Page 3 of Cruise

Once her mom was gone, she and her Dad had spent many hours in the air. It had been their escape from their silent home without her mom’s laughter.

Now, after only getting to enjoy her dad’s company for a little over two years after the Army, he was gone. The coroner had ruled it an accident. Her dad had broken his neck falling down a steep gully on their property.

Willa had her doubts because her dad never went to that part of the property. He liked to hunt and only disturbed that area a couple months before deer season to refill the feeder.

Once she’d gotten the phone call about the captain, she’d wondered if he’d been involved in her dad’s accident. After she’d gotten out, that’s what she’d called him in her head to not have to say his name. She’d hoped leaving the military would keep her far away from him but it seemed like it wasn’t to be.

She’d taken what happened to her and stuck it in a little box in her mind. Closing the box and shoving it back into a corner where she didn’t have to remember it. The phone call had opened the box and now, she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

When he’d attacked her, she’d fought as hard as she could. She’d been trained in defense moves by the same people who’d trained him. She’d been at a disadvantage because he’d outweighed her by about fifty pounds. The only thing that saved her from him completing the act was when he decided he needed a condom so there wouldn’t be DNA. He’d already violated her with his fingers but she’d still been fighting. He’d given her just enough leeway for her to slip one of her hands down between her legs. She’d grabbed his dick and balls, twisting as hard as she could. She’d tried to rip them from his body but that wish hadn’t happened. He screeched and fell to the floor.

When she ran to the door for help, he’d warned her he could send all her friends into an ambush or whatever he wanted. If she wanted them kept alive, she’d need to keep her mouth shut. She’d had no doubt in her mind he would do it. She’d been creeped out by him from the first time she met him but he was a captain and she had been a warrant officer.

Willa had known he would do it without a second thought. She’d kept her mouth shut and avoided being alone for the next four days until she flew home. By the time she boarded the plane, she’d been thirty-six hours without sleep because she couldn’t relax knowing at any time, he might return.

Now, she was running again. He was driving her out of her home and her business though her heart wasn’t in it without her dad. Sure, she loved to fly but she had no wish to continue here without her dad. She wasn’t sure what was next. She’d needed a safe place to land and somewhere to consider her options. She could fly helicopters just about anywhere but here, with her Dad, had been home. Would she find another place to call home or would it be just a place to lay her head?

The men coming to load her stuff would be here in a couple hours. She’d known even if she should, she’d never go to sleep tonight. The house was locked up tight and she had her weapon on her. Her cell phone was in her pocket because if he had killed her dad to get to her, she wasn’t going to make it easy.

At least Willa knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything to the helicopter. The house might not have a security system but the hanger did. The alarm would sound and their alarm company would call the local sheriff.

War and Remington’s call had come at the perfect time. When War explained his connection to someone she trusted, she said yes. Doing this on her own wasn’t an option. She was alone and entirely too vulnerable. Once she got to the Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC and had some sleep, maybe she could figureout how to take the fight to the captain. She wouldn’t mind getting her hands dirty to make sure he never hurt anyone else again.

This was one of those times where Willa wished she had a man she could lean on a little. She didn’t need him to take over. She wanted a partner who would wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be all right. She’d really only been attracted to one man in the last five years. Cruise and his friends had made life bearable overseas. Cruise had been the anomaly of his group. He had a soft side for everything, always doing what was best for everyone. She wondered how he was getting along now. To this day, his dark eyes with dark hair along with his muscles underneath his fatigues starred in many of her dreams.

He'd been a lifer though in the Army and had never hinted he wanted more. Being ten years older than her, she knew he’d probably be in until his body gave out. Heck, at forty, he’d been in prime condition. He’d be forty-two now and she imagined he was just as hot as he was then.

If she couldn’t have Cruise, maybe there would be a hot as hell, biker who she could climb on and take a ride with. Her battery-operated boyfriend had broken from overuse. She’d worry about that later. Right now, she needed to get a couple more things packed that she was taking on the helicopter with her.

At thirty-two, and in this small town, she’d given up on a lot of the things she’d dreamed about as a young girl. Kids, a family and a husband who adored her. How dreams changed. Now, she just wanted to be able to sleep at least six hours and not worry someone was going to attack her.

Chapter Three

Willa lowered and turned her helicopter to land on the helicopter dolly. She’d gotten a little sleep last night locked inside the Texas Chapter of the Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC. She’d gotten up bright and early this morning because she wanted to put as much space between her and Texas as quickly as possible. A couple men at the Texas Chapter had tried to get her to stay a little longer. They’d both been handsome with tattoos but she realized she still dreamed of Cruise. Maybe she should find out where he was stationed and at least send him a letter. She could share how she felt and see when he had leave next. She’d put that on the back burner and see if Bluff Creek could help her stay safe. Then she’d look toward following her heart.

They’d placed the dolly in front of a large metal building which she’d been told would house her helicopter. A crowd was gathered about fifty feet away. Men in leather vests and a couple of women. One in pink coveralls. She set down as gently aspossible and started her shut down procedures. Once the blades had come to a stop, the onlookers headed toward her. The woman in pink coveralls, hopped on a tractor and was backing the tractor up to the dolly.

Willa removed her helmet and hooked it in its net. Then, she grabbed her backpack and opened the door. They’d instructed her they would unload her items after the helicopter was in the building.

She opened the door and stepped out, glancing at one man who was walking quickly toward her. He looked familiar but she didn’t know anyone with a close-cropped beard. As she closed the door, the man walked up to her, put his shoulder in her stomach and tossed her up on his shoulder. When she screamed, he smacked her ass.

“Hush, Brave Heart. You’re safe but we’ve got some shit to talk about including why you didn’t tell us what had happened.”

Cruise was here at Bluff Creek? She didn’t know whether to rejoice or smack him for acting like a caveman.

“Hey, Cruise. How about you let us talk to Hurricane before you run off with her?”

Cruise shoved Slice out of the way and growled, “Mine. You can talk to her when I’m done.”

Cruise quickly carried her to a gleaming black Harley Davidson motorcycle. She didn’t have time to appreciate it before he was sliding her down his front.

“We’re going to take a short ride to a place we can talk alone. Are you good with that, Brave Heart?”

Willa stared at him wondering why he was calling her Brave Heart and where they were going. Honestly, she was so glad to see him and realize she wasn’t alone, she didn’t care what he did.

Willa nodded and got on behind Cruise, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. He grasped her thighs and pulled hercloser. She wondered if she was dreaming because right now, he was hitting every dream she’d ever imagined.

“Okay, hold on.”

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