“Abby.”
“Where you headed, honey?”
I shook my head, my eyes still hidden behind the sunglasses I wore. “I- I don’t actually know. West, I guess?” I forced a smile, trying not to think about what might still be coming after me. “Just taking a trip and hoping to get some adventures along the way.”
“Well, I’d say you tripped right into one right here.” Jackson’s eyes glinted as his hardened face cracked into a smile. “Well listen, we canspare a bit to get you down the road a little bit. There’s a little town about twenty miles further with a gas station and a diner, and motel if you’re not looking got keep driving all night.”
I shook my head, the fear and apprehension I’d had when they’d first rolled in just dropping away. “That would be amazing! You guys are life savers, thanks so much!”
Connor’s eyes’s narrowed at me, and his grin turned darker. “Rules of the road apply through honey - cash, grass, or ass.”
I froze, all the fear from earlier hitting me all at once again.
“No one rides for free.” His eyes flashed at me, the corners of his mouth curling up.
Oh, they want to get paid.
I let my breath out again, feeling my pulse race. “Oh, shit, yeah of course, I can totally pay you guys-”
The two of them broke down in laughter, snorting and clapping each other on the back.
“Don’t listen to him, honey, he’s just being a fucking asshole,” Jackson said with a cocky grin, rolling his eyes at his friend. I let out a shaky breath, feeling my knees go week as I leaned against the side of my car.
Awww shit, I’m just fuckin with you girl!” The two men chuckled deeply, weeping with laughter as I felt the blood come back into my face.
Connor grinned and shook his head. “Sorry, darlin, couldn’t resist. We’re happy to help - got a spare tank strapped to the back of mine.”
I let out a slow, heavy stream of air, feeling the blood rush back into my limbs as I watched him chuckle as he headed back to his bike.
“Sorry for my friend, he thinks he’s humorous.” Jackson arched a brow at me, those piercing blue eyes looking right into mine through the shaded I wore. Part of me felt rude not taking them off, but doing so mean showing them the black eye behind them, and I just didn’t feel like going down that route.
* * *
Ten minutes later, I was watching as Connor screwed the cap back onto my tank and shut the flap.
“It’s not much, but it should get you to town at least.”
I shook my head, biting my lip. “I can’t even thank you enough for it. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you guys hadn’t driven by.”
“Not a problem, darlin,” Jackson said with another easy smile. His eyes dipped down to my bare arm, and suddenly he frowned. I followed his look and felt my cheeks blush as I quickly tucked my arms across my chest, hiding the bruise from Joe.
“Everything okay, honey?” His honeyed voice drawled out as he looked up at me, his eyes narrowing.
“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine,” I said, nodding quickly and forcing a smile to my face.
“You sure?” Connor jaw tightened as he started to peer closer at the hair I’d let fall over the edge of my sunglasses.
“I’m fine, really,” I said quickly, taking a deep breath. “Thank you so much for the gas, honestly. I can send you money if you give me your-”
“It’s really not a problem, darlin,” Jackson said, his voice even as he glanced once more at my arm. “Town isn’t far - you should rest up there for the night.”
I nodded, chewing on my lip.
“Marge Rawlings runs the motel and the diner in town,” Connor said with a nod. “Best cup of coffee for forty miles, I swear.”
Jackson snorted. “Onlycup of coffee for forty fucking miles, but it’s a good one.”
I laughed, somehow feeling more human in that moment with the two rough strangers on the side of the road than I had in months with Joe and my life back in Vegas. My eyes ran over the two men, and I blushed as I realized that for probably the fourth time since they pulled up, I was full-on checking them out. I mean they weregorgeous, in that road-hardened, masculine way - a way that had my pulse skipping a beat and a shiver running though my body.