Page 31 of Beast

“If that means horny, then yeah.That’s me.”

Piper laughed again.I loved that sound, the way her entire face lit up.Out here on the open road, she didn’t worry so much about her asshole of an ex.The chances of him finding us when we were on the move were slim.

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

I narrowed my eyes.“Sure.Can’t promise I’ll answer.”

“All the guys at Riptide, and all these friends you have on the road seem to be good guys, like not murderers or drug dealers.Heck, my father trusted you to bring me back here.You work with the FBI, and you were all in the service.How did you end up being a biker gang?”

“Fair question, but it’s kind of a long story.”

“Short version?”She didn’t plan on letting this go.

Everything Riptide meant to me flashed through my mind.I took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, hoping she could understand.“War is hell, and trying to fit in when you land back stateside is tough.We found each other and figured out a way to make it work for us.We make a difference, get to do something that makes the world a better place, and we have a family.Not one made from blood ties, but one we made for ourselves.”

“Wow.”Her expression softened.“That sounds amazing.I’d love to hear the long version some day when we have more time.”

I glanced up at the sky.The clouds were moving faster now, and getting stuck out in the rain on a bike was no fun.“You will, I promise.Right now, though, we’d better get back on the road.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”Piper helped gather up the remains of our snack and dumped the garbage in the cans provided for it.I had a strict no littering policy.

We were back on the bike, cruising down the road at top speed within minutes.Those fucking clouds were moving faster though, and we’d barely made five miles before the first fat droplets hit us.

I felt Piper try to squirm in closer behind me to avoid them, and I doubled down on the throttle.There was a deserted cabin up ahead that I sometimes camped out in overnight when I was out this way.Door didn’t really close, and most of the windows were boarded over.It was surrounded by mounds of wild peppermint, and the pungent odor of the plants kept most of the native rodents and insects away.It wasn’t much, but at least we’d be dry while we waited for the rain to pass.

The storm ramped up, gusts of wind pushing the bike sideways at irregular intervals.I struggled to keep the machine under control.Between the slick pavement, the unpredictable wind gusts, and the water streaming off my helmet, it was a fight.If I’d been on my own, I would have just pulled over and waited it out.Piper hung on like a trooper, though, and I was determined to get her to shelter.

The cabin finally came into sight and I let off on the throttle just as the bike hit one big-assed puddle and started to skid.

Shit!

Chapter Eight

Piper

The bike started to skid sideways just as a rickety old shack came into sight on the right side of the highway and I felt Beast tense.

This couldn’t be good.Beast was my rock, and rocks didn’t scare easily.

I tightened my grip around his waist and sent up a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening.Up to now, we’d always headed for shelter if the weather looked threatening.This was my first time on a bike in a storm.

Focus on the little things you can control.

The one thing I’d learned on that cross-country trip on the back of Beast’s motorcycle was that my body needed to follow his at all times.If he leaned right, I leaned right.Whatever he did, I imitated it exactly.Balance is key, he’d told me, when you only have two wheels under you.Made sense.I took a deep breath, trying to ignore my gut feeling, and focused on his body language.

Beast turned the handlebars and leaned right, steering in the direction of the skid.At the same time, he shifted his weight back.The bike moved sluggishly, and I tried to squelch down a growing twinge of alarm.Moments later, the bike wobbled slightly as the rear wheel regained traction and the bike stopped its sideways slide.

The butterflies in my belly settled back into place.Of course Beast managed to regain control.Why had I doubted him?He’d probably done this a hundred times.

The bike slowed, and we turned onto the weed-covered path leading to the cabin.Beast circled the structure completely before bringing the bike to a stop at the back of the building.I wasn’t sure if he was checking to make sure it was safe or just trying to find the dryest spot to park.If he was looking for a dry spot, he was wasting his time.The torrential downpour showed no signs of easing up.

He pulled up as close to the building as he could get, and I slithered off the back of the bike.Not bothering to take my helmet off, I bolted for the door.Beast grabbed the saddlebags and followed hot on my heels.

I squelched down an insane urge to giggle.I knew it was caused by nerves but that didn’t make it any easier.We made it.We were safe.And bonus, as derelict as the cabin appeared from the outside, the roof didn’t leak, and I didn’t see any signs of rodents or insects scurrying around.The powers that be were feeling generous for a change.

I dropped the helmet on the shelf beside the door and shrugged out of my jacket and chaps, grateful for the water shedding ability of leather.My backside was a little damp but considering the monsoon rains we’d come through that was hardly worth noting.Tossing his helmet beside mine, Beast strode to the table on the far side of the room and lit the candle sitting on it with the matches someone had left handily beside it.

He cast me a sideways look.“That got a little rough at the end.You okay?”

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