Page 23 of The Biker Alien

“She’s right,” I say. “Let’s take this elsewhere, and you and I can—”

“Three of us on you,” Jamey remarks.

“You know that works out in my favor,” I snap.

“Sure it does.” Adan chuckles.

“Do you want to try me?” I ask coolly.

Nigel grimaces, and Jamey runs a hand over his shaved head.

Even Adan looks a little comfortable.

“That’s what I thought. Get the fuck out of here.”

“Got a message for Joey then?” Adan asks, tilting his head to the side.

I grit my teeth. “Tell him that if he wants me, he knows where to find me.”

“Here? With her?” Adan asks shrewdly.

“She’s nothing to me,” I lie.

Nigel leers at her. “I’d take her home and smack that fat ass—”

I lunge forward, about to punch him until he can’t talk, maybe until he can’t even breathe, but then Elden is there, holding me back.

Nigel laughs. “We’ll take your message, but he’s not going to be too happy with you, princess.”

Teri lifts her chin but says nothing.

I wait until the three of them drive off before turning back to her. “You need to stay with me,” I insist. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Sure you can,” she says with a snort. “I can take care of myself.” Her gaze shifts over to Elden. “One of yours?”

“That’s right.”

“I thought I asked you—”

“I know, but they came, didn’t they?”

“So that justifies you not listening to me? Not respecting my wishes?”

“I’m the reason why you’re facing all of this… bullshit.”

“Bullshit.” She snorts again. “That’s one word for this. Your life is one fucked up mess, isn’t it? Hell, my life could’ve gone to shit after my dad died. For a time, while I was trying to save up to buy this place, I was living next to a crack house. Prostitutes used to come and go. I made my own way out of the muck all by myself. I crawled up out of darkness. I’m not about to let you turn my life into some kind of… You have your issues to sort out. I want no part of it. Just like I told those guys.”

“What did they want?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Because you turned them down, didn’t you?” I ask, proud of her.

“Just like I shot you down,” she says coolly.

“That’s my girl.”

“I’m not yours,” she hisses.

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