Page 14 of Tank
Those eyes, though—they hit me like a punch, sharp and unyielding, even from this distance. He doesn’t see me yet, but I can’t move, caught like a deer in headlights.
I take a breath and step into the streetlight’s glow, letting my boots crunch loud enough to get his attention. His head snaps up, cigarette pausing halfway to his mouth.
“Well, fuck,” Tank says, his voice low and rough. “You really did mean it when you said you’d find me.”
I smirk, leaning against my bike, playing it cool even though my heart’s hammering. “Told you, big guy. I’m full of surprises.”
Tank takes a drag, exhaling slow, his eyes raking over me.
It’s like he’s peeling me apart, layer by layer, and I feel naked under that stare.
“What do you want, Rocco?” Tank asks, stepping closer. “You show up with a Fury bike, stir shit up in my bar, and now you’re here. Start talking.”
I shrug, my hands in my pockets, the knife’s weight gone but its ghost still heavy.
“Thought we could clear the air,” I say. “That fight at the bar wasn’t my fault, but I don’t want bad blood with the Wolves. Especially not with you.”
He snorts, but there’s a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “You got a mouth on you, kid. Dangerous thing in a place like this.”
“Maybe I like danger,” I say, stepping closer, close enough to smell the smoke and leather on him. “You gonna give me a hard time, or you gonna give me a ride? Show me what the Wolf Riders are about.”
I watch as Tank’s jaw tightens, and for a second, I think he’s gonna tell me to fuck off. But then he stubs out his cigarette and jerks his chin toward his bike.
“Get on,” Tank snarls. “But don’t think this means I trust you.”
I grin, my blood singing. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I follow him to his Harley, my boots crunching on the gravel. He swings on, and I climb behind him, my thighs brushing his hips as I settle in.
The contact sends a jolt through me, and I have to grip the seat to keep from pressing closer. The engine roars, vibrating through my bones, and we peel out of the lot, the desert swallowing us whole.
We ride for what feels like forever, the wind tearing at my jacket, the stars blurring above. Tank doesn’t talk, just drives, his back a solid wall in front of me. I can feel the heat of him, the strength, and it’s doing things to me I can’t ignore. I want to push him, to see how far I can take this.
My plan’s working—I’m getting close—but it’s not just about the plan anymore. It’s about him.
Tank pulls off at an overlook, the desert sprawling out below, the town a faint glow in the distance. He cuts the engine, and the silence is deafening. I slide off the bike, my legs shaky, and lean against it, watching him. He stays seated, one hand on the handlebars, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
“You gonna tell me what’sreallygoing on?” Tank asks, his voice low, dangerous. “That Fury bike, the way you’re sniffing around—you’re not just some drifter.”
I laugh, running a hand through my hair.
“You don’t trust easy, do you?” I laugh, hiding my nerves.
“Not when someone’s waving a dead gang’s emblem in my face,” Tank says, turning to look at me. His eyes are hard, but there’s something else there—curiosity, maybe, or something hotter. “You know more than you’re saying.”
“Maybe I do,” I say, stepping closer, my voice dropping. “Maybe I’m just trying to figure you out. Word is you’re the glue holding the Wolf Riders together. Tough, mean, the guy who breaks bones and doesn’t blink. But I saw you at the bar. You didn’t have to step in for me, but you did. Why?”
Tank grunts, looking away, but I don’t miss the way his hands tighten on the handlebars.
“Don’t read too much into it, kid,” Tank says, a look of animal instinct in his eyes. “I protect what’s mine.”
“Yours,huh?” I say, my tone teasing, pushing him. “I’m not a Wolf, Tank.Yet. You claiming me already?”
His head snaps back, and the look he gives me could burn through steel.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he says, his voice a low growl. “Keep pushing, and you’ll find out how mean I can be.”
I smirk, leaning in, close enough that I can feel the heat off him.
