Page 2 of Bound by Affliction
1
Leah
A Few WeeksEarlier
Ican’t waitto see your pretty face,Nick types in the chat box onMeet My Matchdot com. When I joined, I thought it would just be for fun. Oh, who am I kidding? A boyfriend was on my radar because well, I haven’t had one in forever and life gets lonelysometimes.
While I received some seriously weird messages, Nick wasn’t strange. He feels genuine, and I’ve loved talking to him. We have several things in common like music and movies. Talking for an entire month, we’ve learned a lot about each other, even that we both hate blackolives.
Now the day has come for us to meet. I’m a little bit nervous, but my best friend, Bristyl, will be with me at the motorcycle rally here in our hometown of Crest, Florida. She’s been my rock, and I love her beyond reason. She’s probably going to be pissed off that I didn’t tell her earlier, but she’ll forgive me. That’s what best friendsdo.
See you in a couple of hours,I send back and head off to getready.
* * *
“Don’t be pissed at me,”I start, knowing it’s not the best lead-off to what I’m going to tell her, but hopefully not the worsteither.
“What am I going to be pissed about?” Bristyl asks from the driver’s seat as we cruise down the road heading to therally.
I suck in a deep breath, ready for it—the anger. “A guy I met on that dating site is going to meet methere.”
“You’re shitting me, right?” She’s so angry I’m surprised she doesn’t slam on the brakes as she cuts a glare my way. Yep, knew I called that oneright.
“No, his name is Nick, and he’s really nice. We’ve been chatting online, and he said he’s coming to the rally this weekend. I told him we could meetup.”
Bristyl’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, turning her knuckles white. “Is he with a club?” she clipsout.
I click my tongue, in thought or maybe just to stall a couple of seconds, because I really didn’t think about that; which now that I look at it was pretty dumb. “I don’t know. I didn’t askhim.”
Bristyl grits through her teeth, “Leah, that should have been the first question. Hello, he’s coming to a rally. Yes, we have non-clubbers here, but whatif…?”
“Relax. If it doesn’t work out, we go dance. It gives me an out.” Brushing this aside is going piss her off more, but she’s my friend doing what friends do. Plus, we’re already in this, may as well have fun withit.
She stares ahead out the window, probably plotting how she’s going to wring my neck. “You’re nuts,” she tellsme.
“You loveme.”
Her sigh is heavy. “Yeah, Ido.”
The rest of the car ride is calm. We find a place to park at the packed rally and begin to check things out. I’ve been to one of these before a few years ago, and it was a blast. That’s what I need—to have fun and let loose, forgetting about life just for a littlewhile.
Music from three large stages blares as men and women dance around, beers and cocktails in their hands sloshing them with each movement. A huge sign hangs above welcoming all bikers, and I’m going to assume non-bikers because that’s what weare.
The atmosphere is electric and pulsing with an energy you only get when coming to a testosterone-filled place like this. It’s exciting and a hugerush.
A burly man with leather chaps stops in front of Bristyl. He’s handsome in a hard biker kind of way. His beard is very long, and he has a red, white, and blue bandana over his forehead with a long braid going down hisback.
“How you ladies doin’?” he asks in a smoothtenor.
Another man steps around and puts his hand on bandana man’s shoulder. This guy is mean-looking, hair cut to his scalp and tattoos covering scars. He screams danger and has a don’t-mess-with-me vibe, I do not want to mess with him at all. If Nick would’ve had a picture like this guy, no way would I want to meethim.
“Mearna, brother,” he says in a lowvoice.
Bandana man says, “I’mtalkin’.”
“Yeah, and you fuckin’ told me to say somethin’ when you get like this. I’m sayin’ it and steppin’ back.” The scary man does just that, hands raised as he takes a few steps backward shaking hishead.
Bandana man rubs his hand over his face. “Fuckin’ hell. My ol’ lady’ll cut my dick off. As you were, ladies,” he grumbles, moving out of ourpath.
