Chapter Seventeen
Given how much Jane had questioned him before, Chance was surprised by the nanny’s willingness to jump on the back of his bike without a thousand inquiries.
Was he sure he could ride a motorcycle?
Could the bike hold two people?
Chance was also surprised at the skill and speed with which she lofted herself behind him, considering she looked like she’d outmaneuvered death more than once.
He didn’t have to tell her to hold on. She wrapped her arms around his waist. But jumping on the bike was one thing; staying on it was another. “Are you injured?”
She shifted. “Um…”
Well, hell.
“No,” she finally decided.
Not like their plan would have changed much if she had been. He squinted at the approaching mob. The group stopped hesitantly, uncertain of who he was. If they were to capitalize on the confusion, they needed to leave now. “Are you going to pass out?”
“Not right now. But, definitely later.”
He snorted. “Good plan. Hang on.”
Jane tightened her arms around his waist and buried her head into his back. Another body on the bike might push the ancient thing to its limits. That’d be fine, so long as they broke through the crowd. He throttled the bike and sped straight ahead.
The group shouted and jeered, parting at the last second.
Some hands grabbed for them as they burned dead center through the crowd.
Someone fired warning shots, and Chance hoped the men on the other side of the mob would think twice before firing at them with others so close behind the bike.
If not, their ride would be a short and painful one.
Jane’s hold squeezed, and she cried, “Oh,” as hands continued to tear at them.
“You’ve got it.” They bumped and skittered through the throng of people. Then he spotted his exit. “Almost there.”
He banged a quick left, and they were free of the horde.
But the rest of the camp wasn’t empty. Chance gunned the motorbike down a row of tents.
He wanted to get closer to the fence line.
After they passed another tent, he cut around a corner.
“Shit.” Women and children and baskets littered the narrow aisle. “Move. Coming through.”
Jane shifted. Her chin rested on his shoulder, then she squeaked and ducked down again.
“Don’t worry.” He rocketed down a straightaway, angling his torso forward as though willing the bike to go faster.
It was far from a smooth ride. Even if they’d been on flat asphalt, the piece-of-shit bike would’ve vibrated and jerked.
Their ride was enough to give veteran thrill-ride seekers a run for their money.
They broke free of the sea of tents. Ahead of them, only the fence remained, reaching endlessly on either side. Chance eased off the throttle, and they stuttered to a stop. He glanced over his shoulder, and while he didn’t see anyone, he could hear the sputter and whine of kickstarting motorbikes.
Her limbs loosened. She inched from his back. “What are we doing?”
“Planning our exit.”
She shifted, glancing over her shoulder as he pulled out a pocket grenade launcher. It was locked and loaded with one charge. “Cover your ears.”
Her hands tightened around his waist. “Are you insane?”
“Probably.”
Her hands broke from his waist, and he felt her bury her face between his shoulder blades, covering her ears.
He pointed the handheld launcher at the fence. “Here goes Plan A.”
The launcher fired, spitting smoke and kicking back in his hand.
The grenade hit the base of the barrier fence.
Even with the space he’d allowed, the reverb rolled over them.
Jane screamed and cursed. He shielded his eyes from the brilliant fireball.
If the locals had any questions about where they’d gone, the large explosion would offer a pinpoint-location.
“Hang on.” The flames licked across the dry ground cover. The smoke and dust cleared. He aimed them toward the hole in the fence, ballparking that it was large enough that they could fit through. But just in case… “Duck.”
Then he barreled toward their only chance of escape.
The man was an angel. A fucking insane angel. But an angel, none the less.
There was no other explanation for Midas. He’d saved her from certain death. Jane looked over her shoulder. One by one, motorbikes slammed to a halt inside the fence. A cloud of dirt mixed with smoke and darkened the air around them like an ominous cloud.
She swallowed hard over her dry throat. If Midas hadn’t blasted through the fence, they would both have been dead by now. “Why did they stop?”
He glanced to his side. “That’s their thief-dom, and out here, we’re not worth the chase.”
“Really?” Everywhere she went, she’d been chased.
“It’s hotter than hell, and the sun’s just getting stronger. Limited resources.” They crested a small hill. He slowed as they rolled over the uneven path. “And me. I’m an unknown.”
The Unknown. A damn angel. She believed it through and through. How, in that maddening maze of tents, had he known where to find her? There could be no other explanation. He had to be a divine miracle.
Her body swayed. Maybe she was hallucinating.
Because she’d already met Midas. He wasn’t an angel. Actually, he’d been more of a pain in her ass.
“Whoa.” His hand reached back to brace her. “You okay?”
“Sure…” Then the daylight turned black.