Rain Shadow(13)

We walked toward the massive metal shed that housed the motorcycles. All afternoon I’d imagined myself getting on the bike with Angel tucked securely behind me and riding far away from this place and her grandfather. But the old man wasn’t stupid or careless enough to let me climb on a bike with his granddaughter. I was sure of that.

Gunner, Cash and Jericho were already on their bikes. Candy was behind Gunner. Dreygon motioned me over to an older model Harley in the back of the shed. Angel followed close behind. “This bike is yours . . . for tonight. It only has a half gallon of gas in it in case you had any ideas in your head.” He handed me a helmet. “Don’t want you to break any laws,” he sneered. “Angel,” he shot a disapproving glance at her clothes, “get your helmet. You’ll ride with Cash.”

“Why can’t I ride—”

He raised up a hand to silence her.

“Fine,” she said. She stomped over to the wall and grabbed a helmet. She tied a bandana around the bottom half of her face. Then she climbed behind Cash. I’d never been the jealous type, but seeing her long, bare legs and arms go around Cash made my jaw clench. She was already so tightly tethered to my heart, I hated the thought of any man getting near her. Sometimes I was both shocked and terrified at how strong my feelings for her had become.

The bike vibrated beneath me as we rolled toward the wrought iron gates. Max was staying behind. He waved us through. The open desert landscape spread out in front of us like a welcoming mat to the free world, to my world. Aside from one very erotic afternoon by a small mountain pond, Angel and I had not been outside of the walls since she’d brought me to Dreygon’s compound. I longed to get away from him. I stayed for one reason and one reason only— Angel.

Salty dust penetrated the thin cotton cloth covering my nose and mouth. My eyes burned as we rolled slowly over the sandy path. The sagebrush and shrubs looked completely different and even less inviting under moonlight, but the sky above was littered with stars. There were no city lights to dim them. I could almost taste freedom as my hands gripped the bars of the bike. The distance to the main road made escape from the compound daunting but not impossible, as long as one was motivated enough to attempt it. I was definitely motivated.



Angel’s long hair flowed out behind her as Cash pulled out onto the highway. Once the tires hit smooth asphalt, the urge to grab some throttle hit me. The cold night air cut through my shirt and stung my eyes. It felt pretty fucking awesome. The only thing missing was Angel’s long legs hugging me from behind.

Roaring along the open road on the bike was a rush, and it was easy to see how people could be readily drawn into the club way of life. Living on the edge and traveling from place to place without true societal shackles had its appeal.

Unfortunately, the trip on the road was short. Dreygon turned his bike off onto a roughly paved driveway, and I rolled down behind him. We pulled the bikes in front of a rundown little building with a half lit sign that read Mick Sal. Two other bikes were parked in front of the place, but, otherwise, the lot was deserted. Three of the four parking lot lights flickered weakly and the fourth had been shattered.

It took me a second to notice that Dreygon and his men had taken a profound interest in the other two bikes. Two guys came out of the bar just as I turned off the engine. There was something about the way the one guy moved that jarred me.

I threw my leg over the seat and walked closer to the others. They’d formed a half circle around the bikes. Angel came up and stood behind me. One of the helmets that hung from the handle bars had the words ‘move the fuck over, cager’ painted on the back. I’d seen the phrase before. And while bikers sometimes referred to car drivers as cagers, this particular message had been locked somewhere in the dark visions surrounding Dex’s death.

I was now doubly thankful for the bandana tied around my face. The two men wore cuts with Bent for Hell patches. My fists were balls of steel, and my body was wound so tightly, one wrong move would have sent me flying toward them.

Jericho looked over at Angel. “Go inside with Candy,” he said sharply. She hesitated. I turned and motioned for her to go. Her blue eyes shined with worry as she glanced back at me. She disappeared inside.

Dreygon looked over at me and grinned. He thought I was ready to rumble with these guys because they were in a rival club. He had no idea my real reason for wanting to tear the flesh from their bones. Having the guy so close, within striking distance, wiped away any caution or reason. I wanted to kill him so badly, I didn’t care if he recognized me and told everyone.