Page 18 of Protecting Christina

“Oh, he didn’t drive here. He rode in on his bike.”

I turned toward the parking lot and saw a row of shiny silver and black metal bikes lined up at the front.

“Which one is his?” I asked.

He threw some cashews in his mouth as he considered whether to tell me or not. I waited, hoping he’d made the right decision.

“The first one,” he said with a mouthful of chewed nuts.

“Thanks.”

I walked toward the front door, my arms swinging by my side. I pushed the door open and with my hands on my hips, I surveyed his bike.

It was a fair distance away from the other bikes. If I kicked it in the opposite direction, I should avoid hitting the other ones. I watched Sons of Anarchy. I knew how protective riders were about their bikes.

Lifting my knee to my chest, I slammed my foot down against Simon’s front tire.

The bike teetered but didn’t fall. I kicked it again, harder this time, and the bike crashed down to the ground. Unfortunately, the back tire slid sideways and hit the back tire of the bike three feet away.

I rushed to hold up that bike, but it was too late. It crashed into the bike beside it, and then that one crashed into the next bike.

It was like a domino effect, and I was helpless to stop it. I just stood there and watched as motorcycle after motorcycle crashed into the next. It was horrifying and fascinating at the same time.

But when the front door of the pool hall flew open and ten angry bikers came out, there was nothing fascinating about it.

It was one of the scariest things I’d ever seen.

Ten red and angry faces turned to me, and I gulped.

“Oh, shit.”

5

Will

My feet pounded on the pavement while sweat dripped down my back. Yesterday’s events ran through my mind as I jogged on a path in Central Park.

I’d followed Tina’s boyfriend to a strip club and lost him when he went inside the backroom. He stayed there for thirty minutes and left with a package in his hands. He didn’t deliver the package, instead took it back home with him.

Without any other follow-through, I couldn’t confirm what was inside the package or if he planned to do something illegal with it. The entire expedition had been a waste of time.

Except for finding her there.

I was shocked when I ran into Christina at the club. And then I stumbled when she asked me what I was doing there. I couldn’t say I was following someone. That would bring on too many questions, and I also didn’t want to divulge that sort of information to someone I barely knew. So, I mirrored her response.

Except that made me stutter.

What did she mean by enjoying the show? I knew plenty of women who frequented strip clubs, but they usually went with other women or their boyfriends. Never alone.

She was definitely unlike any other woman I’d ever met.

As soon as I exited the park and reached my condo building across the street, my phone rang. It was Nikole.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Will. How are you?” she asked hastily.

“I’m fine,” I replied with caution. “How are you?”

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