Chapter 14
Caitlyn, her hair damp with sweat that clung to her temples in tendrils, struggled to balance an orange cone precariously on the stack.
A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek, leaving a cool trail contrasting with the warmth spreading through her chest. It wasn’t just the exertion of teaching motorcycle safety all day. It was the man standing beside her.
Daniel’s gaze was unwavering. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, a playful glint that mirrored the butterflies erupting in Caitlyn’s stomach.
Caitlyn forced a smile as she grabbed the remaining cones.
Turning toward the storage shed, a strong hand brushed against hers as Daniel reached out.
His fingers skimmed along hers, sending a spark against her skin.
Caitlyn flustered, quickly pulled back, shoving the cones into his waiting arms.
“Hey,” he said, his voice laced with a casual ease that sent a tremor through her. “Let me take those.”
Caitlyn hesitated but allowed him to take the cones from her. “You did great with the guy who missed the turn twice. I wouldn’t have gotten him to follow directions without your patience.”
“I’ve had some practice over the years dealing with troublesome people,” he said.
“Really?” Caitlyn’s curiosity peaked. “What did you do before coming here?”
“Security,” Daniel said, lifting the cones with ease. “Let me take you and Owen away from this for a bit.” Caitlyn mulled it over for a minute. It was such a bad idea, but… “Owen would love that,” she admitted. “I work tonight, and Owen will be at Grace Meadows with Sammy.”
“You’re a good mom, Caitlyn,” Daniel said, his gaze softening. Her smile faltered. She hadn’t expected the compliment. The reminder of Owen, why she couldn’t get close to someone like Daniel, hung heavy in the air. “Monday?”
But before she could respond, Daniel reached out, his thumb brushing away a stray strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail and tickled her cheek. The sensation of his touch lingered on her skin, like a spark igniting a bonfire within her.
Caitlyn held her breath. Her attraction to Daniel, this yearning for life without fear, threatened to consume her. The weight of Silas’s demands, the potential consequences for her and Owen, threatened to suffocate her.
“You seem…tense,” Daniel murmured, his voice a husky whisper. His eyes, the color of the sky on a clear sunny day, so blue and vivid, searched her face. “I promise to make it fun.”
Suddenly, a glint of chrome caught her eye from the far end of the deserted parking lot.
A black motorcycle with blue flames across the tank approached the church’s parking lot.
Panic flooded her veins. It was Pops’ Harley.
It couldn’t be a coincidence. The man astride the bike wasn’t her father. His build didn’t match.
Caitlyn couldn’t tear her eyes away from the approaching motorcycle. Her gaze darted around the practice range, searching for a hiding place, any place that wouldn’t give them away. Daniel stood beside her, his presence a comfort even as it amplified her terror.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, his voice laced with concern as he leaned closer.
“It’s nothing,” she said as the unmistakable roar of Pops’ motorcycle engine filled the air. Caitlyn wrapped her arms around her waist. Seriously, Pops? You let Silas take your motorcycle? How did he know where she’d hidden the key?
The engine roar grew closer, each rumble a hammer blow to her already fragile composure. “I…I think I left something back at the shed,” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
“Go on,” Daniel said, seemingly oblivious to the urgency in her voice. “I’ll finish up here and bring these to the shed.”
The calmness in his voice spiked her growing panic. “No,” Caitlyn blurted, the word escaping her lips before she could stop it.
His smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. This wasn’t the time to explain.
“I don’t want to hold you up,” she said, forcing a lightness that felt hollow. “I can finish here.”
Daniel’s smile faltered slightly, replaced by a hint of confusion. “Hey, we’re partners, right? I am not about to leave you with all this.”
Caitlyn wanted to scream. With every second passing, the motorcycle roar got closer. She needed to get Daniel to leave. Why did he have to be one of those guys who always wanted to help and think of others before himself?
“I, uh…” She kept her focus on the motorcycle, turning into the parking lot.
Daniel followed her gaze. “Maybe you should be the one to let me handle this.”
Caitlyn’s heart swelled. Daniel played video games online with Owen for the past week. He didn’t have to do that, nor did he have to stay and face Silas. Caitlyn shook her head.
“No. Go. Please.” Caitlyn chewed on her lip the closer the motorcycle drove toward them. “I can handle this.”
“Caitlyn, I’m not leaving you alone.”
Her gaze went back to the motorcycle. “It’s better if you do.”
