Page 30 of His Road Dog

"I'm trying to find the right one." She frowned. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

She couldn't tell which site was newest.

"They use a small plaque with the deceased person's name stuck in the ground at the head of each plot until a headstone is purchased." He walked forward. "I take it you're looking for Guthrie."

"Yes." She hurried to keep up with him, looking at the markers as she moved over the ground. "He was buried two days ago. I missed it."

"Your boyfriend gets killed, and you missed his funeral?" He glanced over his shoulder at her. "That doesn't say much about your relationship."

"It doesn't mean anything. Except I didn't have the information until today."

He grunted. She could feel his judgment.

"Not that it's any of your business," she murmured. "He wasn't my boyfriend. He was my friend."

"You were having sex with him." He stopped.

Almost running into the back of him, she swayed, making an effort not to use his body to catch her balance.

"Sex with friends is natural." Because he irritated her, she said, "Much easier and more fulfilling than with someone I've bonded with and trust not to hurt me."

He cocked his head, looking at her. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Paybacks were never her thing, but that second, seeing anger flash in his eyes, she felt good. Then, she felt guilty.

She swallowed, needing to finish what she came here for. "I need to find Roy's—"

"You're standing on him," said Priest.

She jumped to the left, her heart racing. Priest chuckled. She slapped his arm, not amused.

Reading the small metal plaque, she placed the flowers along with the others. Clasping her hands in front of her, she stared down at the ground. Emotions clogged her throat. She wished she knew more about Roy's life and what kind of people were close to him. He had been a successful business owner, and as she'd learned, money brought out the worst in people.

"You were a good man, Roy. I enjoyed our time together." She kneeled and patted the grass. "Rest in peace, love."

Knowing that there was nothing she could do to change the outcome of death, she stood and walked back to Priest's motorcycle. She turned, expecting to find Priest following her, and he was standing in an area closer to the chapel.

He lit a cigarette and then placed an unlit one on the ground. She hugged her middle, feeling like she was witnessing something she wasn't supposed to see. Though if Priest wanted privacy, he wouldn't have walked away while she was with him.

Several minutes passed. Priest snuffed the smoke out on the thigh of his jeans and returned to her side without looking at her.

She climbed on the motorcycle behind him. "If you can drop me off at the motel on Sixth Street, right by the interstate exit, I'd appreciate it."

"Not yet." He started the bike and rode away from the cemetery.

At his disposal, again, she could only hold on to him. With him unable to see her, and her having the excuse to hold him, she closed her eyes and turned her face into his leather vest, inhaling deeply.

It would be a lot easier to put him out of her mind if he wasn't so sexy. She tried to stifle her attraction to him, but having him show up again wasn't helping matters.

He pulled into the parking lot in front of the clubhouse. She slid off. Being twice as far away from the motel, she wasn't feeling thankful that he'd picked her up at work and ordered her to get on his Harley.

Sliding off the seat, she made her goodbye quickly and walked toward the sidewalk.

He caught her wrist before she even got close to the street. "You're coming with me."

She pulled away from him. "What do you want from me?"

"I need to show you something," he said.

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