Kara

 

Kara held her phone with hesitation. Part of her didn’t want to message Ryder, and instead wanted to just head off on her own and put all this motorcycle-gang business behind her. She was tired of feeling unsafe, feeling like something bad might happen to her or her parents at any time.

 

She remembered that it wasn’t Ryder making her feel this way, however. If anything, Ryder’s lookouts had been putting her mind at ease.

 

This is bullshit, she thought, but no sense in complaining about it. Best I can do is just hope Ryder gets it all taken care of and I can get back to my normal life.

 

“You’re sure you want to leave so soon?” asked Kara’s mother, wrapping her arm around her daughter as she stood looking out of the living room window.

 

“So soon?” she asked. “I’ve been here for a few days.”

 

“I know, but it just feels like you’ve only been here a few hours. You don’t come up here enough to visit us, you know.”

 

“Oh, go easy on her,” said her father. “She’s a busy girl. And think of all she had to deal with to get here this time.”

 

“I know, I know,” said her mother. “But she’s still only a few hours away; she could be here every other weekend if she wanted to.”

 

“You want her to be single the rest of her life?” asked her father. “Let the girl have some independence.”

 

“It’s fine,” said Kara, hoping to head off one of her parents’ famous tiffs at the pass. “I promise to visit more, Mom and Dad.”

 

“I suppose that’ll have to do.”

 

She fired off a text to Ryder, and he responded telling her that he’d meet her at the corner near her parents’ place. Once she was ready to go she said her goodbyes to her parents and headed off. Sure enough, at the corner was Ryder, perched on his bike clad in leather, a grim expression on his face.

 

“You, um, seen anything?” asked Kara after pulling her car up to Ryder’s side.

 

“Still all clear,” he said, his voice low and gruff.

 

“Good,” said Kara. “What … what do you think the odds are that this guy’s going to leave us alone?”

 

“Us?” asked Ryder. “He might get bored with you, but not a damn chance he’s gonna stop until one of us is dead. He’s already proven how far he might go. And if he thinks he can use you to get to me, that’s what he’s gonna do.”

 

Kara felt a strange blend of emotions. On the one hand, fear tingled in the pit of her gut. On the other, just being near Ryder, knowing that he was there for her, made her feel calmer, safer. She didn’t fear him anymore like she had that first night—that was long gone.

 

“Let’s hit it,” said Ryder. “And I want to do this in one straight shot. No piss breaks unless you’re dying.”

 

“Got it,” said Kara, smiling a bit at his crude language. “No pissing.”

 

Ryder gave her a quick upward jerk of his chin as he revved his engine. Kara’s eyes drifted along the shape of his bike, and part of her wished that she was on the back of it, her head pressed against Ryder’s cool leather, his rich, manly smell flooding her senses.

 

“Let’s hit it,” said Ryder, snapping her out of her daydreaming.

 

“Yeah, uh, sure.”

 

Soon they were back on the highway. The roads had been mostly cleared since the blizzard and the ride was smooth sailing. The sky above was an even gray, and black snow from passing traffic was already beginning to accumulate on the sides of the road. Ryder stayed about six car lengths behind the whole time, and Kara found herself repeatedly checking her rearview mirror. Just seeing him there managed to put her at ease.

 

There was one scare during the ride. About halfway to Chicago, the roar of a motorcycle engine ripped through the air. Kara looked behind her and saw the approaching shape of a man on a bike. He was weaving and cutting through lanes, approaching her fast. Ryder pulled up close to her side and gave her a “hold on” gesture.

 

The man soon approached the two of them and as he passed, Kara saw that he wasn’t a tough-looking man in an MC, but a heavyset baby boomer with a long gray ponytail. He rode one of those expensive designer bikes and seemed to be out for a careless drive down the highway. He soon passed Kara and disappeared into the distance.

 

Kara sighed with relief, and Ryder gave her a thumbs-up. The crisis passed, all Kara could think about was how freaked out she would’ve been if Ryder hadn’t been there.

