He didn’t answer.
“I suppose you’re not going to say why you left me alone in your room all day.” He snorted but there was so other reply. “I was bored. You know,” I taunted, “you have a stash of interesting magazines stashed in your dresser.” He narrowed his eyes as I shrugged. “Don’t worry. I didn’t check to see if the pages were sticky.” Shuddering, I didn’t hesitate to meet his direct gaze when he suddenly stopped, glaring down with that icy blue gaze. “Funny, I didn’t have you pegged for the adolescent nudes but hey, maybe you enjoy it together with porn.”
A low growl vibrated in his chest.
“I bagged up your trash. There was at least a half dozen used condoms and it was stinky.” I didn’t elaborate on the fact that one of his MC brothers – Patriot – came into the room and apologized for leaving his shit as he emptied the trash. Apparently, Bodie hadn’t been there or used the room in months. Only Patriot and Lucky had a spare key besides Grim. I would have been disgusted by what I found but since I knew none of those things belonged to Bodie, I had to give him shit about it. The man was grumpier than Scrooge and it was nearly Christmas.
“I don’t read magazines,” he finally spit out between clenched teeth.
Biting my lip to keep from laughing, I blinked up at him innocently. “I never said anything about reading them.”
“Fucking hell,” he cursed, spinning on his heel as he stomped toward the back entrance of the Crossroads where we had entered last night.
Since I knew the way, I took my time, pausing to wink at Patriot on the way out. He ticked his head in my direction, chuckling as he realized what I had done. Bodie poked his head through the door and caught our exchange, snarling at Patriot before he grabbed my hand and practically dragged me toward his bike.
“Enough games, Sasha Pratt.”
Lifting my chin, I ignored him as he carefully placed his helmet over my head and straddled the bike, revving the throttle a little before I climbed on behind him. It was several minutes before I realized that we weren’t alone. Every single member of the Royal Bastards must have been in attendance. Dozens of motorcycles rumbled next to ours before we began to leave the lot. The wind wasn’t quite as bitter and shockingly cold tonight, but the lack of precipitation helped.
Unable to resist, I wrapped my arms around Bodie’s waist a little tighter, leaning my head against his back as I snuggled up to his warmth. The man seemed to radiate heat most of the time. I couldn’t resist the smile that crossed my face when I thought of his reaction minutes ago. It was priceless. Served him right for ignoring me all day.
The ride lasted longer than I would have thought. We didn’t stay on the highway long, venturing into the desert as the bikes formed long rows of iron beasts galloping among the cactus, tumbleweeds, and nocturnal creatures. The moon was high overhead and dazzled the eye with its slightly amber color thrown in with the sparkling white of the stars. I sighed happily, temporarily forgetting my own problems as they scattered among the forgotten and sparse clouds.
Some things were so beautiful they erased the ugliness of the world for a few heartbeats of stolen serenity.
Memories of my childhood surfaced and the image of my sister, content and at peace, filled my thoughts. Gazing up at that perfect ebony sky, I made a promise to myself that I would always seize the moment. I would never live with regrets. Suraya had said so often, but I didn’t listen. Not until she was gone and could no longer remind me.
There was nothing I took for granted now. Only one purpose was left. I had to make sure her murderer suffered and until I found a way, my time in Nevada was unfinished. Closing my eyes, I made a wish on a falling star as it streaked across the crisp desert sky. When I opened them, I found Bodie watching me with a curious and unexpected tenderness. I hadn’t realized that we’d stopped.
“There’s something I want to show you,” he whispered, taking my hand as he pulled me up from the bike. “Here, take my leather. I won’t need it right now.” He slid the jacket around my shoulders as I wrapped it around my body tighter, inhaling the scent that was a mixture of aftershave, motor oil, and his unique manly smell.
At first, I couldn’t tell what the bikers were doing. Zipping around on their motorcycles, nothing made sense in the darkness until something beeped inside Bodie’s jacket and I pulled out a watch. When I checked the face, the time was exactly midnight. I replaced it, watching with interest but having no idea what to expect. Whooping and hollering filled the air as the men on the bikes began to rev their engines and spin around faster, their headlights the only illumination besides the shy and distant moon.
One minute, the figures of the men and bikes were completely normal and the next . . .
The tires of the bikes caught fire, exploding in crimson and tangerine flames that licked up the sides of the motorcycles and lapped at the legs of the riders. Mouth gaping open, I gasped at the sight. Laughter filled the air with a maniacal undercurrent as the faces of the men began to change and transform into something sinister. One moment I was looking at a bunch of normal bikers. Only a heartbeat later, I was astonished to find the faces of demonic monsters astride their steel beasts. Skulls with little flesh stared back, eyes blazing with a feral need that I couldn’t identify.
Backing up several paces, I swallowed hard and tried to slow the frantic breaths releasing from my chest. What the hell was this!? Did my sister know? Is this why she died? Were the secrets she learned too much for her to keep?
Panicked, I stumbled and fell backward, landing on my ass hard as Bodie rode up beside me, concern etched into that bony visage. “You alright?” He reached outward and I hesitated, unsure if I trusted the hand that was attached to such a horrific nightmare. “Sasha? It’s still me.”
Bodie’s deep voice sent a rush of soothing calm through my scattered thoughts. I hesitantly placed my hand in his, brought up to my feet with little effort at all. Dropping his hand, I was slightly afraid but also a little thrilled.
“You’re so . . . different.”
He laughed; the sound undeniably macabre but also alarmingly sexy. “Yes. That’s one way to put it.” Tilting his head to the side, he seemed to be contemplating something. “Are you afraid?”
Wanting to be brave, I shook my head but still managed a squeaky, “yes.”
I would never have thought that a skeleton could smirk but Bodie managed it. His high cheek bones were the perfect backdrop for those startling icy blue eyes that were forever burned into my mind, permanently etched into my brain
as if I could ever forget the way they both caressed and owned me with a single look.
Bodie Whitman was dangerous and it wasn’t only the fact that he once belonged to my sister or that he was much more than a simple man. The confident and sexy biker was a threat to my broken and helpless heart. He reached a part of me that I thought was lost forever. Biting my lower lip, I turned away from his searching gaze and watched the other bikers, fascinated by the fire that spun over their wheels and flickered in the ebony night. Snowflakes began to fall and sizzled as they hit the motorcycles, steam rising up from the riders and their machines.
The contrast was beautiful.
“It’s the Devil’s Ride.”