Moth’s Flame (Vengeance Unhinged #1)

Chapter One

My footsteps echoed as the white air billowed from my mouth. I listened hard as the treeline grew thicker, lining each side of the road, bringing the shadows closer. The moon was bright above, full and white, taunting me for being out in the middle of the night, running away.

He was out there, somewhere. No doubt following my scent like some crazy fucking psycho. Not that he had any magical powers or anything, I didn’t believe in magic... although I often wished I was a witch so I could smite my ex's arse.?

The cold air rushed over me as the leaves danced on the road, creating a whooshing sound that had me snapping my gaze over my shoulder. Had he followed me from the bar? I'd left out the back of the bar as quickly as I could when I'd spotted him outside, watching me from the other side of the road.?

A streetlamp appeared ahead, and I hurried towards it, grateful to see a bridge. I'd taken a route that my ex barely knew, avoiding the main streets in order to lose him. After sneaking out of the bar, I’d gone in the opposite direction to what he'd expect.?

I hugged myself as I came close to the bridge, fighting the tears that pinched at my eyes. The bridge was small, topped with metal railings that lined up to the trees on the other side. Scanning my gaze to the end, I froze.?

A shadow of a motorbike was pulled up on the pavement, next to the railings. Another shadow was moving towards them, reaching up and hauling itself towards the top.?

“Stop!” I screamed, breaking into a run.?

The figure paused, its helmeted head looking over its shoulder. My footsteps were loud on the concrete road as I ran, my breath caught in my throat.

“Please,” I called as I neared them. “Don’t do it!”

The person clung to the top of the railings, watching me with his boots planted against the concrete of the bridge wall.

Coming to a stop when I reached him, – I could now see that it was a him with his broad shoulders and extremely long legs – I held up a hand.

“I know how it feels to lose someone this way.” Panting, I put my hands on my hips. “So, I can’t let you to do it.”

My insides quivered from the rush of emotions that pulled on me and the shake of my voice was evident. The man released the railings, landing swiftly on his feet. He stood staring down, through the railings at the train tracks below.

Tears threatened as he stayed silent, clearly still contemplating. I wrapped my arms around my waist and checked behind me, just in case my ex had somehow followed.

“M-my brother,” I stuttered, trying to swallow the lump that came to my throat. “He took his life two years ago.”

I wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea to confide in the stranger who clearly needed professional help, but his lack of communication freaked me out.

After a few seconds, he turned from the bridge to face me. “I’m sorry,” he rasped, his deep deep voice dripping into my ear. “No one was meant to see me.”

His leathers creaked as he moved towards his bike.

“Wait!” My snapped word echoed between us and he stopped, looking at me sideways.

His helmet was black with a… “Is that a moth on your helmet?”

The intricacy of the insect was so delicate, it instantly caught my eye. When he faced his bike again, a sigh escaping his lips, I spotted the same patterned tattoo on the side of his neck.

“My nickname is Moth.” His voice was sharp, threatening.

Okay, so talking about the insect and his nickname was obviously a no-go zone. Would he talk to me about anything? I didn’t want him to just leave and find another bridge. I had to try and help him realise that life was worth living.

My eyes stung as I remembered my brother’s fight, followed by my own. It was easy for me to lie to him, to pretend that life was hunky fucking dory, but would he actually believe me?

“Do I need to call someone for you?” I asked, checking over my shoulder again.

A shudder moved me and caught his eye. He stepped back towards me, his helmet facing me completely. There was something creepy about not being able to see his eyes. My ex was scary, and although I was in the dark with a complete stranger, I still felt safer here.

Shaking his head, the man squared his shoulders. “No. I’m fine.”

“Fine?” A snort flew from me and he stepped forward.

I instantly covered my mouth and jumped back, my fight or flight mode on full alert. Okay, Alia, don’t piss off the biker stranger.

“I won’t hurt you,” he said, keeping his stance neutral. “I promise. However, I need to go now… and I need you to forget about me.”

My stomach rolled and I moved towards him. “Please, I can’t just let you go. I let my brother go. He… he promised me he’d be okay, and he… he…”

“It’s okay.” He came closer, but kept his arms at his side, looking down at me. “I really won’t do anything. You’ve clearly bumped into me for a fucking reason.”

His words were caustic as he bit them through his teeth. Okay, he was pissed. Maybe there was a way I could make him see through the darkness that had brought him to the bridge.

“Why are you out here?” he asked when I didn’t reply.

Looking up at the visor of his helmet, I squinted, trying to see his eyes. It was almost impossible, except for a very fine outline.

A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that we were still alone. Good, at least my stalker hadn’t caught up with me. Yet.

