Keyes opened up his bike, letting the familiar vibration between his thighs relax him. The worry disappeared, and the magic of the world eased him—just like it always did. With a twist of the wrist, the bike roared, leaping forward. He topped out at one hundred miles an hour. Not the max speed for this baby, not by far, but this was the speed he was most comfortable cruising. He loved this time of day or rather this time of night. No sign of the pending morning. Just him, the road, and darkness for as far as the eye could see. Welcome solitude. His time. In these few short hours of complete nightfall, Keyes was himself. Not hiding anything, but still hidden. He’d generally find someone to spend the remaining hours with. Nameless sex, the uncomplicated way to get off. No names, no questions, no complications, no judgment.
He wasn’t looking forward to the upcoming new day. For some reason, this fed bullshit didn’t feel finished. When he had called to report in, he’d learned every single club member had been involved, their businesses as well as their homes ransacked by the fed bastards. The place he shared with his old man got hit too. Clearly, the raid was about club business, and the local media had a field day breaking into regularly scheduled programming to spread their factless propaganda.
Keyes wasn’t sure his old man or the club president—the longest-serving most connected members of the club—were going to be able to stop the bullshit currently raining down on them. After posting bail for his old man, the club had a two-hour emergency meeting. No member could pinpoint where things had gone wrong. They’d been keeping their noses clean, lying low, staying out of trouble. With all the attention from that new dumbass district attorney, they’d had to. Today’s raid had been a complete and unwarranted surprise. All Keyes knew for sure was that every known bank account owned by a club member had been frozen and a lot of property seized.
With anxiety needling its way back into his peaceful moment, Keyes did something he hadn’t done in years, he sat back and popped the clutch, bringing his front wheel off the ground, executing the perfect wheelie. The exhilarating rush of abandon never got old. He held himself balanced on one tire until he spotted the brake lights of what appeared to be a sports car in the distance. Surprised something so nice was on this vacant backroad in far South Dallas, Keyes dropped the wheel to the pavement and increased the speed to catch the classy ride.
The closer he got, the wider his grin grew. A badass Ferrari. Man, he’d always had a hard-on for fast things. That vehicle on this road at this time of night didn’t make any sense. Keyes tightened his grip on the throttle, preparing to goad the driver into a race. Keyes tucked himself against the tank as he started to pass. He revved the throttle and drove alongside the slower moving car, hoping to get the driver’s attention. Instead, the sports car swerved into his lane, pushing him into the side of the road. Keyes fought to keep the bike upright on the loose gravel before guiding his wheels back to the main road.
Keyes looked up just in time to see a couple of wood planks, probably two-by-fours, lying across the road ahead of them. His gaze dropped to his side mirror the moment he heard the distinctive pop of expensive tires finding nails on those boards. He immediately reduced his speed, coming to a crawl while watching the sleek car manage the obstacle then glide gracefully off the main road. Luckily, whoever was behind the wheel knew what they were doing. With remarkable skill, the car managed to stay upright and skirt the ditch just feet from the pavement.
Keyes executed a quick U-turn and drove back to the sports car, parking in front of it. He lowered the kickstand, pulled his helmet off before walking toward the car. The door pushed open wide, and a man eased himself out of the vehicle. Keyes quickly scanned the man, looking for injuries.
“You all right?” Keyes asked. He was prepared for a burst of anger, something that made this Keyes’s fault. Instead, he got a tall, handsome, well put together man in tight-fitting slacks and a dress shirt that looked tailor-made for his body and fit like a motherfucking glove. Holy shit. He’d thought that car was a sweet ride, but fuck, the man driving it—now, that was a sweet piece of ass.
Keyes quickly averted his gaze, before letting himself get carried away with the sudden porn-filled fantasies. He couldn’t risk letting his dick lead him into temptation. The guy was most likely straight anyway. Keyes bypassed the driver, bent his head to peer inside the vehicle and discovered someone sitting in the passenger seat. Neither occupant seemed to have any visible injuries.
“Yeah, how about you?”
Keyes turned back to the driver. That deep voice held a rich timbre that drew Keyes in. This time his dick overrode his earlier declaration and took notice of both the man and the voice, plumping in his snug leathers.
