by Addison Jane
“Didn’t know what you wanted,” Eagle said, pushing a plate over to me that held a cheeseburger and fries without even looking away from his food. “If you tell me you want a salad like fucking Jess over there, then you’ll have to get that shit yourself.” He took a giant-sized bite of his own burger, which by the way looked like it held an entire cow.
I smiled. “Thanks,” I told him genuinely. “You didn’t have to order me food, but I really appreciate it.” Then I quickly added, “And no, there’s no way a salad would keep me going for the next few hours. I need meat. Lots of meat.”
Eagle smirked but still didn’t look over at me, continuing to hoover down his food.
“Always knew you were a girl who loved meat, Sky,” Camo joked with a wide grin on his face, nudging me under the table.
I rolled my eyes at the innuendo and grabbed a handful of fries. “Yeah, this meat looks big and thick, I haven’t had one like that in over a week,” I replied with a sly smile before shoving the fries in my mouth and chewing happily, enjoying the way the salt exploded on my taste buds. I managed to hold back the groan that threatened to escape, refusing to give these guys any more ammo.
Camo frowned, clearly unamused given he’d visited my room just a few nights ago. “Ha, very funny.” He was pouting, and I couldn’t quite tell if it was put on, or if he was actually insulted by my joke, while Kev, on the other hand, sat beside him, choking on his soda as he tried to contain his laughter.
Eagle also couldn’t hide his amusement, but at least he tried to cover it with his hand to maybe save his brother some embarrassment. “You know,” Kev finally croaked, looking at me, his eyes crinkled with a smile. “I have to wonder how many other clubs would let their girls get away with insulting a brother’s manhood.”
I crinkled my nose at his words. I’ve never been one of those girls who would sit in silence while the brothers talked. I loved to get to know them, to join in the banter and have fun. Of course, I knew where the line was, and when not to cross it. But I didn’t just join the club to spread my legs and have my tuition paid for. I joined because the atmosphere and the relationships all seemed genuine and tight-knit. The family they had there intrigued and fascinated me. I wanted to be a part of that, not a girl who sat on the sidelines watching while everyone else had their fun.
“Probably none,” I replied with a shrug, then I looked up and grinned. “You can go tattle on me if you’d like, and then you can go out and find your own pussy at X-Rated, or some bar, and wind up with either some dirty STD or maybe even a crazy baby mama.”
All three boys at the table visibly cringed.
I swear any of these guys would walk through a battlefield while being fired upon if it meant protecting the people they cared about, but the idea of having a diseased cock or some crazy bitch taking them for everything they had, including their sanity—they were tapping out.
Camo eyed his food before returning his gaze to me. “You really had to go and talk about STD’s at lunch? I’m suddenly not very hungry.” His nose was wrinkled in disgust, and another shudder ran through him.
“I understand,” I told him, biting the inside of my mouth so I wouldn’t burst out laughing. “Dick rot is a very serious problem. But you know, I heard it sneaks up on you, like, you don’t even know it’s there until one day… bam… your manhood just falls off.”
There was a split second of absolute silence before Eagle spat his soda all across the table and I leaped out of the booth as Kev did precisely the same, spraying the entire seat where I was sitting while I landed on my ass on the scratched and worn lino floor.
“Skylar…” Optimus growled, standing up at his own booth, so he was looking over the table and down at me.
I held my hands up in surrender. “Sorry, I honestly wasn’t expecting that reaction.”
“She said my dick was gonna fall off,” Camo stated, standing up, still looking scared shitless.
Eagle and Kev were both still choking on their drinks through their laughter.
Even Op couldn’t hide his smile at Camo’s obviously horrified expression as though he thought what I was saying was true. “I think that’s our cue to leave,” Op snorted as he slipped out of his booth, all the members quickly finishing up their food and drinks before following suit.
Eagle slid to the edge of the seat and held out his hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet before standing himself. A soft chuckle from his mouth had my body warming and a smile pulling at my lips. “You’re gonna get yourself in trouble with that mouth girl,” he warned playfully.
I turned and wiggled my ass. “Maybe that’s what I’m going for.”
I was sure I heard him groan but I didn’t turn around, choosing not to let him see the cocky smile on my face.
Just as I was gathering my helmet and stretching my body, preparing myself for the next few hours of riding, Eagle’s phone began to ring. He snatched it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID with a confused frown.
I stopped walking, Leo, who was in step beside him pulling up as well and looking over his shoulder. “It’s Jake,” Eagle told him with a serious look.
I couldn’t see Leo’s face, but I noticed his shoulders stiffen. “They’re meant to be in a blackout right now,” Leo replied, fishing around in his pocket for his own phone.
“You go on without us,” Eagle said. “We’ll catch up.” He flicked the answer button and held it to his ear. I could see the worry on his face, and his eyes met mine for a brief second, making my heart leap into my throat before he turned away.
Leo walked over to me, his mind apparently lost elsewhere. I reached out and touched his arm, his body jerked in surprise, confirming my suspicions. “Is everything okay?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself, thrown off by Eagle’s concern.
