Jake (Demented Souls #16)

27

J ake’s eyes snapped open, and he was instantly alert. He wasn’t sure what had woken him, but something had changed. He stared up into the darkness, waiting. Would whatever had woken him happen again so he could figure it out or would he be left wondering?

He didn’t have to think about where he was, both the comfort of the bed beneath him and the warm, soft body curled into his side had told him the instant he’d awoken that he was still in Heather’s bed.

Beside him, she flinched and whimpered. Now he knew what had woken him. Something in her dream was disturbing her. He didn’t know if she was re-living a memory or simply having a bad dream, either way he didn’t like it. He hated anything disturbing her sleep this way.

Trying not to disturb her too much he rolled toward her, so his body curled around hers, hoping she’d take his presence in the comforting, protective way he intended it, then snuggled her close.

When she whimpered again, he loosened his hold around her middle, then smoothed her hair away from her face with a gentle hand before carefully stroking her cheek.

“It’s okay, Lynnie,” he murmured softly. He wasn’t trying to wake her, but hoped the words would penetrate her subconscious and sooth her. “I’m here. I’ll keep you safe.”

He continued to pet her for a couple of minutes, until she stilled, then quieted. He lay there several minutes longer, wondering what she’d been dreaming of and how he could keep her safe before drifting back to sleep himself.

J ake shifted in the saddle, rolling his shoulders, and rocking his head from side to side to stretch his muscles and keep them from getting too stiff.

“How are you doing?” he asked Heather through the headset in their helmets.

“I’m good. This isn’t too bad. Your bike is way more comfortable than Matt’s.”

He flexed his hands on the handlebars, not sure if the surge of anger was from her being on the back of another man’s bike, or comparing the two bikes. Even if the other man was her cousin, or that his bike was coming out on top. Neither should make his gut churn the way it did, but he couldn’t help it. He liked the feeling of having her on the back of his bike as much as he’d loved being in her bed last night. He didn’t even mind the ribbing the guys had given him, both yesterday, and this morning before they’d hit the road. While he might never say it out loud, he knew he deserved it because of the things he’d said to them.

Now, with her against his back, he didn’t care what they said to him, as long as they didn’t say it to Heather or make her feel bad. He’d take all the shit they wanted to give him but at the same time, he’d do his damnedest to protect her from any of it. “We’ll be stopping soon.”

“Again? Already?”

They’d only been on the bike for about ten minutes, this time. But they’d spent three hours on it so far, plus the stops they’d made at Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. They still had a good two hours home. But the next stop was for food.

“I heard your stomach rumbling as we wandered around the visitor’s center at Crazy Horse. If the café hadn’t been closed, I would have gotten you something to eat there.”

“No, I’m glad you didn’t. I’d rather have waited.”

A few minutes later they pulled into town, at Jake’s signal, Talon moved to the front of the group and led them to the main drag through town where he turned west. He’d already talked to the prospect about letting him find them parking, since he’d grown up not far from here and knew the town best. They hadn’t gone far when they encountered a row of several empty parking spaces. Talon maneuvered his bike to block traffic, not that there was anyone coming at the moment, and signaled to Jake for people to park here.

Jake backed his bike into the space closest to where Talon sat astride his bike, leaving space for the prospect to get in, then killed the engine. Heather climbed off, then he dismounted, stepping over to where Talon watched and nodding to him once everyone had backed into line, then he kept an eye on traffic while Talon parked his own bike.

Once everyone had parked and dismounted, they stood clustered on the sidewalk, just milling about.

“All right. This main drag,” Jake used one hand to motion the street they were on, but toward the east as they were close to the edge of town to the west, “is dotted with eateries, shops, and museums. I figured by the time we got this far, we’d be ready for a bite and to stretch our legs a bit. We’ll gather back here at—” he glanced at his watch, then did a bit of math in his head, making sure to give everyone plenty of time to wait for food to be prepared, then to eat, “three o’clock. You know how it works, if something changes, you can’t make the meet for whatever reason, reach out to me or Lurch. Go have fun. But not too much fun.”

He watched as several couples drifted away, then turned to Heather.

“What are you in the mood for?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it. What is there?”

“Why don’t we take a walk and look?” He motioned down the street with one hand.

“Sounds good to me.”

They hadn’t taken more than five steps before she slipped her hand into his. It felt a little odd at first. Unfamiliar. But she had reached out to him, and he wasn’t going to tell her no. Not unless he absolutely had to, and at least this time, he didn’t have to.