Page 98 of Vicious Cycle
“Just a sec,” Archer said. He then made a wide circle around his bike. “No boot prints.”
“Would they even show?”
“If they’d been riding, they would have left some mark, especially considering there’s patches of sediment and dirt all around the parking lot.” He nodded. “It would show.”
“If you say so,” I replied, feeling unconvinced.
Scratching the back of his neck, Archer said, “Listen, Alex, it ain’t my business, but I would imagine if Sigel came all the way out here to meet with you, there’s something he wants. Something that you, and you alone, will give him.” When I refused to answer, Archer said, “That fact alone would mean nothing was going to happen to you. At least not now.”
With a quick nod of my head, I replied, “Okay. But I’m not ready to go back to the compound just yet.”
He gave me a questioning look. “You wanna go somewhere else?”
“No, I just need to ride for a little while.”
“Okay, I can do that.”
I’m sure he thought I had absolutely lost my mind since in one minute I was worried about the motorcycle blowing up, and then in the next, I wanted to be on it for a long time.
Without another word to him, I took the helmet and got on the motorcycle. We took off out of the parking lot. Archer drove us out of town and down one of the off-beat paths into the more rural areas. As I rode, things became clearer and clearer in my mind. I had come to a crossroads I never imagined possible.
“Pull over!” I shouted over the roar of the engine.
Archer didn’t glance back at me. Instead, he found a turnaround in a thicket of trees. When he stopped, I didn’t immediately get off. “You need the bathroom?”
“Turn off the engine.” When he obeyed me, I drew in a deep breath. “Archer, if I were to ask you for your help, would you give it without question?”
Slowly, he turned around to look at me. “I don’t think I like where this is going.”
I licked my dry lips. “If I were to ask your help to do something that would protect Willow and the club, would you do it?”
“It depends.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “What do you want?”
“First, you have to swear that even if you don’t agree to do it, you won’t tell any of the Raiders.”
Archer’s eyes widened, and he hopped off the bike. He stalked around a moment before he began pacing. “You’re putting me between a rock and a fucking hard place.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you this unless it was a matter of life and death.”
My words only seemed to agitate him more, and he continued to pace. He’d almost worn a hole in the gravel when he finally stopped. He sighed so hard his body shuddered. Then he turned to me. “You have my word. Now what is it?”
As best I could, I tried relating to him what had come to me while on our drive. He listened raptly without interrupting to question me. When I was done, he stared at me almost incredulously. “You’re serious.”
“I am.”
“That’s fucking batshit crazy.”
“Yeah, well, that’s where I am.”
I expected him to resume his pacing. Instead, he walked back over to me. His blue eyes burned into mine as he stared me down. “I’m in.”
I couldn’t help my gasp of surprise. “You are?”
“Even though I should tell you to go fuck yourself for putting me in this situation, I get it. I really do.”
“Thank you.”
Shaking his head, he slung his leg over the bike. “Save the gratitude until we both come out of this alive.”