Leo noted the way I was looking over at Eagle’s retreating form with concern and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure, it’s his brother.” His answer did nothing but confuse me even more, and when he realized this, he continued to elaborate. “Our little brothers are both deployed together as part of a special op’s team. We weren’t meant to hear from them for another few weeks, which either means the operation was completed early… or something bad happened.”
My stomach twisted at his words and I held my breath.
That didn’t sound good.
“I want to wait around, but I’m the one who planned the route, so I’m riding up front with Op,” he said, looking between me and Eagle who was sitting on a bench outside the diner with his elbows braced on his knees. “Can you tell him to let me know ASAP if something is wrong? I’ll tell Hadley to keep hold of my phone. Eagle knows the way. Just look out for him, okay?”
I nodded quickly. “Of course.”
The rest of the club had already mounted their bikes and motors were beginning to roar to life around us. Leo jogged over and leaped on his beast with one easy swoop, Hadley gracefully climbing on the back. I didn’t miss the gentle squeeze she gave him, obviously feeling the emotions racing through his mind. He talked to her over his shoulder, and her head bobbed in understanding before Leo started his bike and rolled slowly forward to meet Op.
I watched as they all moved out of the parking lot and onto the desolate road, the loud roar that almost deafened me as they took off, slowly turned into a low hum as they rode into the distance without us.
Looking over to Eagle, and seeing him in the same position, I decided to make myself comfortable and boosted myself up onto the brick wall that separated the parking lot and diner from the surrounding farmland.
Bumfuck nowhere all right.
The clouds had settled in since we rode in less than forty minutes ago, they were bright and fluffy, the sun behind them managing to break through in a few weak spots, shining sharp beams of light downward from the heavens.
They had no rhyme or reason, just random and beautiful events that happened naturally. I’d spent the last few years studying science, mostly chemistry, but I would
read basically everything, and anything that I could get my hands on that explained the natural phenomena that the world around us produced.
Science was not allowed within the Colony.
Hell no.
They would never let their people think that nature produced these events and they were not signs from a higher being, it was complete blasphemy. And that was why I fell so hard in love with science because it reminded me I wasn’t crazy, that I wasn’t going to be damned for walking away from a place they claimed would raise them up to heaven. Yet, the place itself was so much like the depths of hell.
Science reminded me that I’d done the right thing, and it made the hole in my heart a little smaller, and the guilt that I felt deep in my gut just that little more bearable.
I had no hatred toward religion or people’s beliefs. I’d met Christians since I left the Colony who were beautiful and kind people, who never forced their views on you or made you feel like you were any less for not feeling the way they did. What I despised with all my soul, were the lies and the way the Colony used them to control their people and strike fear into the hearts of good men, women, and children who just wanted to know there was going to be someplace beautiful waiting for them when they died.
The crunch of stones underfoot alerted me to Eagle’s approach. I stayed sitting on the concrete wall, waiting for his lead, wondering if he would want to talk about what happened before we got on the road.
I guess I probably should have known better.
“Can we get the fuck out of here already?” Eagle snapped, throwing my helmet with force and hitting me directly in the stomach, forcing the air from my lungs for a second. I held on tightly to the offending object, squeezing my eyes tightly shut to try and block out the pain for those few seconds until it finally subsided. I took a few deep breaths before jumping down to the ground, refusing to look at Eagle when I knew I still had tears glistening in my eyes.
He cleared his throat. “You all right?” Not an apology, more like my pain was an inconvenience.
“Fine,” I growled through my teeth, still refusing to look at him as I jammed the helmet on my head and did up the strap. While I could have gladly gone the next four hours without speaking to the fucking moody bastard, I had told Leo that I’d relay his message. Given his brother could be hurt, I couldn’t say nothing. “Leo said to call him if it was something important.”
“His brother will call him, it’s not urgent,” he replied as he tightened his helmet and started the bike, effectively ending the conversation. I could tell even though he said it wasn’t urgent, that it was still important, or at least had affected him. His body was hard and rigid, and when I climbed on the back and wrapped myself around him, he didn’t freak out, and his breathing didn’t change like it had the time before.
He could just be getting used to me being there, or whatever had happened, was playing on his mind so much that everything else was a blur. Eagle pulled out of the diner parking lot like the hounds of hell were snapping at our heels. I squeaked and gripped on tighter, hiding my face behind his shoulders until I felt my heart settle back into my chest.
I was trying not to curse the fucking bastard out in my head, reminding myself that he was obviously going through a hard time and that something had happened. During stressful times, people could be fucking assholes. I just wished I wasn’t the one he was taking it out on. I didn’t deserve that shit, and I was just starting to crack his shell, see the guy beneath the cold, hard exterior.
Now though, the walls were back up and stronger than before.
We were a good forty-five minutes behind the group, and I knew we probably wouldn’t catch them now before they got into Dallas. I realized though, that Eagle was going to give it his best shot as he flew down the empty road to the middle of nowhere, occasionally riding through towns that ranged from—blink and you’ll miss it, to damn, how did I never know this place was here.