“I didn’t see those boards in the road until you were passing.”
“Me either,” Keyes admitted, reaching for one of the two-by-fours that lay partially on the road and close to the hood of the car. He tossed that board into the ditch before going for the others still littering the road. “You’ve got a flat on this side.”
“Yeah, in the back too.”
Keyes went around the hood, confirming the back-passenger side wheel had indeed blown. Both damaged beyond repair.
“You haven’t confirmed that you’re all right.”
A little impressed with the show of concern, Keyes continued to ignore the question and walked the length of the car, looking for any other possible damage. The best Keyes could tell, the only real problems were the two destroyed tires. Remarkable for such a low riding vehicle. “Damn.”
“Pretty much sums it up,” the driver responded.
Keyes risked a glance over at the guy, certain he had misinterpreted his expletive based on the frown marring his handsome face. Keyes tightened his lips. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to comment on such superior driving skill.
“I have a spare that would work, but not two.”
“Alec, it’s really creepy out here. I’d like to get back home. You know what happens if I don’t get my sleep. I’ll have bags under my eyes tomorrow.”
Keyes looked up and saw a man sticking his head out of the lowered passenger window. The inflection in his voice was far more displeased than the driver’s and carried a distinct annoying whine. The guy was pretty, in a short, tight, classic pretty-boy kind of way. Far different than this guy named Alec. Keyes’s gaze traveled right back to Alec, who completely ignored his passenger’s request as he worked his phone.
The screen illuminated Alec’s face, and even though Keyes wasn’t religious, he swore he heard the angels sing in that moment… The sight stole Keyes’s breath. He came to a stop directly in front of the tempting driver. Resting both hands on his hips, he got lost just looking at this beautiful man. Keyes opened his mouth to speak. He could absolutely take care of this problem, but the words didn’t come. Instead, he stayed mesmerized by the most gorgeous guy he’d ever seen.
“I have roadside assistance. I just have to remember which app to use.”
Keyes almost lost his bad boy composure when Alec distractedly glanced up from his phone and winked at him. Hold it together, Keyes. He finally got his head to stop spinning and all the cheesy porn music to quit playing on continuous loop in the background. Alec probably just had a twitch. Why would the guy be flirting with him? On the off chance Alec happened to be gay, Keyes obviously wasn’t his type if the passenger were anything to go by. There was nothing refined or delicate about Keyes.
Even with the neurons misfiring in Keyes’s brain, he managed to clear his throat and lower his gaze to the grass to help find some fucking perspective. “Where you headed?” Wait. That wasn’t the statement he’d planned to make.
“I live in McKinney. He lives in the Uptown area of Dallas,” Alec answered, reading the screen as he cocked his head toward his put out passenger.
“What’re you doin’ out here?” Keyes asked. McKinney was a long way from the current location and as different as two places could possibly be.
Alec gave a humorless laugh while briefly lifting his gaze from the screen. Curious light eyes pinned Keyes in place. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen eyes that color. Keyes’s mouth watered, and his cock plumped, homing in on exactly what it wanted. “Google Maps said this was a detour. Hang on.” Alec lifted the phone to his ear. Keyes could hear a faint sound of a voice on the other end. “I’m on some side road in maybe South Dallas, perhaps even North Ellis County. Can you find my location?”
“Listen, I can take care of this. I own a tire shop that’s about fifteen minutes from here.” For the first time since the car had spun off the road, Alec truly looked at him. Their gazes connected for one maybe two heartbeats before Alec’s brow wrinkled and his eyes lowered. Keyes felt the weight of Alec’s stare as his eyes blatantly roamed the length of Keyes’s body. Not only did his dick stand at attention but the damn thing attempted to parade down Main Street waving a rainbow-colored flag. A range of expressions crossed Alec’s handsome face until the hand holding the phone lowered and those extraordinary eyes were back on his. Had the guy noticed the impromptu party taking place in his pants? Keyes shifted his weight to his other foot.