“You’re afraid of something.” He still stood close, his body completely frozen.

Licking my lips, I nodded and hugged myself harder. My measly jacket barely covered my arms, let alone gave me any warmth. “My ex has been stalking me for the past two months. I don’t know how to get rid of him and… why am I telling you that?”

His chest rose as he inhaled a breath, his helmet lifting to look over my head. The mere height of him was enough to drown out the light from the streetlamp ahead, casting us both in shadows. I should’ve been afraid, so why wasn’t I?

“Did he follow you tonight?” His gruff voice was similar to Geralt from the Witcher and I had to stifle a shudder every time he spoke.

I followed the direction of his gaze, searching the trees and the road behind us. “I don’t think so. I escaped out of the back of the bar when I saw him watching me from outside.”

An angry snort sounded from him and I looked up, shrinking when his hands balled into fists at his sides. He spun away from me and went to his bike, picking something up from the seat.

“Here.” He returned to me and handed me a leather jacket. “This will keep you warm as you walk home.”

Once I’d taken it, he turned again, hurrying away. I stared at the jacket, blinking to try and comprehend what was happening. When he flung a leg over his bike, he caught my attention again.

“Wait!” I ran to him, standing in front of his bike as he reached for the ignition. “I can’t just let you go.”

He held the handlebars with one hand while flicking up his visor with the other. Dark brown eyes with a golden rim stared at me. My heart thumped in my chest and I swallowed, unable to tear my gaze away from him.

“I’m a man of my word.” His tone was clipped, irritated. “I won’t cause myself any harm.”

Searching his gaze, I clung to the leather jacket absently. “You deserve happiness,” I whispered, wishing my brother had been able to read the words I’d messaged him before he’d left me.

His eyes closed slowly before snapping open. “Now, get home.”

Turning his ignition on, he revved the engine. The loud noise rumbled through me and I jumped out of the way. A light suddenly illuminated my biker and I spun, squeaking when my ex’s car came to a stop on the edge of the bridge. What the fuck?

Moth turned his bike and I froze, terrified of what my ex would do now that he’d seen me talking to another man. My insides were like jelly and I knew, with chilling certainty, that tonight would be my last.

“Get on!” Moth shouted, bringing the rear of his bike closer to me. “And hold fucking tight.”

Clinging to the jacket, I slung myself onto the back of the bike, instinct taking over. My free arm slipped around Moth’s waist and I held on for dear life, screaming when he took off, the bike blasting away from my ex and quickly disappearing down the tree-lined road.

Wind whipped my hair around my head and I couldn’t see. Instead, I buried my face into Moth’s back, shivering from the arctic air that was going to freeze me to death, right on the back of the bike. Moth would have to peel me off him, like a layer of ice.

I had no idea if Brandon was following us, but I wasn’t able to turn to look. If he was fast enough to catch up to us, he would run us off the road. And as fucking hard as life had been recently, I didn’t want to die. Not tonight.

A few minutes went by and the trees started to give way to houses. We entered town and drove straight through, no doubt caught on CCTV, speeding up a storm. I chanced a glance behind us, melting into Moth’s back when the coast was clear.

“We were too fast for him,” Moth called over his shoulder.

I hugged closer to him, drawing strength from the smell of his leathers and an aftershave that I recognised but couldn’t place. Although he didn’t shrug me off, he went rigid and pulled on the accelerator, taking us to the other side of town and straight to my old street. Wait, what?

As soon as we came to a stop outside my parent’s house, I slipped off the bike. “How do you know this place?”

Coming to the side of the bike, I tried to get him to look at me. His visor was down again, and instead of answering, he shrugged.

Reaching out, I gripped his arm. “You better not be a stalker too!”

“You’re safe home now.” Moth’s helmet turned towards me. “That’s all that matters.”

I shook my head and squeezed his padded arm. “No, you matter.”

“I appreciate your sentiment,” he said, his deep voice flat, “but it’s superficial. You saved me tonight, so I saved you right back. We’re equal.”

He went to pull away from me, but I surged forward and put my hands on each side of his helmet. Although I couldn’t see his eyes, I still tried to stare into them. “I run the independent bookshop in town. If you want… anything…”

He shook his head, so I had to let go. “Goodbye, sweetheart.”

As he started to turn his bike, I took out a card from my pocket and slipped it into his. He didn’t flinch or even look back, instead just starting up the bike and whizzing away, leaving me to hug myself – with his jacket.

I went to shout out, but it was too late, he was gone. The wind had died down and the cool air still froze my skin, but embers, deep down, somewhere in the pit of my stomach, lit.

My biker in shining leathers was gone, but hopefully, somehow, I’d find him again.