Page 52 of Broken

“I’m ready.”

She secured her bag over her body, quickly doingup the zipper. She was ready. More than ready. She looked at Dirty. A part ofher wanted to tell him she would wait for someone else, but she didn’t see thepoint. There was no reason to argue over the ride home.

It was strange, looking at Dirty had been hard forso long. It had been painful, but this didn’t feel painful.

She locked up the diner, making sure to turn offthe lights. Once everything was okay, she followed Dirty out toward his bike.Her car looked so freaking lonely.

“What should I do about my car?” Petal asked.

“I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry. I’ve alreadycalled the guys, and they’re coming to look at it.”

“I cannot believe someone slashed my tires.” Sheshook her head. “I think what is pissing me off is that I paid good money forthose tires.”

At her last service, her tires had pretty muchbeen condemned as the tread was wearing thin. She had no choice but to havethem changed. With the money her parents were giving her back, she was able tohandle several bills, including her car. Now, that was a bill she would have topay for again. If she ever met the person responsible for taking out her tires,she was going to fucking kill them. No doubt about it. She hated wasting money.When you grew up with money being scarce, you didn’t risk losing it.

Moving towardDirty’sbike, she had all those old feelings coming back. The last bike she rode on wasMyth’s. Even with Dirty asking her not to go on the back of anyone else’s bike,she went on Myth’s. He had no right to tell her who she could be with.

“I haven’t got a helmet,” Dirty said.

“That’s fine. I don’t need to wear a helmet.”

“I’ll go slow.”

“You don’t have to.”

She remembered her time with Myth, and when hesped up, it felt so good, so freeing.

Dirty climbed onto his bike, and that was whenPetal realized she was going to have to hold onto Dirty. Wow, she was beingpushed outside of her comfort zone.

Remember, you hate him.

She was going to have to hold onto him. It waseither hold onto Dirty or wait for someone else to come and take her home. Mythhadn’t said there was anyone else. She was all alone right now.

She took a deep breath and climbed onto the backof the bike. Rather than hold back, she wrapped her arms around him, inhalinghis musky scent combined with the leather and smell of the bike fumes.

“Are you ready?”

The truth was, she wasn’t ready. She didn’t knowif she was ever going to be ready, but she gave him the shout that she was. Hetook off, riding out of the parking lot. As they were leaving, she saw a coupleof bikes approaching, and she saw them flash their headlights at Dirty. Shefigured that was the club coming to look at her car.

Dirty didn’t stick around,rode her out of the diner, and took herstraight toward her home.

The streets were all but dead and it was stillwarm out, although the sun had set a short time ago. This is what she lovedabout leading into summer.

The ride to her place didn’t take long, and Dirtydidn’t ride too fast or too slow. They arrived at her place, and he turned offthe ignition.

Petal climbed off the bike, still feeling thevibrations between her thighs.

“Thanks,” she said.

She made her way up to her house and then sheheard it.

“I’m sorry,” Dirty said.

This made her stop, and she turned to look at him.

Dirty climbed off the bike and made his way towardher. Petal didn’t move. She wasn’t afraid of Dirty, she never had been. He hadthe power to hurt her, but not to kill her.

“What?”

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