The sun was just beginning to rise as I sat and watched the men and women load their bikes and trucks with what we would need for the next few days. We were heading to Dallas Texas, and it was going to take almost ten hours of riding to get there. It would be a long day, but I was looking forward to it. The charity event was to start tomorrow and go for two days.

While we were there to show our support and backing for the child cancer foundation who was running the festival, the trip wasn’t entirely for that purpose. It was about making connections and following up with other clubs.

There would be other Brothers by Blood chapters there as well as other clubs who support us and some who don’t. We needed to spend the time wisely, reaffirming our connections with our brothers and sisters.

While the Brothers are one of the more prominent clubs in the country, there were still others who were larger and more powerful, and it was our job to solidify our alliances with them when opportunities like these arose.

“Hey, you ready?” I was pulled away from my thoughts by the soft, gentle sound of Skylar’s voice. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her standing by the door, a worn black backpack thrown over her shoulder.

“You got your stuff in the truck already?” I asked curiously.

She raised her eyebrows at me and gestured to the bag. “I’ve got it all here, bar a pair of shoes I threw in the truck with Skins. I can just wear it.” She turned as she tucked her arms inside the straps, the pack molding to her body and sitting snug against her, most likely designed for this purpose.

A girl that didn’t pack an entire wardrobe when she traveled?

Hard to find.

“You know we have an almost ten-hour ride, right?”

She nodded and threw me a wink as she strutted past. “Not my first rodeo, cowboy.”

I couldn’t hide my smirk and continued to stare as she headed across the club parking lot with a seductive sway in her hips that I knew wasn’t put on for show. She just had that kind of aura around her that exuded passion and beauty. Her riding leathers were so tight, I was ninety-nine percent sure she didn’t have anything on underneath them and knowing she was going to be pressed up against me for the next fucking ten hours was already feeling like both heaven and hell.

Her boots had just enough heel to hook over the pegs on my bike and ride comfortably and the thick leather jacket she wore with the club’s emblem and name across the back and down the arms, was a show of pride and loyalty.

This fucking woman.

She bounced on her tiptoes as she popped up beside Hadley who was snuggled up in the cool morning air with Leo as we waited for Op to say goodbye to his woman and kids.

I continued to watch Skylar, unable to drag my eyes away.

Her bright sparkling eyes and warm smile were enticing, to say the least. I could understand how the men in the club adored her, and not just for the sex. She had this sweetness, this magnetic personality that drew you in with its gravitational pull and refused to let you go.

“All right! Let’s get this show moving, we have places to be,” Op called as he stepped out of the clubhouse with Chelsea under his arm, pressing a lengthy kiss to her lips before making a move toward his bike.

I could imagine how hard it was, leaving his woman with their newborns, but with Sugar staying behind as well to help out, hopefully, he kept his head in the game and didn’t get distracted.

Skylar made a beeline toward me as I made a move for my bike. The boys and I who carried passengers had made a point to attach our bitch sticks to the back of our bikes yesterday, knowing it would hopefully make the ride more comfortable and mean fewer stops since the girls would have something to lean back on and be supported when they got sore or tired.

We were always required to have one but given I’d never had a bitch on the back of my bike, mine was brand new and about to get its first run.

Skylar didn’t hesitate, she grabbed the helmet I’d set on her seat and strapped it on. She placed one of her heeled boots on the peg and threw her other leg over the bike. She instantly cozied up right behind me, wiggling and adjusting herself until she felt comfortable. I held my breath, her hot breath against my ear stirring a raging demon within my belly.

My heart rate began to rise, the pressure of her against me sending flashes of memories across my vision.

 

I groaned loudly, that one simple noise causing my entire body to ache.

“Knight?” My best friend’s soft tone was enough to make my head throb. “Please tell me that groan means you’re alive.” His voice sounded strained like it was taking all the energy he had in his body just to talk.

But I couldn’t figure out what he meant.

Alive?

It took me a few moments to pry my eyes open, they felt like someone had glued them shut. I could hear the radio that was connected to my vest buzzing in my ear, the occasional voice cutting in and out, demanding a reply, pleading to know what happened and if we were okay.

Why does everyone keep asking if we’re okay?

