Page 6 of Her Nosey Biker
“Aww… you worried about me, Ghost?” I say jokingly, but on the inside, my guts churn. He’s not the only one who holds a grudge about what happened that day. Drake's hatred of me has absolutely nothing on the feelings I have inside. Maybe I deserve his wrath. Maybe I should just hole up at my house, sit there, and wait for him when he comes for me.
“I know where your head's at. Bring it right back around, son. There was nothing else you could have possibly done that day except die yourself. That would have been a fucking waste of a damn good soul. Don't let those demons win,” he says adamantly.
I close my eyes tightly and start to count. I can still remember everything about that day. I still feel like I’m sweating, still feel the blistering heat of the desert. Seeing all my buddies down around me…
“LOOT!”
“I, uh… got to go, Sir. I’ll be alright, I promise,” I say and end the call before he can say anything else. I feel Finick's frantic nudges, the cool touch of her nose as she tries to alert me. I need to find a secluded spot. I can't do this shit out in the open. I stretch my back, my cut feeling too tight, the leather having no give whatsoever. I still look around frantically. I’m practically in the middle of town, so where the hell can I find any sort of seclusion here? My eyes skip over a darkish-looking alleyway, then quickly focus back on it. I can feel the panic rising, the sweat on my palms, the nausea clawing up my throat. I’m shaking, and I know I won't be able to fight this one off with a bit of pain.
Just a little bit more…
CHAPTER SIX
GRACE
“Oh, would you just—grr…” I slam the hook and yarn down on my leg, so frustrated by one little hat. Well, not really the hat part; I got that down. It's the ruffly top that should come out horizontal instead of just straight down. I lean my head back and close my eyes, taking a deep breath. I smell the fresh flowers mixed with freshly brewed coffee. I wonder if it's coming from the fantastical bookstore I’ve camped out in front of. The bench is just perfect with a view of the store that seems to be straight out of a fairytale.
Tall Tales & Turned Pages, the bookstore, is a cozy brick building with ivy creeping up its sides and even has the added charm of a hand-painted wooden sign swinging gently above the front door. The shop’s large bay window shows vintage trinkets and string lights that glow softly. It's a sight hard to look away from; it just makes me want to get lost in some fairy world. I’m so lost in the sight in front of me, lost in my imagination, I almost miss a gentle tug on the yarn.
“What the…” I pull the yarn, and another row unravels. Leaning up and looking over the seat of the bench, I see a small gray pup.
“Oh, well, hello there, sweet baby. What is it I can help you with today?” I ask, smiling as I lean down and give the dog a small pat on the head as I slip the yarn from its teeth. The smile falters slightly as I search for a collar and then try to locate its owner. My eyes, however, are drawn to the vest the dog is wearing.
“Huh? That's weird. Why does that patch look familiar?” I ask the pup as if they are somehow going to answer me.
I gasp as I get a glimpse of the name, Savage Kings Motorcycle Club. No, this can't be happening again. I’ve been doing everything humanly possible to stay as far away from anything to do with that group since the last time I just so happened to bump into one of the members. I don't know how I was able to scurry away so fast, but I wonder if my luck has run out. I quickly look around, trying to determine which way to move for a quick exit. Instead, I get caught on the fact that no one is around.
“Hmm.. That is weird. Every other time I’ve seen you, you've been right by his side,” I tell the pup. Suddenly, she—I’m guessing it's a she—starts to whine. She turns her body and barks. I jump a bit and once again look around, still no one else around. I feel a tug again, but this time on my skirt.
“Okay, okay, I think I’m getting the hint,” I say, packing up my belongings and following the pup. She starts to take me to a back alley tucked in between two buildings, and my legs stop immediately.
“Uh uh, no way. Grace Callaway, you will not follow some random dog into a dark alleyway in some random town,” I say, taking one step back.
Before my heel can touch the ground, and I can pivot, I hear another whine. I look down into the eyes pleading with me for help, and I’m helpless to move away. Closing my eyes and praying for the best, I take a deep breath and square myshoulders. Then I gasp at the crumpled form in front of me, just covered enough in the alley's darkness to go unnoticed, but the pup races toward the form, curls up by his side, and whimpers.
I don't think twice, letting my instincts take over. I rush over and kneel in front of the man who has scared me crapless since the first time I rammed into him. Since the first time he intimidated me with that voice alone. My nosey biker, I guess now it's his turn to be in a vulnerable position, and mine to be nosey, trying to figure out what the heck's going on. But there's nothing about this situation I enjoy. Seeing him sit with his back to the wall, knees pulled up to his chest, and hand clutching at his heart, he squeezes his eyes tightly closed.
“Uhh.. hi. I know you don't really know me,” I say stupidly, not really sure what the heck I’m supposed to do, but his eyes slowly blink open, even if they are focused on something over my shoulder or far, far away. “But, uh, your pup, she kind of alerted me, I guess. Umm, I’m not really sure what to do here. I’ve never been in this position.”
I just ramble nervously, not even sure myself what I’m saying. I keep spewing random information until I realize this is not helping his situation. “Maybe I should call an ambulance.”
“No.” It's the first response I’ve gotten from him since I found him on this dirty, cold ground. He grabs hold of my wrist, and I shiver at the contact. Automatically, my eyes find his thumb that is rubbing my pulse point in my wrist. “No cops, no ambulance. Just-”
He cuts off for a moment, eyes seeming to come back into focus. I give him a minute to catch his bearings before he finally seems to come to and continues. “Just had a temporary lapse,” he says.
He plays it off with a sexy smirk, the one that makes me want to do all sorts of naughty acts, but I can still see the vulnerability deep in his eyes. My nosey biker is full of doubt, just like me. Idon't really know how to take that. His breathing is still uneven, and I can see the pulse in his neck still beating like crazy. Still, I can tell before he opens his mouth that something arrogant is going to come out.
“Now that's a move we haven't practiced in a while, Finick. Brought a real beauty my way this time. What’s your name, sweetheart?” he says playfully, but his voice is still shaky. The only indication he’s shaken up.
“Grace.” I sigh in disappointment; I knew it was coming, but still, the disappointment doesn't sting any less. Sighing, I stand back up on my two feet and give him a nod.
“Glad to see you're finally okay.” And with that, I turn back out of the alley.
“Wait,” he says as I turn to leave. “Uh, I know I have no business asking this, but would you mind keeping this between the two of us? No one even knows Finick is trained to alert,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“Not even your club friends?” I ask, knowing they are supposed to be like family or something. At least, that's the basis of what I get from books and TV. He snorts, however.
“Brothers. My club brothers, Star. But yeah, not even them. If you wouldn't mind, I’d like to keep it that way,” he asks, and I can tell it's genuine. I’m so ready to get the heck out of Dodge, I don't even question the wrong name thing. He probably thinks I'm a club girl or something like that. He can keep thinking that for all I care as long as it keeps him out of my life.
