Page 7 of Spinner's Luck

I slipped into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition, only to get nothing.

What the hell?

I tried again and nothing.

Damn it, I sure as hell didn’t want to deal with The Devil’s House club tonight. I sighed, getting out, leaning against my car, and prayed they wouldn’t notice me in the shadows of the dark.

The air was thick with the smell of burning rubber and gas, the kind of mix that clings to you and even after you shower. I stood by my Corolla, wrapped in the shadows just shy of the wreckage.

I kept my arms crossed, trying to look unaffected, even as my heart hammered in my chest. I’d done the right thing, hadn’t I? It wasn’t like I could just drive by and leave him there, bleeding out next to the flaming heap of metal. No way would I ever do that to him.

But the truth was, I hadn’t planned for this, possibly standing here under their sharp, assessing gazes, like they could see every lie I’d ever told.

But there was still a chance they wouldn’t notice me.

The man who stepped off his bike first had an air of authority about him. His hair was pale blond, almost white, and his eyes burned like coal even in the darkness. I knew instantly this was their leader—Devil. His name was whispered enough around circles I’d run in lately.

I watched as the men hovered around Spinner, and then my breath caught in my throat when their eyes landed on me.

Devil moved toward me with purpose, and the others followed like a pack of wolves, spreading out to take in the scene. Each man watched me with keen eyes and an edge to their stance, not taking their eyes off me.

I focused on Devil as he approached, though I could feel the weight of their collective attention pressing down on me. “What the hell happened here?” he barked, his voice as intimidating as all hell.

Stay calm, I reminded myself. Don’t show weakness.

“Name’s Lucy. I was passing through. Saw him on the side of the road and called,” I said when Devil reached me. My voice came out steady, thank God. “Figured that’s how you’d want it handled.”

He tilted his head, studying me with a look that made it clear he wasn’t buying my casual tone. “Passing through, were you? What made you think to get involved?”

What the fuck?

Keeping my voice measured, I said, “I’m not getting involved. Just didn’t want to leave someone bleeding out on the side of the road.”

One of the others muttered something I couldn’t hear, and Devil glanced over his shoulder before turning back to me. “You didn’t see who did it?”

“No,” I answered quickly, maybe too quickly. “It was just him and the wreck when I got here. I moved him back from the flames. That’s it.”

His gaze narrowed. “And you just happened to know who to call?”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second, cursing myself for it. “I know how things work in clubs like yours. Thought it would be better to call you than bring in the law. Was I wrong?”

Jesus, he was starting to bug me.

Let it go, assholealmost slipped from my mouth before I shoved it down. I’d spent enough time in places like this to know how to handle situations like these. That didn’t mean I wanted to explain myself to him or anyone else.

Again, his face showed tons of suspicion as he asked, “Why didn’t you just leave?” His eyes flicked to my car, then back to me.

I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. “Look, I would have already bailed, but my car won’t start.” I let out a slow breath, pretending to be more annoyed than I felt. “I didn’t want to leave someone to die on the side of the road. But if you’re done questioning me, I’ll take off as soon as my car’s running.”

Spinner groaned as they lifted him off the ground. My eyes flicked to him, and I felt a pang of concern. I’d done what I could, but it didn’t feel like enough—not when it came to Spinner.

“Gearhead,” Devil barked, “check her car.”

The one called Gearhead moved to my hood, muttering something under his breath as he worked. I stepped back, giving him space, though I was already itching to get out of here.

Finally, the engine roared to life, and I took that as my cue. “Thanks,” I said, keeping my tone light as I climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Get that car checked out first chance you get,” Gearhead called after me as I rolled up my window.

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