Page 51 of The Heir

“Man, fuck Easy,” he barked, before cranking his bike.

Mackie walked off the minute the shit talking turned dangerous. Donnie on the other hand, was all eyes, glancing from us to the clubhouse door like he expected Easy to come flying out to confront the prospect. He followed us to the highway and stood watch.

“Ya’ll sure about this?” He laughed.

“Do it. Say the word,” Snatch insisted.

He was revving his engine and making an unimaginable racket with the throttle.

“Fuck it.” Donnie shrugged, glancing toward me.

I gave him the nod, and he shrugged.

“Go.”

Snatch’s bike screamed, while mine shot forward. I could hear him yelling, but I didn’t make out his words as I raced down the highway toward the cemetery turn. We’d never really said where we were going to stop. He was catching up, but I’d gotten a good look at that bike of his. It was a Crossbones. It would top at ninety. Mine would do the century March promised and a little more if I stroked her nice.

I kept it around ninety-five, letting him think he had a chance. I meant to gun it at the top of the hill and leave him in the dust. The wind rushed over my arms, my sleeves were clinging to me in places and climbing ever so subtly. I glanced down at it andtwitched my arm against my torso to fix it. The angle also let me keep tabs on him. His face was tense with concentration, every now and then he gave a quick glance my way and his lips moved in what I assumed was a slew of curses. I looked up just in time to see something shimmery littering the road ahead.

“Stop!” I screamed, instantly letting off the brake when I realized it was grass trimmings.

Snatch didn’t hear me. He shot forward onto the slick surface. His bike weaved violently, then he laid it down ugly-like.

I had a split second to decide if I was going to follow him at fifty or try my luck with the ditch.

“Fuck,” I roared, and swerved into the ditch. I transferred surfaces clean enough, but when I came up the other side of the ditch, I went airborne.

I saw the minivan heading in the direction that Snatch and his bike were sprawled on the highway, but I’d lost control of myself and my brain was racing. I clung to the bike, trying my best to not panic, until I knew I had no options. I came down on the back tire and grunted as the air was half knocked from me. I’d done stunts, but fuck they weren’t that rough. The bike came up again, and I held on as best I could as the damn thing decided to go ass over handlebars at the worst possible time.

“Oh shit!” I managed just before the ground caught me flat on my back. I closed my eyes, sure that the bike was going to land on top of me.

I must have blacked out for a split second when I landed. I don’t even know how the bike came down.

Sounds blurred. I blinked and was aware there were people standing around me, but I couldn’t make out the faces. Sirenspierced the chaos, and I sucked in the most painful breath I’d ever attempted in my life.

I let it out in a pained roar and rolled to my side.

“Give him room!” Easy barked. “He needs some fuckin’ air do you hear how he is heaving?”

The world stopped spinning, and the nausea settled, allowing Donnie, May, and Easy to come into focus.

“Get up. Can you get up?” Easy implored. “You gotta get the fuck out of here. Now. You got seconds.”

“He shouldn’t…” Donnie started, only to hush when Easy shot him a look.

I stumbled to my feet and Easy clutched my arm and started helping me across a field. The damn thing had a fence that I seriously didn’t remember clearing, but there it was, undeniably.

“Go with Mak, I’ll tell them I was driving Ant’s bike.” He shoved me toward Makaveli, who caught me, one hand clenching my arm and another studying my spine.

“Come on, then. They’re coming deep,” he murmured, while steering me toward a couple of bikes.

It felt like forever before I reached the fence. I had one leg over it when I heard some middle-aged woman loudly declaring, “There he is. It was him, officer. Him and that boy were racing. I live on the hill and saw the whole thing from my front porch where I sip coffee in the mornings. These bikers have no respect. They speed through here day and night. Now look at them, that kid is missing half his face. I don’t even think he had any lips left.”

She started to sniffle, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I fucking froze, straddling the fence.

“Run,” Mak shoved my shoulder, but I wasn’t expecting it. I processed what he’d said halfway to my ass, which I landed on with a nasty thud.

I groaned and realized just how stiff I was getting in my back.

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