Page 54 of The Chase

“The sex, the food or the cigarette?” Colt nuzzled into her hair. “Maybe I was in a bad mood ‘cause I’d been without you all afternoon,” he said between dipping his tongue into her mouth.

She smiled at his playfulness. They got dressed and rejoined the road. But as soon as they stepped onto the pavement, bam, an explosion of light forced her eyes shut and she spun away.

“Freeze! Don’t move!” Was shouted from behind the lights. She had the confused thought that she was going to be arrested for eating the burger.

“For fuck’s sake!” Colt bellowed. She squinted her eyes open and saw the security guard, Dwight, tumbling over from the vehicle he’d pulled up in. A golf cart. With particularly bright lights.

“It’s just a fucking burger because raw night sucked ass!” Colt roared, anger coursing off him.

“No one breaches the perimeter! It’s my job to guard the perimeter!” Dwight yelled back.

Jesus. April swallowed loudly and stepped in to defuse the situation before these two killed each other. “Dwight, so sorry, there’s been a big misunderstanding, we didn’t realize that the delivery driver did not come up the main road.”

“Ma’am, it’s my job,” he said, calming down a notch to speak to her. Colt squared up to him aggressively. April grabbed his arm.

“I’ve called for backup now-” Dwight said, almost sulkily, clearly annoyed that the situation was a minor infringement and not the invasion he had initially thought. Another motorcycle sound ripped closer.

April tried not to shudder. She’d have to be careful, that noise could trigger a panic attack. The motorcycle approached, slowed, and came to a stop in front of them. April blinked, it was Ash, on a beat up old Harley. She knew nothing about bikes and it was dark but she could still tell it was on its last legs.

Colt laughed out loud. “The concierge? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

April piped up with her middle class indignation. “Maybe this place isn’t as secure as we were led to believe, if the only security back up is the concierge?” She glared at Dwight.

Ash didn’t seem fazed. “You’d be surprised. I’m a black belt in karate,” Ash said drolly.

“Is there anything this kid doesn’t get involved in?” Colt rocked back on his heels.

Ash looked around, assessed the situation and didn’t bat an eyelid. “You called for backup because they ordered takeout?” His voice was even but you could hear his annoyance. Dwight shrugged.

Ash turned back to Colt. “You can’t have deliveries coming, we take the privacy of this place seriously. You need anything, it comes through me,” Ash said.

Colt replied with a single chin lift. “Sure. Got it for next time.”

Dwight cleared his throat self importantly. “I’ll leave you to discuss penalties with these two.” He simpered, raising his eyebrows disapprovingly when he said “these two”.

Colt snorted. “Penalties? What are you going to do, spank me?” Colt mocked.

“Don’t tempt me,” Ash muttered under his breath.

Colt guffawed. April smiled, pleased that these two had struck up a friendship of sorts. Colt was happy to tease Ash, Ash was happy to be teased, he was unashamedly himself. Open, unafraid.

“Well, I hope you are being paid well for all of these double shifts you’re working,” April joked.

Ash snorted. “I’m not being paid. I’m here as punishment, remember?”

Colt squared his jaw and frowned. “You’re not getting paid?”

April heard the anger in his voice. She loved that about him. He got involved. He wouldn’t be able to let that lie. It’s what had made him a good President before, a good MC brother. Colt liked Ash, she could see that, she knew he found Ash to be just as rebellious, just as disrespectful, just as much of a survivor as Colt was himself.

“Why else do you think you can hear the crankshaft and the exhaust leaking on my ride?” Ash sounded sullen. April suspected his attitude hid the hurt.

“Jesus Christ, why are you putting up with this shit?” Colt asked.

Ash looked down at his feet, the first sign of humility she’d seen from him.

Colt spoke quieter now to Ash. “Just say fuck ‘em, I’ll help you fix the crankshaft, ride her hard into the sunset and never look back.” Colt put a hand on Ash’s shoulder. For a moment Ash looked like a lost little boy. He was young but his confidence and his attitude glossed that over previously. Colt offered him the safety and comfort to drop his guard for a moment, and it melted April’s heart.

Ash looked up at Colt. “Turning my back on my family... it’s final, isn’t it? My sister... I wouldn’t want to leave her, my parents... I think they might change, come around with some time...” He took a shaky breath.

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