CHAPTER NINETEEN
Luisa—
Shelby points at a hallway across the room, and I push through the crowd and down the length. Two women are exiting the restroom, and I shove past them in my rush and lock the door.
I heave into the toilet, and all I can think of is, what am I doing here? I need to leave. I just want to go home, but Blue is my ride.
Wiping my mouth, I splash my face with water and manage to feel better. The last thing I want to do is walk back out into the bar area, but I can’t stay in here all night.
Taking a few deep breaths, I step out the door into the hallway. Before heading toward the great room, I hear raised voices at the other end and hesitate, listening.
“Do you know what kind of damn spot you’ve put me in? Do you? Did you even stop the think about it? Goddamn it, Blue.” There’s a loud bang like something was thrown against the wall, and I hear glass shatter.
There’s a slow whistle, then another man speaks. “Don’t break the good stuff, Prez.”
“Shut up.” It’s silent for a moment. “Get the fuck out of my sight. This is Zig’s birthday party. I’ll deal with you later.”
A door opens, and I turn with a gasp and hustle down the hall. Before I make it to the end, I hear Blue’s voice.
“Luisa. Wait.”
I stop but don’t turn.
He’s on me in a second, taking my elbow. “You okay?”
“I was just in the restroom.”
“You hear all that?” He nods toward the door at the end.
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I heard more than enough today. I want to go home.”
“What’s wrong?”
I jerk out of his hold, and we face each other. “I was a bet? That’s the only reason you danced with me that night? Some crummy, stupid bet?”
His eyes slide closed for a moment. “It wasn’t like that. Once I met you, I didn’t give a damn about that bet. It was a stupid joke.”
“I want to go home,” I grind out.
“Fine. Let’s get out of here.” He grabs my hand, and even though I try to pull free, his grip is tight.
Once we’re in the main room, I don’t want to cause a scene, so I quit fighting it and let him lead me through the crowd. He doesn’t let go of me until we reach his bike, like I’m going to run or something, which is ridiculous because there’s nowhere to go.
When he drops my hand to climb on the bike, I cross my arms and throw a hip petulantly.
“Get on, babe.”
I roll my eyes, and he holds the helmet out to me.
“You were the one who wanted to go. We goin’ or not?”
Asshole.
Huffing, I climb on, and we head out without another word.
He knows I’m pissed, and I suppose he doesn’t want to argue with me where anyone could walk up and hear us.
I’m sure we’ll have it out when we stop.
He pauses before pulling onto the highway, waiting for a car to pass.
“Where’s your car?” he asks over his shoulder.
“At Carmen’s house.”
“Where’s that?”
“The southeast side of town. It’s in the country off Las Alturas Drive.”
“Where’s that?”
“It’s a frontage road that runs along the east side of the interstate. She lives off Sunny Bridge.”
“South of Tellbrook?”
“Yes.”
He heads that way, and soon we’re almost there. There’s not much around, and just before we make the turn, we hear a group of motorcycles over on the interstate.
Only about twenty yards separates the frontage road from the busy interstate.
Blue stops and watches them go past. “Motherfucking Devil Kings.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Hang on, babe.” He makes a U-turn, and suddenly we’re flying back down the frontage road heading for the cross street with an entrance ramp to the interstate.
My God, he’s chasing them down. He can’t be serious. “What are you doing?” I yell as he runs the red light and dashes across to the ramp.
He reaches back and grabs my leg, turning to yell. “Finding out once and for all where these guys are going.”
It’s all I can do to hang on tight as the bike surges forward beneath us.
He slows when there’s enough traffic between us and them, but not so far back that he loses the three motorcycles. We ride this way for miles, heading north on I25.
I’m worried about how far he’s willing to follow them.
We’re coming up on Radium Springs, and I know it’s one of the last exits before the interstate heads into the desert.
Blue curses, and at the last moment, takes the exit.
I sigh in relief.
When we slow at the top of the ramp, he turns his head. “I think they spotted us.”
“Is that why you stopped the chase?”
“I bailed because I’ve got you on the back of the bike.”
He makes a left turn on the overpass and takes the opposite entrance ramp, heading toward Las Cruces.
We ride much slower now, and my body relaxes. We’ve only gone a mile when I feel Blue tense and check his side mirror. That’s when I hear the sound of the Harleys behind us.
Twisting, I spot them coming up fast.
