Page 38 of Bullseye
Rushing away from Avery, I know there’s no chance I’ll be able to outrun him. But I need to find a way if I’m going to keep him safe. Bursting through the sliding doors of the hospital, the cool nighttime Arizona air smacks me in the face, hard.
Good, maybe this is the wake-up call I needed. How could I be so stupid? Why did I think I could be safe here? Just because I’m two thousand miles away…? I’ll never be safe. No matter where I go. Because in trying to clear Matt, I pissed off Mikey and Tony, and their asshole boss, Ironclad.
Damn it, Matt!
Breaking out into a full-blown run when I hit the parking lot, I can hear Avery’s labored breathing behind me. He’s gaining on me.
“Seneca, wait, please.”
It breaks my heart, but I keep pushing. I know it’s stupid, I have to at least slow down to get onto my bike, and he’ll catch me then, but all that makes sense to me right now is to keep moving. My bike’s only a few yards away and reaching out, I can almost touch it…
“Seneca.”
His strong hand takes my arm, and together we slow down.
“What’s wrong? Why are you running?” Panting, and trying hard to catch my breath, I look up into his smart blue eyes. “Sen? What’s going on? What are you so worried about?” I want to tell him everything, but I can’t. “You can trust me. Please.” His eyes harden when he says it. He’s hiding something, just like I am.
“I, just… I need to go home. I think I may know who threw the brick.”
“Who?” His brows knit together.
Shaking my head, I step back. “I-I can’t tell you.”
“Does it have something to do with your brother?”
“Yes, actually.”
“Well, that’s all the more reason you need to come with me. If that was some kind of warning…?”
I shrug.
“Seneca. Come with me. Let me keep you safe.”
“You can’t.” Sighing, I fish my keys from my pocket, and taking my helmet from my handlebars, I plop it on my head, tightening the strap beneath my chin. Hoisting a leg over the seat, I straddle my bike and turn the key, the bike purrs beneath me.
“Seneca. I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to. It was fun, Avery. Really.”
“So, what, you’re taking off? Leaving the Knights? Hoppa?”
“I don’t know.” That was the truth. Where can I go where I’ll be safe? I have one life, and I’m not keen on giving it up so easily.
But more than anything, I don’t want Avery to lose his over me.
Anger boils up inside of me, and jolts of adrenaline shoot down my hands, prickling my fingertips. I’m sick to death of living like this. This constant fear and worry. Mikey and Tony need to be stopped. One way or the other.
But one thing is certain, I cannot drag Avery into this.
“You can’t go home, Seneca. It’s not safe.”
“You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Avery.”
“I’ll come with you. I’ll stop by the club and grab my piece. I can protect you.”
Gosh, how I want that to be true.
“I don’t need your protection,” I hiss. “Don’t you get it? I’m every bit as capable as you are. I don’t need some big strong man to rush in and save me. Listen,” I yell over the roar of the bike, “we’ve had our fun, but it’s over now.”