I finally blinked, the bright, harsh desert sunlight stinging my eyes. My senses suddenly seemed more intense. The smell of smoke lingered around my nose sending urgent alerts to my brain, but it was like my brain couldn’t figure out what to do with them.

I heaved in a heavy breath, but it was strained.

The blood was rushing to my head. Was I upside down? I wiggled my body, but the seatbelt held me captive as I hung suspended in the air

Something was pressing on me, stopping my body from getting the air it needed.

“Knight, hang in there, they’re coming to get us, they’re only three minutes out,” Jamison told me, almost as if he was trying to convince himself as well. I shook my head, I needed more air, or I wasn’t going to be fine. I wiggled my body, trying to stretch my arms out but the weight that pushed down on me was heavy, and my body was suddenly very weak. “Stay fucking still!” he snapped.

No, I couldn’t breathe.

I just needed some space, I needed to make room for my lungs, I was too squashed, and they were constricted.

I knew I was panicking. I remembered being trained for this—when shit gets bad, keep your head. If you’re hurt, try to keep your heart rate down, try to stay rational and alert.

That had gone out the window. My mind was confused, it didn’t know what was going on, it just knew that it wanted to stay alive, and to do that, I needed air.

Growling loudly, I gave one final shove, and for a moment, I inhaled deeply.

In those seconds, I felt great, air filling my body, it tasted slightly smoky and dusty, but I didn’t care, I just needed to breathe. I didn’t know what had happened, where I was, what kind of state my body was in, and just how close Leo, and I had been to death.

It was short-lived, as the body of my teammate, the same body that had been laying on top of me, that I’d just shoved away like it was worthless, was suddenly lying beside me—his wide lifeless eyes staring straight through my fucking soul.

 

I snapped back into reality as Skylar slipped her arms around my waist and propped her chin on my shoulder. “Your heart is racing,” she said softly, as an observation. She was right, my heart was pounding, and I could feel the sweat that had built up across my forehead. Having someone this close to me, more often than not, triggered anxiety attacks.

It was that memory, being smothered, fighting through the daze as I tried to figure out why.

My mouth was dry as I tried to think up some kind of excuse, some reason for me to be freaking out like a teenage boy who’d just had his junk grabbed by a hooker. I could hear the sounds of bikes roaring to life around us, but my hand was frozen, unable to reach for the keys.

“Inhale,” Skylar whispered. “You need to breathe. Do it with me.”

I sat there silently as I listened to her draw in a deep breath and hold it in her lungs for a few seconds before releasing it.

My brothers were beginning to pull out of the clubhouse gates, and I was sitting there like a fucking idiot, unable to move, feeling like I might pass out soon if I didn’t do something now.

“Inhale,” she whispered in my ear, just as she drew her arms from around me. Instantly, I felt free again and sucked in a gasp of air. Skylar didn’t say anything, sitting in silence for what seemed like forever until her hands appeared again, this time settling on my hips. “I’ll try not to crowd you too much.”

Her voice was gentle, soothing and beautiful.

I should have told her not to be stupid, that I didn’t know what she was talking about. I knew it would have been pointless, though. There was no talking my way out of this one. She’d seen me on the verge of a breakdown, something only Leo and Optimus had ever witnessed.

It made me feel weak and fucking worthless.

I tried to steady my hands as I reached forward for the keys, but froze as Skylar’s fingers dug into my side. I turned my head slightly to catch her eye, and she smiled gently. “Sorry, it’s just the take-off that gives me a jolt, even though I’m expecting it, it always seems to get me.”

She looked away quickly as if she was embarrassed to admit that all the time she’d been with the club, she still was never prepared for the power that these bikes held. To be completely honest, her admission had my body settling somewhat like I didn’t want her to be scared.

I allowed myself to sink into those protective instincts that were engrained inside me, and I found myself saying, “I’ll try to take it slow.” I pulled up my bandana that would cover my face and made sure my helmet was secure before I once again reached for the keys.

“But not too slow,” I heard her say quietly with a smile in her voice before I started the motor.

I couldn’t help but smirk, glad that my face was covered so the rest of the world couldn’t see.

This fucking girl.