My heart pounds as fast as the pistons on Blue’s bike.
Blue surprises me by pulling to the shoulder and almost sliding to a stop in the loose rock.
“Get off,” he shouts, and I scramble off. I’m half terrified he’s going to leave me here, but he jumps off and pulls his gun, gesturing to a concrete culvert. “Get down and stay there.”
I do what he says, and a moment later, three bikes pull over. The three don’t dismount.
Blue stands his ground.
I can’t hear what’s said, but the Devil Kings’ laughter carries to me.
The next words I can make out.
“Tell your president we’re comin’ for his piss-ant club.”
Then they roar off down the highway.
Once they’re nothing but specks, I scramble up the embankment to Blue, slamming against his chest.
His arms come around me. “It’s over. It’s okay.”
Pushing away, I bend over and get sick on the shoulder of the interstate.
I’m mortified and feel Blue’s hand on my back, rubbing. “You okay, baby? They’re gone.” He holds the hair out of my face and passes me a bandana to wipe my mouth, then throws it in the ditch.
My stomach heaves another time, but nothing comes out. I wait a few minutes, breathing in and out until the feeling subsides.
“You okay to ride?”
“I want to go home,” I whisper.
“I’m sorry I put you in that position. I should have dropped you off before taking off after them.”
My eyes feel like they’re opening for the first time to the man I’m getting involved with and the club he’s a part of. This isn’t a game. This is real life and possibly life and death.
He strokes my cheek. “I’d never let them hurt you, Luisa.”
“There were three of them, Blue.”
“I’d have shot them all.”
He’s serious, and maybe that’s the most terrifying part of all.
*****
Blue—
Luisa gives me directions to Carmen’s, and when we pull up, a car is parked at the end of the driveway.
Before I bring the bike to a stop, Luisa squeezes my arm. “Oh, my God. That’s my cousin, Ruiz. He’s Alba’s brother.”
I shut the bike down, and we climb off.
“What are you doing here, Ruiz?” Luisa asks, pulling off her helmet and passing it to me.
This guy is tall, but older than Luisa by maybe ten years.
“My God, it’s true.” His eyes sweep over her, and he moves to grab her arm. “What are you doing? Look at you, all dressed like a slut. My sister told me, but I didn’t believe it.”
There’s no way I’m letting him manhandle her, and I shove him off. “Take your fucking hands off her.”
“You,” he spits. “A man like you isn’t fit to breathe the same air as my cousin.” He shoves me back, and I come up swinging.
I get a right hook in and a solid hit to his breadbasket before the other man he’s with jumps in. I shove him off, too.
A man comes out of the house and fires a gun in the air.
“What’s going on here?” he yells, and I can only assume it must be Carmen’s father.
Ruiz and I break apart, and he staggers back, swiping his cuff across his bloody mouth. Then he points at Luisa.
“You’re coming with me, or I’ll tell your father what you’ve been up to.”
“Go ahead,” I taunt, pushing her behind me.
Ruiz glares at Luisa. “I’m good friends with Mateo. Perhaps it’s him I need to speak with.”
“I’ll go with you. Just please don’t fight.” Tears stream down my girl’s face, and it guts me, because I’m partially to blame for it.
“Come on,” Ruiz snaps.
“She’s not going anywhere with you, motherfucker,” I bite out.
She steps in front of me, palms on my chest, and her touch immediately calms the beast in me.
“I’ll go with him. I need to go home, anyway. I’ll be fine. He’s a good man, Blue. He’s just worried about me.”
“He has nothing to worry about, Luisa.”
“He doesn’t know that. Please let me go. I’ll call you later.”
My jaw tightens because what she’s asking is a lot, and I know I’m going to give her what she wants if it kills me. I nod but make a demand of my own. “Don’t let them fill your head with bullshit, Luisa.”
“I won’t.”
I cup her cheek. “We leave for Sturgis in two days. I’ll be gone for a week. Maybe two.”
“Then I’ll see you when you get back.”
I dip my head and kiss her, then watch her walk to her car and pull out with Ruiz and his buddy following her.
A tingle moves up my spine. My biggest fear is a man I’ve never met. Mateo is the wild card in this game, and I’m afraid of what he’s capable of because I don’t know what he feels for Luisa.
I make a vow to myself.
When the club gets back from Sturgis, I aim to find out just who the fuck this guy is.