Chapter 9
Damien
Ev and I stand with Bran, watching the crowd grow as the top of the bluff we’re on fills with motorcycles and trucks hauling dirt bikes.
Rap music blares from someone’s speakers, mixing with the laughter, and a few feminine squeals start up when one of the guys revs their dirt bike engine, making the classic braap noise that carries on the air and reminds everyone of why we’re here.
When I scrub a hand over my jaw, Bran nudges my arm and signs, They’ll be here in five.
We haven’t talked about him inviting me over for breakfast, but he seems to have picked up on the fact that I like his cousin. Him not punching me for it while also giving me updates on her whereabouts feels a lot like he’s giving me the green light. That’s how I’m taking it anyway.
“There they are,” Ev says, and I look over in time to see the large black truck make its way through the crowd that’s gotten bigger in the last few minutes.
When I don’t see Sitka’s green bike in the back, I sign to Bran, Where is she?
He grins, like he finds me worrying very amusing. They drop her off so no one sees her with them.
I follow to where he’s pointing, and sure enough a few minutes later, I see her come up the hill and park near one of the trucks by the drop-off.
She’s completely hidden from view, face obscured by her helmet and goggles, body covered in a form-fitting black outfit and tall leather riding boots, and I’m surprised by how hot I think that is.
Her tinted visor turns to me, and she gives me the barest wiggle of her fingers to let me know she sees me.
I smile at her, and I know it’s too big for the occasion when I look over and see Bran grinning again.
How can she see with the tinted visor? I ask instead of acknowledging the look he’s giving me.
It’s not as tinted as it looks. She can see fine.
His explanation doesn’t make me feel any better. When I scan the crowd, I see the other riders watching her. Some are shaking their heads in disbelief. Others look far too intrigued by the tiny little speed demon looking completely at ease on her powerful bike. It instantly pisses me off.
“Five minutes to place bets! Ten minutes till the start of the race!” I hear Misha yell from where he’s standing in the back of his truck with Yuri and Allie.
Tyoma and Kostya are already on their bikes, pulling their helmets and gloves on.
Dima and Aleks are at the other end of the trail, watching to make sure the cops don’t show up.
“Jesus, this is insane,” Ev mutters from beside me. He leans past me so Bran can see him when he signs, Where is the trail?
They do a loop, Bran signs. It starts and ends here.
And if they fall? Ev signs, asking my biggest fear right now.
Bran shrugs. Then they die.
I feel my eyebrows shoot up at his words. What?
He grins and I’m too anxious to know what he’s signing to remember to keep my eyes on his.
I watch the fast movements of his hands instead.
She won’t fall. He snaps his fingers to get my focus back on his face.
The trail isn’t set up to kill anyone. We want to make money, not murder people.
She’s careful and she’s a good enough rider to handle this.
I nod because I know she is, but that doesn’t make my heart rate drop any lower when I hear Misha give a sharp whistle and all the bikes start lining up.
She’s swallowed up by the crowd of much larger men and bikes, but even though I can’t see her face, I can read her body language.
She’s poised and confident and defiant as hell.
The sound of engines roaring to life drowns out the music and the cheers coming from the group of onlookers.
Several women are lined up along the edge, jumping and clapping and giving the men a show that I couldn’t give two fucks about.
All my focus is on the small woman I can barely see in the crowd of men.
Misha nods his head at Allie who jumps up beside him, holding a green flag in her hand. She waves it around, clearly enjoying the hell out of her night away from home, and when Misha counts down to one, she drops the flag and the riders let loose.
It’s a frenzy of activity, too many bikes for such a narrow trail, and before they’ve even made it to the tree line, several have already been forced to fall back or risk crashing into a tree.
It’s impossible to know where Sitka is. All I can see are flashes of headlights as they peek through the forest and the loud braap of the engines getting further and further away.
She’s in there somewhere because she’s definitely not one of the stragglers who were forced to the sides.
The shouts and clapping continue from the group who have apparently decided they’re the cheerleaders of the night.
The guys who aren’t racing are watching them with interest, occasionally grabbing beers from a cooler and passing a joint between them.
