Page 88 of Dirty Salvation

"Is Lawless around?" Zara's brows arched up into her hair. Angela's voice was one hundred percent casual with an underlined curiousness that had Zara speculating in a direction she didn't approve of.

Lawless had made an impression on the girl, not something she could figure out because as far as she could ascertain there was nothing likable about the guy, nor friendly in the slightest. And far too old for a little girl to be enquiring about him.

"No, he's not. What about the folks, Angela?"

"UUgh. They expect me to sit with them at dinner time, and lunch on weekends and I must do all my homework! can you believe that? I don't want new parents, they're so clingy always asking how I am. I think I'm going to split any day now. I'm practicallyfifteen!” she stressed “I don't need babysitters."

"Angela." Her tone warned. "Listen, they sound like nice kind people, they care. That's what you need right now. Give them a chance."

"I could come and live with you," hope in her small voice hurt Zara's throat. She stopped her pacing and leaned against one of the work benches within the bike shop. The five-port area was immaculately tidy, every tool in its rightful home, the workspaces cleaned off, and even the floor was cleared of debris. Rider ran a nice ship, she mused.

Stop creating reasons to think of Rider.

Her belly turned over in a slow roll again, only thirty minutes to go before they tried their first date.

What it really was; a prelude to sex.

Sex with Rider.

Lord, have mercy on my girl-bits.Suddenly, she was finding it hard to concentrate of anything else, just that sharp hard thrust of him inside her. Forcing her mind back on the conversation, she was glad there were no insightful bikers around who could quite easily translate her every blush.

"Sweetheart, you know you can't do that. I don't even have anywhere to permanently live, I'm only here temporarily. Ask your social worker if I can come and visit you, we could make a day of shopping."

It was strange she felt an attachment to the kid, she'd only known her the better part of a couple of days, but in that place of monsters they'd bonded instantly, Zara becoming her protector, days there could have felt like a lifetime.

She felt responsible for her, but even if it had been possible, there was no way she could be responsible for a growing young adult dealing with her own mess, as selfish as it was, Zara needed to fix herself, first, but she wouldn't abandon Angela, either. "How does that sound?"

"I suppose it'd be okay." she heard the girl sigh. Then add. "Would we go back to the biker gang place. Maybe Lawless would be there. He played cards with me. I won three times, though, I think he let me. Which is kinda cool isn’t it?"

"It's a club, sweetie." she reminded gently. "And I'm not sure if that would be allowed."

"Can I ... if you want me to, that is if you don't that's fine ..."

"What is it, Angela?"

"Can I call you tomorrow? Bill, that's the guy, said they're taking us all out for ice cream, or whatever." Poor kid being treated to dessert. What a torture. Zara grinned.

"Sure, you can, I look forward to it. Soon as I get a cell I'll give you the number and you can call or text whenever you want to talk. I’m always here for you, sweetie."

"I miss my cell phone and my friends back home. They said." Zara heard Angela's voice catch. "The head jailer said I can't go home, seeing as I have no blood relatives. I told them I can look after myself!"

"Sweetheart, you are very capable." Treading careful, choosing her words carefully. "For now, those people sound super nice, let them take care of you, okay? and we'll get a day sorted I can see you."

"'’kay, Zara. Hey and ... thanks for what you did for me. I gotta go. Bye." The call disconnected before Zara could reply. Just as well, her eyes filled with tears.

She was safe at least, with people looking after her, making sure she ate, Zara told herself. There was nothing physically she could do for Angela, she was better where she was.

No home. No car, not even a cellphone, god, she needed to get her life back in order and she would, soon, she promised. Soon. Maybe.

Now she had a date to perfect if her body would stop reacting as if she was about to throw up ... starting with her clothes. She didn't have anything remotely sexy, but she'd laid out a pair of white jeans and a light pink tank top. She thought to all her clothes in her dorm room, and the ones she'd left at home at her parent's house, she had several things she could have worn to knock Rider's socks off.

At least raise his eyebrows.

Zara had no idea what happened to her things she'd left in her college room, thrown out, she supposed when she never returned to pack them up after graduation. But what of her stuff at home? She filed that under things to deal with later. Talking to her parents right now wouldn't be a good idea.Only one heart pumping task at a time.

She was placing a napkin on the table next to the cutlery trying to make it look appealing for a biker when she heard him. One moment she was alone in the kitchen, the next he filled the doorway. Rider and his smile. "You're early. I like punctuality."

Rider let go of a humming noise, otherwise didn't reply her wiseass remark, his raked hooded gaze said it all. He looked like he always did; rugged hair caught up in a bun at the back of his head, dark jeans encasing his legs, his wallet chain clanking against his belt, his shirt looked clean, a white long sleeve undershirt over a dark gray T-shirt.

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