“I’m Alec Pierce.” He moved the phone and extended his hand, giving no clue how he felt about Keyes’s offer. With the knowledge that touching this man in any way was terrible idea, Keyes paused before extending his own hand. Every nerve ending in his body ignited at the simple touch. The eagerness in his pants grew past epic proportions. Keyes’s skin warmed and his breathing became harder to control as he tightened his grip and looked deeper into the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen. Eyes that seemed to hold curiosity with no hint of judgment lurking in their depths.
The voice, along with the name Alec Pierce, sounded familiar. Maybe a local celebrity? No. He’d have definitely remembered seeing this guy before. Based on the car and the clothes, he had to be someone, like maybe an international celebrity of some kind. He held an air of distinction, even in such an odd situation. Alec wasn’t rattled, and if he had any qualms about shaking hands with an obvious biker, he hid it well. Hell, he’d been the one to offer his hand first. That action alone said more about the man than any words ever could.
Oh hell, the handshake continued. It was like neither one was willing to be the first to release the other.
“You know I’m here, right?” The passenger sounded irritated as hell, and Alec seemed not to care, not looking away when Keyes pulled his hand free, releasing the extended handshake. The car door slammed shut. Keyes heard the crunching of grass underfoot as the passenger stalked toward them. “Seriously? We almost died, and you’re hitting on the biker responsible for this mess?” And there was the anger he’d been expecting. Keyes’s brows snapped together as he stared at the smaller, but obviously not frailer, spitfire now standing between them, facing off with Keyes, his hands perched dramatically on his hips, giving off waves of intense aggravation.
“I didn’t put those boards in the road,” Keyes countered just as angrily.
“If you weren’t showboating—”
Alec cut off the guy’s words by covering his mouth with the palm of his hand. “Blaine. He’s offered a way to help us faster than waiting for roadside assistance.” Alec used that same calm, authoritative tone while his gaze lingered on Keyes—intense light-colored eyes that almost made him forget about the little shit who’d interrupted them. This Blaine acted exactly like the kind of douchebag who usually owned these flashy cars. Luckily, it broke the spell tethering Keyes to Alec. His frustration spiked. Instead of sticking around to hear anything more, Keyes took a step back while unzipping his jacket and reaching for his cell phone.
“Dammit,” he muttered, remembering the feds still had his phone. Besides, most of his staff had been detained by ICE—who was he going to call to send help? “It’ll be faster if I go to the shop and get the truck. I can bring a second spare.”
“Well, seems he’s solved our problem,” Alec said, covering Blaine’s mouth again before the man could respond.
“You two okay out here alone?” Keyes asked. He started for the bike, took a couple of steps and slowed before turning back. It absolutely wasn’t the best part of town. Actually, they were on a side road, not well traveled except by just about every drug dealer he’d ever known… Hell, he shouldn’t leave them out there.
“It’s pretty deserted.” Alec’s gaze followed Keyes, lingering. The guy’s attention stayed so focused that Keyes got confused. The brief thought of Alec possibly liking what he saw switched to another even more likely thought. Maybe it was more recognition than invitation. Keyes had been all over the evening news, even making national news as the night wore on. “And late. I suspect we’ll be fine.”
“I’m not at all sure we’ll be fine, Alec,” Blaine said, sounding uncertain as he turned his incredulous stare on Alec.
Alec lifted his hand, and this time, Blaine moved away, giving a very clear disgusted sigh, tromping his way through the uncut grass, back to the car. Keyes agreed, but he saw no other real option, so he nodded. He needed to make this fifteen-minute trip in ten and get his ass back out there as quick as humanly possible. Keyes gathered the wayward strands of his long hair, preparing to shove the helmet over his head when he heard the Ferrari’s car door slam shut with a force that was hard to believe came from that smaller guy. Keyes looked over to see Alec still watching him, maybe even a few steps closer to him and his bike.
“He’s a friend. A little high-strung for his own good, but what can you do? We’ll wait. Please hurry.”
Keyes nodded. He hiked a leg over the seat, getting the weight of the bike under his thighs as he added his helmet. With a kick of his boot knocking the kickstand back in place and a twist of his wrist, he was off, speeding down the isolated road. He took one last look in the mirror and realized Alec was still standing there in the same position, watching him. For some reason, Keyes liked having those eyes on him. He shifted gears and tucked himself against the tank as he sped off toward the shop.