t no trouble.” He looked back down at the car in front of him. “It just stopped runnin’.”
“Any weird sounds when it stopped?” I asked. “Rattling or clicking?”
“Nah, I don’t think so.”
“See any smoke coming out from under the hood?”
“Nah.”
“Where were you at on gas?”
“Just filled up the tank this mornin’.”
I rubbed a palm over my head, shooting an annoyed look at Mari still sitting astride my idling bike. The worst part about diagnosing car issues was having to pull the answers out of the owner like teeth.
“Alright, when’s the time you topped off the oil?” I crossed my arms, trying to keep my tone patient.
“Uh…” The guy’s hand shook slightly as he wiped at something on his pants. “Not sure.”
“Okay, man,” I sighed, not wanting to be dealing with this. “I can give you a lift into town, just gotta get my wife home first—”
“Run,” he whispered.
“What?” I watched him closely, the tremors now taking over his hands. His pupils became pinpricks, filled with fear.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to but…just run!” He screamed the last word at the top of his lungs, scrambling to the side of his car and ducking down as if to hide.
“What the…”
I whipped around, hearing the low rumble of another engine just as Mari cried, “Jandro, someone’s coming fast!”
“Go, go!” I jumped onto the bike behind her, drawing my handgun from my holster. “Head away from town, top speed!”
She accelerated hard, jerking the bike into motion as two figures cut a corner, driving off-road on sport bikes heading straight for us. I cursed under my breath, raised my firing arm and took aim. They’d catch up to us in no time on those fucking crotch rockets.
“Fast as you can go, babe. Don’t slow down even a tiny bit,” I told Mari.
“I don’t want to crash!”
“Better we crash than get taken by them.”
The two riders, all decked out in black, had reached our stretch of road and were coming up on us fast. I fired off a shot at the one in front, but it went low, hitting the frame of the bike with a metallic plink. Mari was weaving the bike slightly, her balance off-kilter at such high speed.
“I need you to keep her steady for me,” I said. “I got them, you can do it.”
“Who are they?” she demanded, panic choking her voice.