I turn my attention back to the woods and see that Misha and Yuri are now surrounded by the exuberant girls.
Allie sits on the tailgate, her feet swinging to the beat of the music that now feels way too loud.
I can hear the bikes, but they still sound like they’re getting further away instead of closer.
The tension starts to eat away at me. Crossing my arms over my chest, I drum a frantic rhythm with my fingers and try not to think about some jackass cutting Sitka off and making her fall off the edge and plummet to her death.
It feels like an eternity before Bran holds his phone out to me.
He hits play showing me a video of the other side of the track.
Dima’s holding his phone so we can see the bikes as they take a steep curve to race back up the hill.
I see an orange bike with a green one right on its ass, and I laugh when I see it, knowing it’s my girl.
I feel a rush of pride, an exhilarating feeling that shocks me with how strong it is.
I’m so fucking proud of her, and when I turn my head, Bran’s watching me, studying my reaction.
Putting his phone away, he signs, Don’t let the others see how much you like her. They’re not ready for that yet.
I can’t help but sign back, Will they ever be?
Probably not, he admits. But they’ll have to be.
I’m not so sure he’s right about that last bit, but I appreciate his support so I nod and then put my focus back on the woods, wanting to catch a glimpse of her bike as soon as it rounds the last corner and breaks free of the woods.
When the engines start echoing around us again, growing louder with each passing second, the girls start screaming and cheering, but I don’t look away.
Nothing could make me tear my eyes off the end of that trail right now.
Keeping my arms crossed over my chest, I bring my hand to my chin, scratching at the stubble I need to shave and then cracking my knuckles when that’s not enough and I can’t stop fidgeting.
My body stills when I see the first flash of a headlight before several others appear.
The orange bike comes racing around the corner, but right when it looks like he’s going to win, Sitka’s green bike cuts to the inside corner and zips past him in a blur that puts her in the lead with seconds to spare.
“Holy shit!” I yell, giving a holler for her as she slows down and comes to a stop near Misha’s truck. She keeps her helmet on, and no one runs out to hug her because none of us want the others knowing who she is.
She looks so small on that bike, chest heaving with adrenaline from the intense race she just won.
I have no doubt she’s grinning from ear to ear behind that helmet.
When she looks over, I’m still smiling and laughing, completely blown away by this woman.
I’m so focused on her that it takes me a second to notice the guys who’d been drinking and getting high have started to swarm Allie.
I nudge Bran and yell for Ev, but the other riders are still finishing and racing past us, making it impossible to just run over and help her.
The crowd of onlookers have swarmed in, widening the gap between Allie and Sitka’s brothers.
I give a sharp whistle to try and get their attention, but before they can get to her, Dima appears out of nowhere and punches the asshole who’d just reached down to grab Allie’s ass.
She screams, but he doesn’t stop. He keeps punching, and when the others try to help their friend, Misha and Yuri join in.
The crowd goes crazy. The women scream and try to run away, more guys join in, and all I can think about is getting Sitka the fuck out of here.
She’s right in the middle of all this, and before I can run to her, Bran grabs my arm.
Get her out of here.
His fingers race through the signs, but I’m able to understand and when I nod, he claps me on the back before racing off to help his cousins.
“Take care of her,” Ev quickly says, jogging after Bran. He looks back at me and yells over his shoulder, “I’m gonna help them.” I catch a quick flash of his smile before I turn and race for Sitka.
She’s shorter than the guys around her, and after pushing through the crowd, I finally catch sight of her.
Still in all her gear, she’s by her bike, trying to get out of everyone’s way, but more people have joined in the fight, and when one of the bastards closest to her reaches out and grabs her arm, all I see is red.
Pushing the last few assholes out of my way, I grab the guy by the shoulder and spin him around so I can punch him in the face.
I feel his lip split beneath the force, but it’s not enough, so I keep punching.
He staggers back before throwing a wild, uncoordinated punch in the general direction of my head.
I avoid it easily and then punch him in the ribs hard enough to bring him to his knees.
When he looks up at me, I hit him one last time, knocking him back onto his ass before I turn to look at Sitka.