Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Cree rode down Main Street searching for the diner.
It was a normal little tourist town, like all the rest in the Black Hills, except it was the Christmas season.
Every building along the two-lane street was trimmed in white lights, and every storefront was decorated with Christmas trees and scenes.
In the centre of town sat not one but three large, towering trees aglow with lights.
He found the diner at the back end of the main road leading through town. Parking the bike, he took a minute to take in his surroundings. He could use a nap before they hit the open road. Montreal was a long fucking ride, and he had no idea what kind of condition Player’s sister was in.
Easing off the bike, he stretched then cracked his neck. Stepping up on the curb, he noticed the sign listing the daily specials. Food sounded great. Pulling open the door, a woman in her mid-fifties told him they were closed until five.
“I’m Joseph Running Wolf.” He saw the look on the woman’s face as she set aside the broom she was sweeping with.
“You can follow me.”
No I.D. check. Batting a thousand. “How’s she doing?”
“She hasn’t made a sound or tried to leave, if that’s what you’re asking.”
It wasn’t what he asked but fuck it. “Is there a hotel in town? I could use some sleep before hitting the road again.”
“No, but we have cabins out back for rent. They’re being cleaned. Should have one ready shortly.”
“If you have an open one, that would be great.”
“Of course. Here we are.” Alice knocked on the door. When no one answered, she tried the knob and found it locked. Digging in her pocket, she pulled out a pen knife, flipped it open, and picked the lock on the door. “Got a kid who used to lock himself in here.” She shrugged.
Cree looked past her to see a younger female asleep on the sofa. By the looks of her, they weren’t riding anywhere. “I’m gonna need a cabin for sure.” Alice walked off, leaving him to stare at Player’s sleeping sister.
Staring at the girl wouldn’t get them anywhere fast. Stepping inside the little room, he nudged her shoulder.
Kennedy came up swinging when her shoulder was touched. She winced when the movement tugged at her other shoulder. Shoving her hair back from her face, she saw a very tall, very handsome man staring down at her. “I’m Joseph Running Wolf, but call me Cree,” he said.
Closing her eyes, she felt relief for the first time since she’d left the office building two days ago. “I’m Kennedy Daily.”
“Player’s sister?” he asked to make certain.
“Who?”
Cree thought hard, trying to remember Player’s real name. “Stephen,” he corrected. Looking at the girl, he was stunned she didn’t know her brother’s road name. “Player is your brother’s road name.”
“His what?”
And that answered the question about her ever being around bikers. “He’s in a motorcycle club. He’s called Player because he . . . never mind about that. Let’s get you out of this room. I’m renting a cabin out back so we can both get some rest before getting on the road.”
“They keep catching up to me. This has been the longest I’ve gone without them catching up.”
He found that information curious. “What changed since they caught up with you last time?”
“I stopped using my credit card.”
“Hopefully, they’re off your trail for now,” he told her. Cree wouldn’t scare her, but the men looking for her could be in town waiting to spot her. It depended on how well she had covered her tracks since that last transaction.
Kennedy picked up her shoes and looked at her blistered feet.
There was no way her feet would go back into the shoes.
Standing, she tucked the shoes into her purse and attempted to walk out the room barefooted.
Without a word, she found herself scooped up by her brother’s friend and carried out. “I can walk.”
“You won’t be able to when we get outside.
” Kennedy tucked her head against his shoulder as he carried her down the hall to find Alice.
This was not what he expected when he picked up the phone earlier.
At the end of the hall, he spotted the woman in the kitchen, talking with an older man and a younger one, no doubt her family. “Alice.”
“Oh, no, is she okay?” Alice asked, coming into the hallway.
“Her feet are blistered. I’m not sure how she even walked into the restaurant. Is that cabin ready?”
“Yes, come through the back door.”
Cree made eye contact with the older man and recognized a like-mindedness. Nodding once, he followed Alice out the back door and across a dirt lane riddled with rock and gravel.
Giving Alice time to unlock and open the door, he stayed off the small porch. When she moved aside, Cree moved up the steps, thanking the woman as he took Kennedy inside.
The first thing he noticed was the size of the cabin.
He knew it would be small, but he hoped for a full-size sofa, not a chair in the corner.
After sleeping on a foam mat in a tent for the past week, he could use a real bed for a few hours.
He’d have to give the girl the bed and sleep on the floor. That’s what his bedroll was for.
Flipping on the lights, he blinked when the bright white glow illuminated the room.
The place was decorated with strings of white Christmas lights.
There was even a small tree on the tiny table.
Setting Kennedy down on the bed, he went in search of the plug.
They didn’t need the entire light show in the cabin.
Once Cree had Kennedy settled in the small cabin, he unpacked the bike.
Tossing his things on the chair, he noticed Kennedy sitting on the edge of the bed, exhausted.
“Kennedy.” When she looked up at him with light hazel eyes, he saw the dark circles that marred them.
“Why don’t you grab a shower and lie down? You need real rest.”
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
“What?”
“Everything happened so fast, I barely had time to get away.”
Her voice was barely audible. Sheer exhaustion had settled in on the poor girl. Cree dug into his back, pulling out a clean long-sleeve T-shirt. “Here. You can wear this for now.” Handing it to her, Cree rubbed his thumb across his brow. “What do you have?”
“I had a go bag, but it got left in my car when I ran from Dino and Chuckie. That was back in Provo, Utah,” she mumbled as her eyes closed. The nap in the storeroom had only made her exhaustion more prevalent.
Taking account of what Kennedy was wearing, Cree realized she would need different clothes. The knee-length skirt wouldn’t do to ride on the bike. “What size do you wear?”
Kennedy heard Cree speaking but struggled to pay attention to the words. “Sorry. What?”
“Your size? Small. Medium. Large. What size?”
“Depends on what I’m wearing.” The cabin was cold, causing her to shiver. Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she attempted to warm herself up.
“Let’s start with pajamas.” Fuck, he had no idea what she needed. He didn’t have sisters. Hell, he’d never even shopped for a female.
“Medium.”
“Size shoe?”
Kennedy didn’t understand why he needed to know her sizes. It was annoying that he was asking such personal questions. All she wanted was to go back to sleep. “Seven and a half, eight.”
“You get a shower. I’m gonna try to find you something else to wear.”
“I’m low on cash.”
“Did I ask you for money?”
Raising her head, she tucked strands of hair behind her ear. Glancing at her brother’s friend, she answered him in a defiant tone. “No.” Just because she was exhausted and scared didn’t mean she was a child, and his tone made her feel like she was being fussed at by a parent.
“Then don’t worry about it,” he snapped. Turning, he headed for the door and stopped. Turning back around, he stood staring at the girl. It wasn’t her fault he was tired and cranky. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It’s been a long day. Is there anything else you need?”
“Some medical supplies.”
That caught his attention. “Why do you need medical supplies?”
“I was shot.”
“What?” Cree moved to the bed so he could inspect the wound.
When Kennedy tried tugging off her blazer, he saw she was in pain.
“Let me help you.” Removing the jacket was the easy part—it was the blouse that was the issue.
The entire shoulder and part of the front was coated in dried blood, and the fabric was dried to the wound, creating a type of bandage. “We need to look at that wound.”
Rubbing his fist across his brow—a sign of his exhaustion taking hold—he needed to see the wound, but once they got the shirt off, it might start bleeding again. “Stay here and rest. I saw a drugstore when I rode in.”
“Okay.”
Cree left her sitting on the bed while he ran back to his bike. This was not what he expected, he repeated in his head a second time.