 

They were soon back at Kara’s apartment. She pulled in front of her building and killed the engine, Ryder parking just behind her.

 

“Thanks,” said Kara. “For the escort.”

 

“Least I could do,” said Ryder, his eyes scanning his surroundings, scouring the scene for any sign of danger.

 

A moment of silence hung in the air.

 

“Let me check your place out,” said Ryder.

 

Before Kara could respond, Ryder picked up her bag and began walking towards the double doors of the apartment. Kara hurried after him. After a quick trip up the stairs, Kara opened the door to her place.

 

“Stay here,” he said.

 

Ryder stepped into the apartment, setting down the bag as he crossed the threshold. Kara watched him carefully as he moved from room to room in her tiny apartment.

 

“Looks fine,” he said.

 

“You, um, want to stay for some coffee or something?” asked Kara, feeling she should at least extend some hospitality.

 

“Nah,” he said. “Gotta get back on the road. But you see anything out of the ordinary, you fuckin’ call me. Got it? No screwing around.”

 

“G-got it,” said Kara, put on edge by his intensity.

 

“Good. “

 

And with that, he was gone.

 

Kara stood in her apartment with the door open, allowing herself to become used to the solitude.

 

I hate to admit it, she thought, but I really want him to come back.

 

Now that she was alone, she felt helpless and scared. Kara hated the feeling—she’d always prided herself on her independence, but all it took was a little danger to make her feel like one of those damsels who couldn’t do anything without a man there to watch out for her.

 

Kara shut the apartment door and put her kettle on the burner. She knew that she needed to get back to normalcy as soon as possible, and that an evening of tea and bad TV was just the way to do it. At least, that’s what she hoped.

 

Once the tea was ready, she plopped down on the couch and flicked on the television. As she watched, however, she found herself constantly looking out of her living room window at the street outside, half-expecting to catch a glimpse of the biker who’d been after her and Ryder. But she saw nothing but passing cars and the occasional pedestrian.

 

Nighttime came on, and Kara only felt more ill at ease as the sun disappeared from the sky. She turned on all of the lights to her apartment and set the volume of the TV up loud, hoping to drown out her worried thoughts.

 

God, she considered, am I being paranoid or something? I’m jumping at freaking shadows.

 

Before too long it was time to get to bed, and Kara wasn’t looking forward to it one bit. Standing in her bedroom and taking off her clothes, she felt vulnerable and scared.

 

And as soon as she dropped her nightshirt over her head, a clattering in the alley to the side of her apartment nearly caused her to almost jump out of her skin. She stood stone-still for a moment, listening for another noise.

 

There was another clattering sounded, like someone was rummaging around in the trash cans. Kara’s heart pounded and she rushed to the living room for her phone. Once it was in her hands, she typed a message to Ryder with shaking hands.

 

Someone’s in the alley. Please come now.

 

The response was only a few moments later.

 

Be there in ten. Lock your doors and windows.

 

Kara tossed the phone onto her couch and did what he said. Once she had everything locked, she ran into the kitchen and grabbed the biggest knife she could find. Her heart raced; she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this scared.

 

Soon, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

 

“I’m here,” said Ryder, his low, steady voice already making her feel better.

 

“It’s the alley between my building and the one next to it. I heard something like a crash. I don’t know.”

 

“Just stay calm. I’ll check it out and let you know what I find.”

 

“Got it.”

 

She hung up and sat on her couch, the knife still in her hands. The next few minutes trickled by, and Kara had nightmare images in her mind of Ryder getting jumped by a pair of bikers in the alley, finishing the job they’d started when they ran him off the road during the blizzard.

 

After several long minutes, however, a knock sounded at her apartment door.

 

“Who is it?” she asked, her heart thudding in her chest.

 

“It’s me,” said Ryder.

 

A sigh of relief rushed out of Kara’s lungs.

 

“Oh, thank God,” she said.

 

“And I’ve got a guest. Hope you don’t mind.”