“Yeah, why not?” Liam whispered.
“She's not one of us—this is no place for her kind.” Wyatt glanced over at me and snarled.
“I'm taking her with us. She can watch my bike from a safe distance.”
John pointed at Liam. “You make sure she's away from all the action.”
Fear bubbled in my chest, raging through my system. Where were they taking me? If it was so dangerous, maybe I shouldn't go. My anthro paper wasn't more important than my life.
Liam handed me a bucket helmet and whispered, “Don't worry, it'll be fine.”
I smiled. He instantly put me at ease. His strong presence and soft face made me feel safe. I could definitely fall for a guy like this.
Liam climbed onto the bike and backed it out of the spot. “Climb on, Charlotte.”
I lifted my leg over the motorcycle and lost my balance—the cement ground came at me like a punch. Liam swiftly grabbed my arm and pulled me upright before I tumbled down. I blew the hair out of my face and exhaled. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Liam helped me onto the bike this time. The cushion beneath me was surprisingly comfortable. I looked around for a place to put my hands—I didn't want to fall off.
Liam turned his head around. “Wrap your arms around me.”
Oh my! Was he serious? There was no where else to hang on. I slipped my hands under his arms and locked them around his chest. His muscles were hard and defined. I breathed heavily—a warmness grew between my spread legs. My heart pounded in my ears. I'd never felt this excited and scared before.
Liam pressed a red button and then turned the key into the ignition. The motorcycle rumbled to life. The vibration between my thighs was exquisite. Between touching Liam's chest and the giant vibrator underneath me, it was going to be difficult to keep my climax at bay.
“I thought these things needed to be kick-started,” I yelled over the noise of the engine.
Liam leaned his head back. “Only older bikes.” He pointed to Wyatt who jumped down on the kick-start to bring his bike to life. Liam put on a pair of black Ray Bans that made him look so cool and sexy. “You might want to wear sunglasses.”
Liam twisted his right hand towards us and the bike let out a guttural scream, lurching forward. We followed the gang out of the abandoned business complex and onto the street. I hung onto Liam as tight as I could without giving away my real intentions. I'd never felt like this around a man before. Dirty thoughts invaded my mind of Liam taking me on his bike.
Liam gripped the throttle and we launched down the street. The wind blasted around my body and face. My hair whipped back and I inhaled the clean air. Liam shifted gears and we picked up speed. My heart was beating faster and faster. The adrenaline rush was addicting.
We weaved in and out of cars, following the rest of the group. I recognized the road as Ortega Highway as we swerved around the corners and bends. We slowed down and turned off onto a dirt road. We stopped at a gate blocking our way and Hudson got off and unlocked it for us.
Liam looked behind. “You're enjoying this aren't you.”
I smiled and nodded.
“Hold on tight because we're going off-road now.”
Yes sir!
The ride was so bumpy and rocky. I felt like I was on a bucking bronco. I gripped onto Liam harder to keep myself from being thrown off.
So many emotions were rolling around in my stomach that I didn't know what to feel. I was falling hard for Liam.
Chapter Eight
Liam
What was I thinking—bringing a woman out here with us? My head needed to be examined. There's just something about her that I'd never experienced before. Out of all the women I'd been with none were like Charlotte.
She hugged me tightly as we drove down Ortega Highway, taking every turn hard and fast. My heart skipped a beat as Charlotte's fingers dug into my chest. She was frightened but loving it. I was loving it too.
Hudson opened the gate leading to Jensen Ranch. It was the perfect place to conduct our business—private property and nobody could hear us for miles. We rode up the hill on the uneven dirt and came to the ranch.
A brown dilapidated barn with rotted wood sat in the middle of a valley surrounded by overgrown trees. Two black Escalades were parked in front of the barn and four men dressed in dark suits were holding assault rifles at their sides. Charlotte hugged me tighter.
I parked my bike a good distance away and got off. “Stay here,” I told Charlotte. She had the deer-in-the-headlights look. “Don't worry, everything will be fine.”
I turned my back towards the Russians and pulled out my nine millimeter. Charlotte's eyes widened. She probably had never seen a gun before. I pulled out the clip to make sure it was loaded and jammed it back inside. I lifted my shirt up and placed it in my waistband.