Page 7 of Heron's Flame

Hell yeah. I needed to be a little wild and throw caution to the wind. Besides, who would see me in the desert at night on the back of a motorcycle? Certainly not Paul.

“Do you think we can sneak out of here alone?”

She smirked. “Nope.”

“Then we do this Thelma and Louise style.”

Bella’s grin widened. “I like the way you think.”

We both stood at the same time, linking arms as we headed toward the exit. No one bothered us as we walked outdoors. Loud music boomed from the speakers inside the bar. Cigarettesmoke and weed blew by my face in a gust of wind. I had a decent buzz going from the three beers I had. This would be fun.

“The sand car?”

“The sand car,” I agreed.

We headed toward the largest building on the lot, where the auto shop connected to a garage. Slipping inside, we didn’t waste time locating the biggest and fastest of the sand cars the club owned. I grew up calling them dune buggies, but Crow and some of the other guys referred to them as sand rails. Bella always called these big caged off-road machines sand cars. The name didn’t matter much. The engine and the tires, the lacing of the bars, the bouncy coils, and the suspension made all the difference.

There wasn’t much that could make me squeal with excitement half as much as hopping dunes and racing over the sand. I hadn’t gone much at night, so this would be a whole new experience.

Bella climbed inside and plopped down in the driver’s seat. I took shotgun. With a two-seater, I didn’t have any place else to sit. But I preferred being up close and in front of the action. We strapped ourselves in with the five-point harnesses and bumped fists.

“How far do you think we’ll get before they chase us down on their bikes?”

Bella scrunched her nose. “I’ve got a lead foot. I’m hoping it’s miles.”

Giggling, I nodded. “Yes!”

“Ready? As soon as I start this engine, bikers are gonna come running. I can’t wait to see their expressions when we blow through the gate!”

Wait. She didn’t mean that literally. Right?

Bella turned the key and fired up our death cage, wasting no time putting it into gear and racing from the garage. Lucky forus, the crowd hanging around stayed closer to the buildings, so when we raced by them, no one stood in the way.

I gripped the sissy bar with my right hand, lifting my left to pump my fist in the air. “Wooo!”

“Let’s roll out!” She cried enthusiastically, copying the phrase we heard Crow use on numerous occasions.

Two prospects stood by the gate, and they rushed to open it when they saw the sand car barreling toward them. I didn’t know Goose or Robin well, but I couldn’t help but laugh at their shocked faces. Robin dove out of the way as we approached. Goose managed to open the gate in time, shouting at us to slow down.

Bella grinned as we jolted, riding over the bumpy terrain outside the compound. Our destination loomed ahead as we entered the desert. Joshua trees, tumbleweeds, and cacti streaked by in a blur. She wasn’t lying. Bella drove like a speed demon headed straight for hell.

The first dune approached, and she pressed down on the gas as we began our climb. We had to have hit top speed as we reached the peak. The floodlights illuminated a wide area around us, lighting up the sand and cacti nearby as momentum lifted us off the ground. We glided across the sky for about three seconds, nothing but air beneath the tires. Sailing like this was an instant high.

“Ahhhhhh!”

We landed hard and skidded, fishtailing before Bella straightened out. Her foot pressed down on the gas again. The next dune grew bigger as we approached.

“This one is huge!”

“That’s what she said!” Bella laughed.

Oh, God. She had jokes now. And bad ones. “Babe, that’s awful.”

“No one ever wants to hear that,” she guffawed, switching gears.

I almost closed my eyes as we hit the top of the dune. My gaze swept over the ground beneath us as we hit air. Something dark, resembling a pit, caught my attention in the sand car’s lights.

“Bella! Do you see that?”

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