Page 8 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

His Harley was waiting, and his ass needed to be on it.

He didn’t hold the door for her, instead he let it slam behind him and picked up his pace. Not quite a jog but it was damn close.

But,damn, the woman could move.

He moved faster.

One second, he was still hearing the clicks of her heels on the pavement, the next, he wasn’t.

Thank fuck she gave up.

With his eyes focused on his bike at one end of the community center’s parking lot, he sighed in relief when he got there. But before he could swing his leg over, he heard an out-of-breath, “Hey,” behind him.

Christ.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. When he opened them a few seconds later, he turned to face her.

Her high heels were hanging from her fingers. He let his gaze roll down her to see her feet were bare.

What the fuck?

Her, “Nice bike,” had him pulling his gaze back up to her shadowed face.

She was checking out his custom Softail with what looked like real interest.

“What do you know about bikes?”

Did her lips twitch? What the fuck was funny about his question?

“Enough to know a nice one when I see it.”

He almost asked how but caught himself. That would open him up to conversation. He didn’t want to talk, he wanted to walk.

Speaking of walking… “You shouldn’t be out here barefoot.”

“You were hard to catch.”

That was the point.

“It was pretty obvious you didn’t want to be caught,” she concluded from his silence.

But here you are, anyway.

“I’ve seen group participants closed off like you before. Not willing to share. Not willing to talk. Not willing to listen.” Her head tilted as she waited for him to respond.

He didn’t since that would be an invitation for her to continue.

She did, anyway. “My guess is your loss is fresh and you’re still going through the early stages of grief.”

She couldn’t be more wrong about him going anywhere. He was stuck.

“At least you’re taking an important step by coming to group meetings. That shows you want to help yourself.”

“I was forced,” he muttered.

“What?”

“I had no choice,” he said louder.

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