Daniel gave a long look toward the approaching motorcycle. He brushed his fingers against hers, a lingering touch that quickened her heartbeat. “If that’s what you want, but I’m holding you to it.”
Spending time with Daniel outside the confines of working on the range was exhilarating, but terrifying. Right now, she needed him to leave if that were ever to happen.
“Take the back way out of the parking lot,” she pleaded. What was Silas doing here? A few Ghost Riders showed up for the morning session. What did they tell him?
Daniel’s eyes narrowed, and he pressed his lips together. A muscle in his jaw jumped. “I can stay.”
“I can take care of myself. Please. Leave. I don’t need more trouble, okay?”
“Did I say I didn’t like this?”
“Yes.” She chewed on her lip, glancing between the approaching motorcycle and Daniel.
“I’ll be across the street at the ice cream place if you need me.” He strode to his motorcycle, and Caitlyn turned her back, watching as Silas approached. A few moments later, she heard Daniel pull away on his Rebel.
God, why did her life have to keep getting more complicated?
As Caitlyn reached the shed, relief washed over her, mixed with a sliver of guilt and excitement for the unexpected date.
But the sight of Silas riding on Pops’ motorcycle quickly overshadowed the excitement.
Silas finding out about her seeing Daniel outside of work sent a jolt of fear through her.
What was she thinking, giving Daniel hope of something more when she’d put a target on his back for Silas’s wrath?
Peeking out the shed door, she watched Daniel pull out of the church parking lot.
The relief was short-lived. Silas drove toward her and stopped close to the shed.
Stepping out and leaning against it, the tingles of excitement from earlier vanished, replaced by the heavy dread settling in the pit of her stomach. “What are you doing here, Silas?”
“Are you going to spread those cones for me, Kitty Cat?” Silas snickered.
Her eyelids fluttered with annoyance. Two more motorcycles pulled into the parking lot. Blue and Grover drove in figure eight formation around the parking lines on the asphalt.
Ignoring them, she finished locking up and moved toward her motorcycle with practiced calm.
Silas dismounted his motorcycle, rolling back his shoulders and blocking her path. “It was a good move taking the kid to your friend’s place. You find out anything?”
“You could have asked me that at the house,” Caitlyn said, wanting to put distance between them. He knew where Owen was. Of course, Owen would tell Pops. Her father no longer had a spine, and Silas’s threats kept her from voicing any concerns to her father.
Silas shrugged, his eyes glinting with a predatory gleam. “What can I say? I wanted to meet the new guy my woman works with and check out where she works.”
“You just missed him,” Caitlyn stepped around him, her jeans pockets feeling too tight as she tried to fish her key out.
Silas tilted his head and watched her. “What do you say we go have some ice cream? It doesn’t look like he went far.”
“Leave him be, Silas,” Caitlyn said, refusing to look in the ice cream shop’s direction. “We work together. Nothing more.” She grabbed her helmet and pulled her ponytail down low to accommodate it.
“That’s right, Kitty Cat. Nothing more. Because you’re mine, and you’ll get me that information.”
“I’m working on it.”
Silas grabbed her by the jacket. Despite the heat, she’d been wearing it all day for demonstrations. “Work harder. Maybe you should focus on hanging out with that friend of yours instead of playing teacher. Time is ticking. You don’t want to keep me waiting much longer.”
He yanked her closer, and the visor of Caitlyn’s helmet fell. His gaze fell to her lips. “I think I’ll get me some ice cream after all.”
A chill swept over Caitlyn. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll get you what you want.” Her voice wavered, despite her effort to put up a strong front.
“That’s my girl. Protect the innocent no matter the cost. I know you’ll get me that information because if I come across it from another source… the deal is off, and you’ll be next on my list, sweetheart.”
A relentless buzz ripped through Caitlyn’s sleep like a buzz saw.
Disoriented, she blinked at the unfamiliar shaft of sunlight slicing through the blinds.
A quick glance confirmed it. She’d slept way past a decent hour.
Shame washed over her, laced with guilt.
She promised to take Owen to the video game store and to get a new pair of boots to work at Grace Meadows with Sammy.
Last night, after getting home from La Rosa’s, she cleaned the pile of dishes in the sink and moved on to the rest of the kitchen. By the time she finished, it was well past three a.m.
The whirring sound continued to drift through the window. It wasn’t the usual morning symphony of birdsong. It was mechanical, rhythmic, and…in her backyard?