“I don’t have the money for more repairs,” I admitted, feeling embarrassed. “Just tell Bodie they can drop my car at my house. I’ll figure it out.”
“Gina.”
“What?” I asked, biting my lip. Tears pricked the back of my eyelids again. I was so tired of being broke and worried about money. The holidays were supposed to be happy and full of hot cocoa, Christmas movies, cookies, and warm memories. So far, all I had to show was a meager bank account, a used Christmas tree, last year’s ornaments, and a strand of lights around the living room. Luckily, I didn’t decorate until after some asshole broke inside and tore the place up. At least none of the furniture had been ruined.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.”
She could always sense when I was in a mood. “No, it’s really not. I’ll survive, though. There’s not much choice.”
“I’m coming over tomorrow night, and we can hang out with the kids. I’ll bring pizza and fireball.”
I snorted. “What a combination.”
“Chin up, babe. I’m here for you.”
I knew that. It was one of the reasons I loved Sasha so much. “You know you’re my ride-or-die bitch.”
“Damn straight.”
She ended the call, and I shivered, rubbing my hands together for warmth. The temperature dropped fast once the sun set this evening. I had a feeling we were in for a harsh winter. Headlights appeared on the road, and then drove past my car, zooming down the infamous stretch of road toward Las Vegas.
It was nearly ten minutes later when I saw the next vehicle, and I opened the door as the truck slowed down, facing my direction as the high beams clicked on. Blinded, I squinted and turned my head, not the least bit amused.
“That’s not funny,” I shouted, wondering why Spook would do such a thing.
The engine revved as I gripped the door, and the truck inched forward, rocking along the deserted strip of road as it sped up, then slowed down, repeating the action several times.
Acutely aware of the fact that I was a woman alone on the side of the highway late at night, I swallowed down the fear that began to surface.
“Knock it off!” I ordered, slipping back into my car. The driver’s side door slammed shut as I reached for my sunglasses and slid them on, glaring at the truck still moving forward. The distance between us closed to only a car length or so, which ramped up my agitation.
Who the hell was messing with me? And how did they know that I was out here? Was I being followed?
This wasn’t Spook or any member of the Royal Bastards MC. I’d hung around the club members and the Crossroads enough to meet them all. They would never try to scare or intimidate me like this. I tried not to panic, hauling a couple of breaths into my lungs.
Turning the key, I hoped my ignition would start, but nothing happened. Reaching for my phone again, I was about to call Sasha back when I saw additional headlights approaching. They were coming up fast on my location. Whoever was in the truck noticed too. The lights flashed off and on a few times like a warning.
I didn’t have a hope of dodging if they surged ahead any further. The truck revved the engine one more time and then sped off, nearly clipping the front of my car as I screamed and threw up my hands, fending off thousands of pounds of metal with the silly gesture. I caught the black mask over the driver’s face as the vehicle lurched past before the pickup was gone.
Tires screeched as a black SUV pulled beside me and then skidded to a halt. The driver’s side door flung open, and I met the concerned, flustered stare of the one Royal Bastards biker who never failed to drench my panties and send my heart into palpitations. Diablo pulled me to my feet as I stood on shaky limbs. He snatched me by the shoulders and then into his embrace as my knees threatened to buckle.
“Fuck!” he growled in that low, rugged timbre I knew well. “You okay, Gina?”
“I-I think so,” I stuttered, trembling from the mixture of cold and adrenaline. My teeth chattered as he tightened his hold.
“You’re freezing.”
“It’s a little cold out,” I mumbled, snuggling into his warmth. His thick leather jacket wrapped around my body as he tucked me into his side and led the way to the SUV.
“I’ll blast the heater. Let’s get you inside first.”
I didn’t say a word as he opened the passenger door and helped me in, buckling the seatbelt as if I were helpless. Maybe that was the vibe I gave off. All I did was blink when he shut the door with a loud clang. Every delicious, hard angle of his body was illuminated as he stomped around the front.
The man oozed danger and sin and strength. Not a single inch of his skin wasn’t covered in ink from his neck to his ankles. I couldn’t see them now since they were covered in tight denim and leather, but I’d memorized every single tattoo over the summer.
He’d starred in my dreams and playtime many nights since, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was attracted to the bad boy and dangerous vibe he emitted.
Not that I would act on it.