Page 68 of Shattered Skull

I fled the store and got on my bike, cranking the engine. I hadn’t passed her walking. It was late, and I was tired, but I was sure I would have seen her if she was out there.

I took off from the store, my engine shrieking into the cold night air. I drove down the main street three times before I finally caught sight of her. Her jacket was dark, and she had the hood pulled up over her head, which made her almost disappear into the darkness of the side street.

I pulled up in front of her, stopping her from walking, and cut my engine.

“You don’t listen, do you?”

“It’s late, Aiken. I’m exhausted, and I just want to go home. I don’t feel like arguing with you.”

That was just the thing. No one argued with me, except her. I wasn’t sure what to do with that.

“Get on, Everly,” I demanded, pissed off and tired.

“No. Don’t tell me what to do.”

She moved to go around me, and I reached out and grabbed her arm. When I realized I was squeezing, I loosened my fingers, but not enough that she could pull away.

“I said, get on.”

“Let me go, Aiken. I’m fine. The only person harassing me while I walk home is you.”

“I won’t tell you again,” I growled.

Why was she so fucking complicated?

“That’s just it. You’re telling. Not asking. Maybe if you asked me nicely.”

I sighed, aggravated and annoyed.

Was she seriously wanting me to ask her to give her a ride home?

That made no fucking sense.

“I’m offering you a ride. That’s me doing you a favor. You want me to ask you to do you a favor?”

“You’re right. You offered a ride, and I declined. I can walk, but thank you.”

She was exhausting. I had already had a long day. I was tired, and I had an early morning coming.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Everly, please. I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Just get on my damn bike, so I can make sure you get home safely.”

Her expression cleared, and she stared back at me before a tiny grin lifted the side of her lips. She shook her head and moved toward my bike. I helped her get behind me, careful not to let her get burned on the mufflers.

Once she was on the back of my bike, she slid her small arms around my waist, and a feeling came over me I couldn’t explain. I felt warm all over.

What was it about the little doe-eyed girl that was making me act all kinds of crazy?

Her arms tightened around me when I pulled away, and I reached down and patted her hand. Neither of us was wearing a helmet, but we didn’t have very far to go. She leaned with me around curves, holding on to me with her cheek pressed against my back, and part of me wanted to pass our neighborhood and keep driving so that I could keep her close.

The neighborhood sign was missing a chunk of brick after some drunk fuck crashed into it two years before. I turned in next to the sign, my engine loud and probably pissing off the sleeping people as I passed. When I pulled into Zada’s driveaway, the place was dark. There were no cars in the driveaway and no lights on inside.

I cut my engine and stopped her when she tried to climb off my bike.

“No one’s here,” I said, pointing out the obvious.

“I know. Zada stopped by Smiley’s earlier and said she was going out with Reggie. She left the front door unlocked for me, though, so I’m good.”

She tried to move from behind me and again, I stopped her, and turned to look back at her.

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