Vanessa
I couldn’t believe how cool I was able to play it as Cade and Bruno got ready to race. I was more nervous than I’d ever been in my whole life, even back in the basement when, for a terrible moment, I’d thought that Cade was really dead.
“It’ll be okay,” I whispered aloud, sticking my hands in my pockets and sitting down on the grass. Apparently, races between MCs were a more common way of settling scores than I’d previously thought.
There was some kind of detailed procedure beforehand that involved each MC checking out the other MC’s bike. Bruno and Dante paced around Cade’s bike, watched by Rudy, as Tyler and Boulder did the same thing to Bruno’s. The protocol made me nervous. Hell, even breathing made me nervous right now.
The men all called out something to each other as they ambled around, swaggering to the best of their masculine ideals. I sat on the grass and folded my legs, trying to think about what would happen after the race.
The idea of being turned over to the Demon Catchers was terrifying. I didn’t exactly think Cade would hand me over, but Rudy was there to enforce the rules. The way that Bruno and Dante were looking at me made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, like I was some kind of prized pig, just waiting for my rightful owner to claim me. Between the adrenaline and the anxiety rushing through my body, I started feeling like I was floating away from the situation itself, carried on the very winds that twenty minutes earlier had propelled me away from Isaac, Bruno, and Dante.
Isaac lay in the grass, moaning and rolling around. I still had his gun clutched in my hand—it was an ugly, heavy little thing. I wanted to get rid of it, but although I trusted Cade, I didn’t feel safe giving it up until the end of the race. I’d rather die than become the property of some MC scum, and with my training, I knew exactly where to shoot if I had to.
“Hey,” Rudy’s voice was low and soft behind me. “Chill out, okay? It’ll be a short race.”
I sighed and bit my lip. I was still intimidated by him, this giant man who had driven Cade and me apart the first time. But I could sense that something small had changed about him. His demeanor wasn’t quite so rude as it had been the first time that we’d met. Or the second, or the third.
“I know,” I said softly. I tried to force a nervous chuckle from my mouth. “It’s just a lot, you know?”
Rudy nodded. “Cade’s a good racer,” he said confidently. “I’m not worried.” He sat down next to me on the grass with a blade of grass between his lips. “Look, they’re starting.”
My stomach lurched as I looked up and saw Cade and Bruno mounting their bikes. Compared to Cade’s, Bruno’s looked fierce. He had a big fader on the front of his bike and giant metal saddlebags strapped to the back. It almost looked more like a car without doors than a bike. Cade’s bike was classic American muscle, all shiny black metal and chrome. It made my panties slightly wet to see the way Cade straddled it and eased up to the starting line.
Rudy stood up. “Excuse me,” he said. I couldn’t resist a smile—it was the most charming thing I’d ever seen him do. He swaggered over to the guys and stood between them. “On your mark, get set, go!”
They were off with a roar and a cloud of dust. From what I understood, they were going on a Demon Catcher course around the property. That alone made me nervous—Cade wasn’t familiar with this area of town, much less the Demon Catchers hideout. If Bruno knew the course, he’d have the advantage.
A powerful wave of nausea struck me as I heard the whine of bikes grow fainter and fainter. Cade and Bruno were so far away already that they just looked like tiny ants racing across the horizon. I clambered up off the grass and stuck my hands in my pockets, milling around and craning my neck to see who was in first place.
A hand on my back startled me. When I looked up, Boulder was standing there.
“Hey.”
I’d noticed he was a man of few words. I nodded in response.
“You nervous?”
I nodded again. “I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” I said quietly. “I can’t stand this.”
“Look,” Boulder said. “Those Demon shits are all bluff. They aren’t shit, and Cade’s a better rider than all of them put together. You don’t have anything to worry about, you got that?”
I swallowed nervously. “It doesn’t feel like nothing,” I said softly. “Those guys meant business.” I shuddered. “I can’t even believe that I was able to get away from Isaac.”
Boulder nodded. “Look, you’re obviously a smart chick.” He paused and wiped the sweat off his brow. It was a chilly day, but we were both sweating. “You know how this shit works. But try to relax, okay? Cade’s not gonna do anything to fuck you up. He really cares about you.”
I bit my lip and looked away. “He only wants to marry me to protect me.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, my cheeks turned red with shame. Shit! “I’m sorry,” I added softly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Boulder chuckled. He patted my shoulder, like a brother. “It’s okay,” he said again. “It’s gonna be alright. You know Cade cares about you. It’s more than just wanting to protect you,” he added. “I’ve never seen him look a girl the way he looks at you.”
The whine of the bikes had almost completely faded and the anxiety inside of me felt too big to contain. I nodded at Boulder—I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, vomit would come spilling out.
Boulder smiled again. “You’re gonna be okay,” he said. “Just try to breathe, okay? All of this will be over soon.”
Well. At least he was right about that.