Page 98 of Shifting Gears

Good. It’s toward the evening there, so he’ll have to go soon before they close.

I got up and yanked on some joggers and a shirt, yawning as I snagged a breakfast burrito from the fridge and tore into it before I went down into the shop.

There wasn’t much to do today, just loading a few cars onto a cargo plane later, which was due to fly out overnight

I walked over to two of the four cars that were supposed to be loaded. A neon-orange Subaru WRX and a light-gray Toyota Altezza. They both looked ready, so I would get those on a trailer and take them over first. I glanced around the shop. The other two cars were still in the mechanic bays.

I walked over to Ken.

“Hey, these two gonna be ready to head over today?” I asked as I stopped next to the dolly he was lifting tires onto.

“Yes. This evening,” Ken said as he continued to work.

I nodded and went back over to the other cars, grabbing the keys before I got to work.

Three hours later, I was returning from the airport when my phone went off in my pocket.

My adrenaline spiked when I saw it was a call from Billy Crystal.

My stomach dropped. We didn’t do calls. Something serious must have happened.

I answered it.

“Hey,” I said.

“Yo, what’s up, man? Got some info for you,” Billy’s smooth Southern voice replied.

“Lay it on me. Is she okay?” I asked, my hand tightening around the steering wheel as I waited in anticipation.

“I guess. Damn, girl’s been through some shit though,” Billy said.

“Out with it, Billy. I need to know,” I growled.

“All right. Damn, man. Chill. You need to get laid or something. You gettin’ all bitchy on me,” Billy said.

I kept my mouth shut. If I were standing next to him, I’d probably deck him for saying some shit like that.

“Your girl got mixed up in some nasty shit. She’s with this guy who’s in a motorcycle club from up north—the BLVD Riders of Morro Bay. Guess there was some sort of turf war between them and the Wayward Suns MC. She got caught up in the middle. Said she was abducted and held hostage or some shit. But she’s fine now, just a little jumpy,” Billy said.

My mind was racing.

She’s with a biker, mixed up in a motorcycle club that’s dangerous enough for her to get abducted? Did they hurt her? How the fuck did her parents let her get with someone more dangerous than me?

“Fuck!” I snapped as I punched the steering wheel.

I sat there, breathing hard, fist shaking, jaw clenched tight.

“Easy, man. I’m just the messenger. She’s pretty shaken up about it. I don’t know. I got the feeling there was more to the story, but she didn’t get into it, and I didn’t care to ask,” Billy said.

“Yeah. Thanks for checking in on her. I’ll take it from here,” I said as I realized what I was going to do.

“For sure, man. See ya,” Billy said as he hung up the phone.

I lowered my cell and rested it on my thigh as I thought about everything he’d told me.

“Dammit, Rosalie. You were supposed to be with a guy who was safe. Not get mixed up with a fucking biker gang,” I muttered.

Billy’s voice kept echoing in my head, every word he’d said dragging my emotions all over the damn place.

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