Claimed By The Ruthless Biker

miles after the

red growl. The next, the steering wheel stiffened under my hands, the headlight

as I slammed both palms against the

went black. The silence that f

ows. Fog crawled low over the cracked asphalt. Somewhere far off, something metal creaked in

E TO G

ATION

one had spray-

WHILE

it for three

ame out wrong. Thin.

hispered. "R

shoulder hit the window. The screen lit up with a name I

MI

mach d

't tou

inging. Then immedi

MI

ed my face back at me in pale, broken pieces. Wild brown hair. Tired eyes. A split

onger on my finger. The mar

ne buzz

, a messa

You're makin

even as a second

't run

hands, I turned

stupid second I felt like I had won. Then the w

rts, a toothbrush, cash I had taken from the emergency envelope hidden behind Da

side the bag when I opened it to c

hrown around my shoulders like he cou

I whispered to the pic

ag and stepped

ed me first. T

e road twisting downward, the trees and the faint glow of somethin

there was nothing in it worth

trap of my bag dug into my shoulder.

ty

ng, I tol

alked

han my footsteps. It had

o say I was t

e, I

w brighter as the r

d like something

diner with red stools visible through the glass. A church bell tower rising behind roo

were

were wa

y head and

ed at the far en

E

d, but the T had bu

E

Black, chrome, heavy. Some had helmets hanging from the handles. One had a

was carved into

ker

Really

through my sweater, and I remembered my dead car, my dead phon

I needed

eded

reeze outside lik

anic," I muttered. "

as I pushed

rst. Then smok

as not the kind that happens be

killing kin

ned to look at

elt had cigarette burns at the corners. Most of them were large. Some were bearded. Many were tattooed

yed low, something old and

dy s

d halfway to

e stopped

ir and red lipstick, looked me over

knew I was in

wrong

G

toward the door. "I just need a phone

solid. It was not th

at. His hand landed on the door

drawled. "Town finally

oat we

ned s

ather vest hung open over a stained shirt. A toothpick moved betwee

the stra

lea

ready? But you

I'm le

's a pretty little thing like you doing

lammed int

m, someon

e said, "Car

front of me

s your

lowed.

ened. "That a

would grab me. If I screamed, I didn't know who woul

cking tired

d again, loud

st then and it seem

ad even t

ening, I thought as f

felt it too becaus

e just then, boomin

as with a voice that was

front of me

shoulder just as a man ste