Kade

What the fuck? They’d picked a woman, traveling alone, who looked like she did? Harlow had no idea that there was a stash of .38s and ammo in her truck. They must be nestled in there pretty good because she didn’t seem to have a clue.

I was supposed to be following her from a distance. She was supposed to have no idea about me either.

But I’d fucked that up on accident once, before I knew she was the driver, and now again on purpose.

I’d seen her pull off and I had intended to keep my distance. But I knew it sure as hell wasn’t a coincidence that a Devil’s Hawk was coming on to her in the truck lot.

By now they’d figured out their shipment had been intercepted. By now they’d figured out it was probably The Dark Saints that did it.

And at least the fucker who accosted Harlow knew she was likely the method of transport. I had no answer for how they’d figured out where we’d stashed the guns.

I had a lot to work out but I knew one thing: this was fucked up, completely.

I was going to have to stay close to this woman and her cargo. I liked staying close to her but the idea that she was in danger from every angle had me sick to my stomach. I wanted to protect her.

She handled the rig well, I admired that, but everything else about her looked wide-eyed and trusting. From her hippie hair bandana to dog loving t-shirt. She had no idea about the crap she was in the middle of, somehow.

I cursed under my breath at Bear. This was his idea. He put this woman in the crosshairs. I’d fucking punch him in the face next time I saw him.

I had expected Harlow to stay on the highway, stick to whatever her route was, but she flicked on a blinker and I followed her down the off-ramp. She was taking a back road. She was improvising. Good girl.

I didn’t blame her. It actually made a lot of sense. Mix it up, girl. At least that would make it tougher for whoever might be on her tail.

Harlow was no dummy. I had a totally undeserved sense of pride in her. Jesus, all because she had a cute ass, and a cute face, and, yeah, I was thinking with my dick. Not a good plan.

Our speeds were lower on the country roads. I constantly scanned behind us, and it looked like the payoff was that she was moving this big rig without a lot of prying eyes. That was good. At least that would help me get this shit accomplished – if we avoided Hawks, and cops, from here on out.

I followed Harlow and after over an hour out in the boondocks, she pulled into a hole in the wall. It was another diner. But she was the only truck. For their mid-day lunch crowd, we were it. I took a deep breath. No one could possibly know she’d decided to stop here, at Jean and Gene’s Country Kitchen.

I watched as Harlow climbed down from the cab of her rig.

Shit, she could fill out those jeans. I killed my engine and watched her a beat longer as she unlocked the back of the truck bay. I figured the gentlemanly thing to do was help her with whatever she was working on.

I walked up and saw what she was hauling. Dogs.

A half a dozen dogs and they all wanted her attention.

She gave it.

“How many you got back there?”

“Six. I can do three or four times that but Rudy, my boss as Ruff Life, insisted we get these guys, and ladies, to their homes. So we don’t have a full manifest.”

“Gotcha.” That made sense to me, if hauling dogs made sense at all.

The rig was big and there was a lot of unused space in there. Well, space that she probably didn’t know was being used for Devil’s Hawk’s stolen guns.

I could see right away where Axle and Benz had likely stored the contraband. Hopefully, Harlow didn’t look too closely.

“Here, since you’re standing there.” Before I could protest, she thrust a leash in my hand. At the end of it were three rats.

“That’s Tookie, Buster, and Elaine. They need to be walked and I can only take three at a time. I’ll handle the big ones.”

I sniffed at that. Harlow had three wolf-sized animals and I had the rodent-sized fluff balls.

“Come on. We need to be quick,” Harlow ordered me. I tugged and the three little dogs decided against my plan. They all went in separate directions. I had a twisted braid of leashes and no hope of getting towards the green space.

I watched as Harlow expertly led the three she had. They each easily outweighed her but that didn’t seem to matter.

“That’s it Rocco, come on Chutney, good job Morty!” Harlow had a way with the animals that I did not.

“Come on. You’re making me look bad here. Let’s go.” The three dogs, forming points north, south, and west on my leash, all looked up at me and cocked their heads.

“The lady’s going to think I’m a pussy. Now let’s go.” I took a step and added a whistle and they generally headed in the direction in which I was trying to lead them. Either that or they were trying to get to Harlow. Either way, trying to keep a biker’s demeanor – cool, tough, and scary – was a fucking challenge with three cotton balls with superior attitudes running the show.

Harlow smiled at me as we got to the grassy area and then bent down to pour water in each of the thirsty mouths. She was fast, efficient, and I sensed trying she was also trying not to laugh as the runts ran in circles around me.

“Hey, hey. Do your business,” I said, as though they would take my orders.

“Look, consider yourself lucky. This can get very ugly,” Harlow said and then she gestured the number two in the air and I got her meaning. I looked at her again and realized there wasn’t an inch of her that I didn’t want to touch, and take a closer fucking look at.

I figured Benz and Axle couldn’t have seen who was driving the truck or they would have pulled the plug. Or at least they’d have warned me what I was in for; that I’d have to protect the most potent combination of cute and sexy that I’d ever seen. But again, I refused to believe they would have put this little gal in a bad spot. I knew them too well.

“You’re doing great,” she said and the corners of her lips curled up a little. I was going to stay as aloof as possible. I had no business having contact with this woman but it was what it was. At least I would try to keep my distance. I had no doubt that if I touched her again I’d have a hard time not kissing that turned up mouth.

“So, where are you headed with this, ah, shipment?”

“I’ve got to get these six lovelies to San Nonnus. I’ve got until tomorrow at ten a.m. Each one of these furever families needs to be united.”

“Fur-ever?”

“Yes, when puppy meets the adopted family. It’s magic. Each one of these dogs were on the kill list in their various shelters. That’s what we do. Save them. Give them a second chance at a happy life.”

Shit. This woman was about as pixie dust and fairy tale as I’d ever seen. She probably didn’t kill spiders and shit.

“I see. So, you plan on driving most of the night?”

“Yep, that’s the plan. Then onward across the border for a new class of rescues. It’s sort of a never-ending gig.”

“I noticed you mixed up the route here, after the little dust-up. That was smart. But you can’t go the whole way to San Nonnus that way and still make your pick-up time.” I was not happy about that fact. She would have to head back to the highway and that could mean trouble.

“I think I’m probably okay now. And I have to make up time. Plus, I’m sure that dude and his friends, what Devil’s Hawks right, have other things to do.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. But I’m headed your way. How about I just tail a while more until you get where you’re going.”

“You’re headed to San Nonnus? And I’m supposed to trust you? After my day it’s getting tough to trust anyone.” She narrowed her eyes at me, but I could still see a smile behind them. She trusted me. I only felt a little guilty about that.

“Fair point, but so far today, I’m the only man who hasn’t grabbed you and well, been a dick.”

“Fair point. You really going my way?” She looked at me through thick eyelashes, free of the black goop that most women slapped on in layers. She was so fucking sexy and didn’t know it. It was easy to see why men flocked to her. And it made my blood boil that not one had given her any respect today.

“I am.”

“Alright, Kade, then help me load these guys back up. We’re going to get moving. And, well, I thank you, but really Tookie, Buster, and Elaine thank you more.”

“Uh, what?”

“These three. They’re getting a second chance at life, remember?”

“Yes, Tookie, Buster, and Elaine. Haul ass doggies.” I walked toward her rig.

“We do need to get moving if I’m going to make the transfer on time!” she said and I admired the view as she walked in front of me. She could fill out those jeans, dammit.

And she could handle the big dogs.

But it wasn’t dogs I was worried about with her: it was hawks, a lot of angry hawks.