“And then he would come after me again,” Lana said, gently pulling away. “I want my life back, and I want you and James in it.”
“Come back safe.” Jackie wrapped her arms around herself, tears streaking her face.
“Roxie. You comin’ or am I shootin’?” Levi’s harsh voice sent a chill down Lana’s spine.
She lifted her gaze to James. Her eyes stung, but no tears fell. Crying would only make him think she didn’t want to go. But she did. A perverse excitement pounded in her temples—the chance to end Levi’s reign of terror and live a life without fear.
Ice glittered in James’s eyes. She tried to say goodbye, but her mouth went dry and the words stuck in her throat.
He cupped her cheek with his warm hand. “I know this is something you’ve got to do, but I’m coming for you, babe. Nothing is going to stand in my way. I said I love you and I mean it. Nothing else matters. You aren’t alone in this. Trust I’ll find a way. Don’t lose hope.”
She closed her eyes and leaned into the warmth of his palm. More than his declaration of love, his forgiveness seared her to the core. “I trust you,” she whispered.
Then she looked up and winked. “But you’d better hurry. I’m not the kind of girl who sits around waiting to be rescued.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lana clung to the rear handle grips on Levi’s Harley Fat Boy. She tried to look behind to see if James was following them, but the helmet Levi had brought for her—not out of concern for her safety but to avoid being stopped by the police—was too big. Every time she turned her head, she saw only darkness. Not that James could possibly be anywhere near. The Wolverines had slashed the tires on his Rocker and Jackie’s vehicle, and had kept Kickstand as a hostage to ensure Lana’s good behavior. Gentlemen they were not.
A cool breeze whipped around her, buffeting her so badly she was tempted to hold on to Levi for balance. During their first few months together, nothing had thrilled her more than racing through the mountains tucked up against Levi’s broad back. But the thought of touching him now made her stomach clench. Better to fall off the motorcycle than to let him think she had even an ounce of affection left for him…her once savior, her first lover, her husband.
After three hours, Levi turned off the main highway and headed down a narrow road. The Wolverines followed behind him. Lana was surprised they had made it this far without a break. The Wolverines were all riding Harley Cruisers. Good for show and sporting around. Damned uncomfortable for a long trip.
Lana whipped off her helmet as the motorcycle slowed to a stop. Her brain ached from trying to come up with a plan. Escape was fast becoming a better option than confrontation, persuasion or even attacking Levi in his sleep. And one thing she knew for certain—escape would be exponentially more difficult once they crossed the border. She had friends here. People she could call. Places she could go. In the US, she would be utterly alone.
Lost in thought, Lana startled when one of the Wolverines grabbed her arm and pulled her off the motorcycle. She tried to stop her sideways momentum by hooking her foot under the passenger peg, but the bolt had loosened during the ride and the peg fell into the grass with Lana on top of it.
“Get the fuck up.” Levi kicked her shin and then yanked her off the grass. “We need to be quick about hiding the bikes. Next time I say to get off, you get off fast. Guess that’s something else you’ll have to learn when we get home.”
“Vancouver is my home,” she spat. She opened her mouth to mention the peg—it would be damned hard to ride pillion without it—and then closed it again. The motel was off the main highway and tucked into the base of a mountain. She didn’t have any breadcrumbs with which to leave a trail, but a passenger peg might do the trick.
“Home is where your husband is.” Levi twisted her arm behind her back and Lana gasped in pain.
“Don’t damage her too bad.” Hang Nail loosened Levi’s grip on her arm. “If we get stopped by the police or the border guards, they’ll ask questions. She might decide to give her friend up for a chance to escape.”
“Kind of damage I plan to do while we’re waiting for her fake fucking passport to be made, no one’s gonna see,” Levi growled. “And the border guards won’t be a problem. We’re not crossing through the normal route. We’re taking a smugglers’ trail.”
A black hole tore its way through Lana’s chest, sucking the air from her lungs and the hope from her heart. Every time she thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, it did. Now, even her rough plan to draw the attention of the border guards to the Wolverines’ illegal weapons was moot.