Page 14 of Hidden But Not Safe

They were both too close to Naz’s motorcycle.

Meg slapped at Miguel’s hand. “I’m Julio’s. You think he’d want you touching me?”

Miguel laughed but lifted his hand in surrender. “Sure, sure.” He turned to the car, a bounce in his stride. “Ride up front with me. That way I’ll be close if something happens.”

Naz was tired of talking about it, and he reached for his helmet.

Meg’s gaze darted to the car, then back to Naz. “But I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle.” She sent him a tentative smile. “Could I ride with you, Ignacio?”

His hands tightened on the helmet.

“He goes by Naz,” Miguel snapped, jerking the passenger door open. “Now get in the damn car.”

She kept her back to him, her eyes pleading with Naz. The breeze blew the scent of her fear to him.

He slid his helmet onto her head, carefully buckling the straps.

“For fuck’s sake.” Miguel slammed the car door shut and stalked around to the driver’s side.

The helmet was too big, but it would have to do. It was important to protect the head. He usually still did, despite his brain already being damaged before he’d ever started riding.

He tugged on the strap to make sure it was snug enough on Meg’s head, then climbed onto the motorcycle, kicking up the stand and balancing it straight with his feet.

After she scrambled on behind him, her front plastered to his back and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, he realized he hadn’t thought through this decision. The bike purred beneath them as he waited for some kind of freak-out at having her so close, but it never came.

Miguel’s wheels spun in the dirt before the car jolted forward.

Meg gripped his stomach tighter when Naz accelerated, even though he eased into it. He followed behind the car, but the distance spread when Miguel acted like it was a race. That was just stupid. Speed brought attention, even if the cops weren’t trolling for speeders in the neighborhoods they stuck to.

Naz already knew where to go, the same as Miguel. Julio made sure they knew where all the dealers were based out of, in case they ever had to settle up by force.

Meg’s arms never loosened, but she leaned into his back more. Any words she said were carried off by the wind.

Naz enjoyed riding a motorcycle. It let him concentrate on his control over the machine without dwelling on anything else.

He couldn’t fully forget the woman pressed up behind him, but his hyper-focus faded to a duller awareness as he navigated to where she used to live.

The dealer’s apartment before was one with outside stairs and a door facing the street. There was no hiding their entrance, but Miguel refused to wait outside and keep a lookout, saying they just needed to be quick.

Meg’s grip on Naz’s arm made it obvious she didn’t want him waiting outside either.

From the state of the small apartment, it looked like the dealer had used more drugs than what he sold. Empty bottles and bags were scattered around the filthy coffee table, along with bongs and needles.

Meg released him, striding toward the back room. When she would have pushed the door shut behind her, Miguel caught it.

“We’re keeping an eye on you,” he snapped.

She rolled her eyes. “I was going to change.”

Naz hovered at the edge of the living room. The filth of the place was making his skin crawl.

Miguel grinned at her. “So change.”

Her eyes narrowed, but a smirk tilted her lips. “What, you want a show?” Her hands flirted with the hem of Naz’s borrowed shirt. “Just remember. I belong to Julio.” She stripped the shirt over her head.

Naz hadn’t thought about a woman’s body before, but he didn’t hate the way Meg’s breasts looked. The color of her dusky nipples blended well with her bronzed skin. He dragged his gaze up so he wouldn’t be staring at them and locked eyes with Meg. When she stripped off her shorts, she stared past Miguel and right at him.

She wasn’t completely naked. She still wore the cotton underwear he’d purchased for her at the convenience store.

---