Page 57 of Covert
A girl could get used to this.
An hour's drive north and we're in rural Pennsylvania. It's easy to forget what the rest of the world looks like when your daily life is so small. I marvel like a child, my nose pressed to the window, when we pass an Amish buggy being driven by what looks like a teenager.
The highway falls away to a one-lane road, through a small mountain town, and then turns to gravel as we get closer to our destination.
Finally, we turn down a driveway and take in the scene in front of us.
In a large, open field, hundreds of trucks, trailers, and motocross bikes are surrounded by people as they move about, surrounding a huge, complicated dirt track.
Maddox parks the truck near a pit area and kills the engine. All three boys pour out of the truck and work together silently to set up the ramp, back the bike down it, and gear up. I let my eyes roam shamelessly over Axel's chest, abs, and thighs as he strips down to his boxers and puts on his body armor.
He gives me a show like one of the thirst traps we filmed last week and winks at me. Butterflies assault my lower stomach.
It smells like gasoline, engine oil, and soil. But there doesn't seem to be any room for me to help as the boys work on the bike, so I simply watch the controlled chaos in front of me. It's a gorgeous day, and the sun feels warm against my skin.
I don't think I've ever been this happy.
Axel wraps an arm around me from behind, nipping at where my shoulder joins my neck playfully. I jump and giggle in response.
"Are you going to cheer for me?" His tone is still light and playful, but I can sense a serious undertone. I wonder if he's ever had someone to cheer him on beyond the guys. I feel like he needs this validation, this promise that I'm here for him, and I'll be rooting for him.
I spin in his arms and wrap mine around his neck. "Of course I will. I'll be the loudest one out there."
A warm smile graces his face before he drops a kiss to my lips and leaves to push his bike to the starting line.
I grip Beckett's hand in mine. "Where do we go? Where can we watch from?"
Maddox leads us over to a bleacher and helps me walk up to the top, where we have the best view. A rope surrounds the track to keep spectators out, and some are lined up along it, but from up here we can see everything.
It’s hard for me to tell what goes where.. There are tall jumps, washboards, dips, and turns. Excitement and nerves have my stomach roiling as I see Axel's neon green suit and matching bike toe up to the starting line.
"Oh my God, there he is!" I squeak, gripping Beckett's arm nervously. He smiles down at me and drops a kiss on my hair. The announcer says something, but the speaker's crackle, the roar of engines, and the blood rushing past my ears make it so that I can't understand it. It doesn't matter.
At the crack of a starting gun, I jump, my eyes wide as I watch the racers. I cringe when Axel leans into a curve, his head coming what looks like inches from another biker's knee. They straighten. He's neck in neck with the front three bikers. Red, green, and blue jockey for first.
My heart pounds wildly in my throat. They race around another turn. Red bumps into Axel, causing him to throw his legs out and straighten up to avoid a complete wreck. I'm on my feet, hands clasped at my chest. A half a second later, he's righted himself, bent low over his gas tank, and revving back to the front, standing on his footpegs.
Murderous rage, fear, and adrenaline course through me, making my veins ache. They cross the finish line, Axel in second, and my feetare moving before I know where they're going. I race to the finish line, vaguely aware of Maddox and Beckett behind me.
Axel peels off his helmet, running a hand through his sweaty, messy hair. I fling myself onto him, arms wrapping around his neck. His cheeks are flushed and covered with a sheen of dirt where it slipped through his visor.
"That was incredible!" I shout, finally letting the excitement and adrenaline bubble out of me. I pull out of his embrace for a moment and punch him lightly in the chest. "That was also the scariest thing I've ever seen!"
He simply smiles, his white teeth framed by muddy cheeks, and it's adorable. Just then, he lunges forward on an 'oof' as the rider behind him bumps him in the shoulder, walking past. The red rider. I step forward, square off, and push the guy squarely in both shoulders.
"What the fuck is your problem, asshole?" I shout, voice still tight with adrenaline. He narrows his eyes at me, stepping into my space.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, bitch?" he then turns to Axel, who seems stunned at the entire exchange, unsure of what he should do. A few of Red's friends gather behind him, ready for a fight. "You should put a muzzle on your bitch."
Before I can respond, a large arm wraps around my chest, and I'm pulled back against a hard chest. "Walk away, man," Beckett says from behind me. Red's eyes rise from mine to Beckett, who towers over him by about half a foot. My mouth hangs open at Beckett using his size to intimidate someone. It's not like him to take up space like this. Red's friends all take in Beckett, too, and arrogance is replaced with trepidation.
"Yeah, whatever. Not worth my time," Red says, turning and waving a hand flippantly at us. I'm torn between simmering rage and the desire to check in with Beckett to make sure he's okay. I let the asshole go. Beckett's more important.
I spin and take him in. A soft smile graces his face, and it warms me from the inside out. "I can't believe you just did that," I whisper, my words only for him. His cheeks flush pink as he gives me a shy smile.
Maddox claps a hand on Beckett's shoulder. "Man, you didn't have to do that. Our girl can hold her own. Have you seen how she dominates me in the gym?" Maddox's sudden praise knocks me off kilter. He seems proud of me, and I have no idea what to do with that information.
Beckett shrugs. "I know she can, but she shouldn't have to. Not when she's with us."