Just as we hightailed it out of one more town with a main street and not much else, I took a peek over Eagle’s shoulder, hoping maybe we would get lucky and catch the group so he could slow down a little and I could sit back rather than clutching onto his waist for dear life.
Just as I looked up, I found myself forced forward, Eagle pressing back against me as he tried to hold the bike steady while he raced down the gears in an effort to stop. The bike swerved slightly, and I held on tighter as he managed to keep dragging our speed down without slamming on the breaks and throwing us off the front or forcing the bike onto its side.
I swear all I felt was a whoosh of air skim past my leg and a blur of blue, then I was struck, it felt almost as though someone punched me in the forehead. The force threw my head back, but lucky for me, the helmet protected me from the impact of the flying object.
We came to a jolting stop at the edge of the asphalt, the hum of the motor filling the empty air around us.
But not for long.
The sound of screeching tires came next, then one noise I’ll never forget—the sound of metal being folded and bent as if it were paper and the ground was making origami out of it.
“Get off!” Eagle said urgently as he switched off the motor and his fingers scrambled with the helmet strap. It took me less than a second to send his order from my ears, through my brain and then my body, but it felt like forever that I just sat there, not knowing how to make myself move.
I clambered off the back, my hands fumbling with my own helmet and my feet struggling to keep the rest of my body upright. I tripped twice on the rough road before I managed to keep myself upright.
My helmet hung from my hands and Eagle rushed over the second he got the bike on its stand. His gloved hands gripped my face as he forced me to look up at him. “Are you okay?” he asked, his words rushed.
I nodded. “Something hit my helmet—”
“My wing mirror,” he answered, his hand lingering on my face a little too long, before turning and sprinting down the road. “Call 911!” he called back over his shoulder. I was confused for a second. Everything was happening so quickly. My eyes followed Eagle as he ran over the road, leaping over a broken fence post and moving toward…
A car.
Sky blue.
Its roof caved in.
A mangled piece of metal.
My brain finally put the pieces together as another car slowed to a stop beside me. An older man rolled down his window, his eyes wide. “Is everything okay?” he asked, looking between me and the destroyed vehicle that Eagle was currently trying to smash the driver’s side window out of.
“Call 911!” I demanded, my body finally feeling the adrenaline rush that you got from near death experiences. I turned and raced toward the paddock, leaping over mounds of grass and tripping in the gouges that the car had left in the soft ground.
The window finally gave way and Eagle reached in, pulling the button lock of the older style car and wrenching the door open. A limp hand fell out of the vehicle, and I gasped as he leaned over the woman and unbelted her before lifting up her body and carrying her from the car.
There was blood, not much, but enough to make me realize this was extremely serious. I followed as he rushed her to the side of the road where there were now three cars stopped and at least five people standing around. The man who had stopped first was still on his cell phone relaying information to someone on the other line.
Eagle lay the young woman on the ground and bent over her, listening for a breath before pressing his fingers against her neck and closing his eyes, searching for a pulse. I saw the tension ease instantly. “Pulse is strong,” he announced, resting back on his knees.
An elderly woman rushed over and placed a quilt over the girl who I now realized looked too young to be much more than a teen.
“It’s smoking!” another man suddenly yelled, pointing at the car in horror. My eyes followed instinctually, and I swore I felt my heart leap into my throat as I realized that from this angle, I could see the sign in the back window of the ca
r.
Baby on board.
“There’s a baby,” I shouted, spinning on my heel, searching for Eagle. He’d gotten to his feet and was now behind me, his hand reaching out as if he’d been searching for me. He wasn’t moving though, his face was pale and his eyes fixated on the wreck, wide and full of panic. I reached out and grabbed his arm, tugging on it hard, trying to bring his attention to me. “There could be a baby in there,” I yelled, trying to drag his mind from this trance he was in.
No luck.
He was frozen, his breathing shallow and I swore he wasn’t even blinking.
He looked completely haunted.
I cursed, turning my body and sprinting toward the smoking car. I had no idea where the smoke was coming from, but I had yet to see flames.
Maybe it’s just steam.
Maybe the car won’t explode while I’m trying to rescue the child that I have no idea whether it exists or not.
I pulled on the door handle to the backseat, it wouldn’t budge. Leaning forward, I cupped my hands around my eyes and pressed them against the window, attempting to see inside. I wasn’t about to climb in through the driver’s side and get myself stuck when it could be nothing.
The people at the roadside screamed at me to get away from the car, but I didn’t care. If there was a baby in there, I wasn’t about to let that child burn to death while I stood back and watched.
My eyes caught the baby toys first, soft toys, things that you hang for them to reach out for and play with. Then I saw the bottles on the floor, obviously thrown around by the car as it had rolled, milk spilled and dripping.
Movement.
“Shit!” I cursed, not wasting a single second more. Throwing myself into the driver’s seat, I urgently twisted my body through the center of the front seats, the space small and cramped. I took in a deep breath and choked on the smoky air that had begun to enter the vehicle, but I pushed my body forward, landing with a thump on the back seat and knocking my eye against the handle of the baby capsule.
