Page 1 of Talon
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Talonwalkedintotheparking lot and looked at the sign on the front of the building again.His bike had blown a fuel line a couple of miles away and this was the closest place in the small town that he thought might have what he needed.If they didn’t have any tubing he could make work, even temporarily, he’d have to wait for someone to come out from the ranch with the right tubing or a truck and trailer to take him and his bike back to the ranch to wait until he could get the parts in order to fix it.
He didn’t want to have to call one of his brothers for help.It made him look like an idiot.Not only because he’d taken off alone, which wasn’t prohibited, just not the smart thing to do.A smart rider always had at least one other person with him.At least on a ride that was more than a few miles from one point to another, and definitely when you left town.
But he’d needed time to himself, and time on the road to get his head on straight.The trip some of his brothers had made to Colorado to rescue Sackett’s woman was still on his mind, even weeks later.Talon didn’t know if it was because what they were doing, what they’d done to Donna, and tried to do to Selena, wasn’t going on then, or if it hadn’t been happening to Becky.Or, and this was the possibility that haunted him, that it had been, and she hadn’t trusted him enough to help her get out.
His hope was that the abuse Donna had escaped hadn’t been going on back then, but since he’d lost track of Becky, he had no way to ask her.
Talon pushed the issue out of his mind and turned his attention back to what he was doing as he stepped into the store.It appeared to be a local department store, the kind with a little bit of everything.He had little hope they’d have what he needed.In a town this size he’d be lucky if anyone had what he needed, much less this place that looked like a jack of all trades shop instead of a parts store, which was what he needed.
“Hi, welcome,” a friendly female voice said as he stepped through the door.“Can I help you find anything?”
“Can you point me in the direction of the automotive department?”Talon turned on the charm and smiled at the woman who’d spoken.
She stood behind the customer service desk a few feet from the door.She had dark hair that hung in tight curls until just above her shoulders.She wore a red polo shirt with a name tag that read ‘Madison’ on the left side.
“Sure, let me show you where it is.”She stepped out from behind the counter smiled at him.“Right this way.”
He followed her through the store, unable to keep his eyes off her ass and the way her jeans cupped her ass and seemed to caress her mouthwatering curves with every step.He wouldn’t mind replacing that thin cotton with his hands, at least for an hour or two.
“Here we are.”She rolled one wrist in a Vanna White move as if displaying the aisle he’d been looking for.“Anything specific you’re looking for?”
“Yeah, I’m looking for a fuel line or some kind of tubing I can use in a pinch, at least to get me home.”
Madison shook her head.“I don’t think we have anything like that.NAPA would be a better place to check.”
“How far away is that?And what time do they close?I had to walk a couple of miles to get here, I don’t know how fast I can get there if I’m walking.”He checked his watch.Almost 5 p.m.He would be cutting it close, if he managed to make it at all.
Madison tilted her head as she watched him, and he found it hard to look away from the warm chocolate of her eyes.“It’s a couple of miles away, but I’ll tell you what.I get off in a couple of minutes.If you’ll hang around until then, I’ll give you a ride, then once you’ve got the parts you need, I’ll take you back to your car.”
“My bike, but okay.You want me to wait out front?”Talon didn’t like that she’d offered him a ride so easily, but since it was working out to his advantage, he would keep his mouth shut.At least for now.He’d probably warn her about being safer before she dropped him off.
“Out front is fine.I need to speak with my manager for a moment, then clock out.I should be out in about five minutes.”
“I’ll see you then,” Talon said.
She flashed him another smile, then turned and walked away.Talon stood for a minute, watching the way her ass moved and reminding himself that he wasn’t here to find some wild pussy.Besides, Madison didn’t seem like the kind who would be open to a one night stand with a biker.
Turning, he went to the front of the store and back outside to wait.If it weren’t so close to closing time, he’d just walk to the parts store, but if it was as far away as she said, he would never make it in time.
This wasn’t what he’d had in mind when he’d hit the road this afternoon.No, he’d just been looking for a ride.Some time for him to commune with the highway and get his head on straight.Why did a bike breakdown always happen at the most inconvenient time?
Talon shook his head as he stepped outside pushing the useless wonderings from his mind.Glancing around, he spotted a metal bench to one side of the door.He sat to wait, his mind still spinning.He could have just called Steele, or any of the others, they would have come out to rescue him, but then he’d also have to deal with the teasing they gave him.And Talon already knew he’d screwed up.He also knew that Lurch would be the toughest on him, as he’d been trying to instill the importance of bike maintenance into Talon.
It didn’t matter if this could have been prevented.He couldn’t know that if he’d checked all his hoses properly, that he might have noticed an issue with it before it blew, leaving him stranded.And he had to admit, at least to himself, that it could have blown on a lonely stretch of highway, or worse a stretch with no cell signal.Instead, it had given up just as he’d pulled into town.At least this way he had a hope of getting it fixed and getting back before midnight.And before the rest of the Demented Souls got worried and started hunting for him.
“Ready?”
Talon looked up to find Madison standing in front of him.He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard her approach.That wasn’t good.He needed to be more alert.Especially alone and this far from the ranch.
“Yeah, sure.”Talon stood.“Thanks for this.”
“No problem.”She led him to the far end of the parking lot.“This is me.”She hit the button on her key fob and the lights flashed on the rear of a full size ford pickup.He went to the passenger’s side and climbed in.He hated being a passenger in any kind of vehicle.It was easier when he drove, but even he wasn’t asshole enough to insist he drive a stranger’s car in an unknown town just because he had control issues.
“You from around here?”Madison asked as she pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
“No.I grew up in Colorado, but I’m living a couple of hours away, near Gillette.I take it you’re fairly new to town?”
