Page 10 of Make Me Unwind

“It’s fine.” I ignore his dismissal, grab the closest 10-speed, and lift the chain off the ground. “If we work together, we’ll get it done faster.” I make quick work of securing the next bicycle to the rack.

“Thank you.”

As we work on opposite sides of the metal rack, I smile at him. “You’re welcome.”

We work in silence for several moments, and then he says, “I joined the Navy the summer after high school. I loved it. It was all I’d ever wanted to do. Serving my country. Making a difference.” His fingers work briskly, twisting the chain around the tire and securing a U-lock to the frame. “And I was good at it. Damned good at it.”

My heart slams in my chest as anxiety rolls in my gut. There’s only one reason a man who loves the military, who yearns for the service to be their career, comes home.

“I conquered everything they threw at me, which caught the attention of a SEAL commander. He recruited me, and the rest is history.” The next lock snaps into place, causing me to jump. “Until the end.”

“What happened?” My hands shake so hard that I drop the U-lock I’m working with, causing it to clatter to the ground as the first droplet of rain lands on my nose and rumbles of thunder shake the ground all around us.

“Years later, I was in a convoy returning to base after a successful mission.” His eyes are dark and unreadable, as if he’s here but not. “Unfortunately, the supporters for the other side of the mission were deeply unhappy that we caught their man and used a drone missile to attack us. My truck was closest and took a direct hit to the front tire. The force of the impact rolled the vehicle and pinned me under it.”

“Shit.” My stomach lurches into my throat as rain drops down around us and the sky darkens. “I can’t imagine….” The words trail off as a crack of lightning hits on the other side of the resort. Yet I could. When I passed out, the last thing I remembered after the car hit me was excruciating pain, screaming, and the sight of my leg under a tire. Then everything was black.

“That was over a year ago. That’s my past. And I don’t have a future.” He lifts his shoulder. “Or any future I have figured out.”

The squeal of tires on the pavement yanks my attention from him. I twist my head around to find a 4x4 pickup spinning in a large arch in the parking lot.

The driver has his window down, laughing hysterically as the passenger hangs halfway out his window, banging on the rooftop. “Closer!”

All around us, rain pelts the ground as the pickup veers toward us. My mind goes still. The oversized black tires spin on the pavement. Two boys laughing. Getting closer.

“I’ve got it!” The driver slams on the brakes, causing his passenger to launch forward, only managing to remain inside the cab by clasping the window’s edge.

“Asshole!”

My eyes are frozen in place as the kid yanks open the door and halfway falls out of the pickup, snatching something off the ground. A hat. A stupid fucking hat.

Seconds later, he tosses it to the other boy who stuffs it back onto his head and they zoom past, missing me by a couple of yards, but close enough to cause loose pebbles to pelt me as the tires kick up debris.

“Piper!” A voice yells at me, but I don’t move. I can’t move. “Piper!”

My brain is frozen like I’m under one of those massive tires. My heart pounds in my chest as I try and catch my breath. Not enough air. I can’t breathe. I clutch my chest and gasp as I land with a thud on the pavement.

Chapter Six

Asher

Watching her face pale and her eyes widening in fear has my heart lodged in my throat. I know that look, probably as well as she does. The second the kid has his hand on the ballcap, I’m around the barrier between us and grasping her shoulders.

“Piper!” I shake her, but her eyes remain wide, fixated on the tires. She’s here, but she’s not. Her body and eyes are glued to the impending danger as her mind is experiencing the pain of being hit. The terror. The agony. I swallow hard over the lump in my throat as a similar vision presses down on me.

The door slams shut, and the pickup swerves toward us, kicking up debris that pelts us as the assholes don’t pay any attention to anyone but themselves. I memorize their license plate with the full intention of reading them the riot act when they return.

Anger swirls inside of me. It’s easier to be angry at them than to remember a blasting boom, screaming metal, and flames surging toward me. I grind my teeth together and force my shoulders to relax while blocking out the memories of pain. A pain that was so intense it no longer registered.

“Piper.” From my squatted position, I wrap my arms around her and pull her to my chest. “Baby, I’ve got you. You’re fine. Nothing is going to hurt you.” Her body shakes as she gasps for air. “You’re safe. I promise you that nothing is going to harm you.”

I run slow circles against her back with my hand, inhaling the scent of the sea salt and vanilla. She’s so small and fragile in my arms. Not that she’d ever want to hear me say that. This girl takes great pride in her strength. She was so young when her world was uprooted. How did the accident impact her relationships? Her friends? Her boyfriend?

My muscles tighten again as a clap of thunder rolls along the horizon. The thought of her with another guy is almost as painful as the knowledge that relationships haven’t been easy for her. I can sense it in the way she holds her head. The way her spine straightens at the first hint of an insult. Even if there was no insult.

I swallow hard and stroke her back again. “You’re fine. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” Lightning cuts through the sky and cracks to the ground. That’s less than two miles away. She might be safe now, but in a moment, all hell will break loose.

“Piper.” I pull back and smooth the back of her hair. “You’re safe but it’s getting ready to pour down. I need to get you inside before lightning strikes us.”

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