“I can pay it!”
“And you will.” The greasy one sneers as he aims the gun at Tristan’s kneecap. “Right after you heal. You need a message. Boss’s orders. I’m here to send it.”
“Go.” My tone is low, but Naima listens. Next to me, she turns. “Back door. My bike. Go!”
She’s through the door at the same time the gun pops. The sound ricochets in my chest, snapping my teeth together with a painful jolt, and a primal need to flee coats me from head to toe.
I’ve never felt that urge before. I’ve always relied on fight, not flight. It’s my nature.
But right now, I need to be in the wind, and I need to get Naima somewhere safe.
I glance over my shoulder as I follow Naima through the door, just in time for the second pop of the gun, the abrupt disruption of Tristan’s scream, and the anxious voice of the second man saying, “What the hell? You were supposed to hurt him, not kill him!”
And then the greasy man’s eyes lift to mine, freezing me in place for less than a second before I’m through the door and running after Naima. Nudging her as we run, but always staying behind her. Pushing her to go, go go.
The oppressive, humid air presses on us from all sides when we bolt out into the dark night. Our fear pushes us to go faster, like the demons of hell are the ones chasing us.
And for all we know, they damn sure are.
Throwing Naima on the back of my Ninja motorcycle, I press the helmet on her head before I mount in front of her. More than anything, I want to enjoy the feel of her legs pressing against mine, the sensation of her front melting against my back. Because it feels really good.
Too good. Too sweet. Too luscious for me.
I don’t get sweetness in my life, never expected or wanted it. The unexpected twist of meeting Naima tonight has thrown my entire world off its axis.
But I don’t have time to enjoy it. I rev the engine and when her arms squeeze tight around my waist, I place one hand over hers and pull out of the parking lot.
Too fast.
I don’t have a destination, I just know I need to get as far away from the G-Ring as I can, and then I need to circle. I search for a tail in the mirror as I weave through the city, cruising through downtown and then heading toward the outskirts.
While we ride, the girl behind me keeps a tight, fast hold. She must be getting sore, we’ve been riding for about twenty minutes, but she doesn’t loosen her grip.
For a second, I just let myself pretend. I pretend this is a normal night, that I met her in a normal bar. That she’s not so far out of my league it’s insane. That the feel of her on the back of my bike is a sensation I get to keep, nurture, and repeat.
That we didn’t just witness a murder, and the pounding in my chest is only about a woman.
The wind whips around us, and it’s warm and loud. My hair blows wild across my face, but I focus on the outline of the cityscape in the distance. The night creeps in to meet the lights of uptown, two opposites attracting in a way that reminds me of Naima and me.
I pull over along a quiet stretch of road. Killing the engine, I glance over my shoulder at Naima. She relents on her death grip, her muscles relaxing as she releases me, slow and unsure, and removes the helmet from her head. Her wide eyes blink slowly, and the shaking in her hands draws my gaze.
“Shit.” Dismounting the Ninja, I pull her from the bike and pull her small, curved body against me. Her entire frame trembles against mine, and she takes a huge, shuddering breath.
“I…where are we?” She pulls back, glancing around us with wide eyes. The pale moonlight combined with the streetlamp beside us work together to silhouette her face, letting me see her clearly.
Her dark eyes focus on me again and I apply more pressure to her waist. “We’re nowhere. Just outside the city. Needed to make sure we weren’t followed. I’ll take you home, I just…” I shove a hand through my hair, taking in her stiff posture and the pools brimming at her eyes.
“You’re not okay, are you? Of course you’re not. Fuck, Naima…I’m so sorry.”
She glances up to the sky, and then back at me. The expression in her eyes rakes me over, ripping me apart inside.
How can she ever remember this night as anything more than the worst one of her life?
A quick shake of her head. “It’s not your fault, Ace. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And so were you.”
I bark out a frustrated laugh as my eyes roll toward the night. Because I’ve never been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The trouble that follows me around? I’ve always created it. I was doing something for myself, something important, when I started the G-ring. Now it’s tainted, dirty. Because it brought this woman into my life only to royally screw up hers.
Her hand squeezes mine, forcing my attention back to her. I freeze there, like she’s holding me hostage. Just with her attention.
“I don’t blame you for what happened back there.” Her words whisper, but they’re so intense and full of force I have to listen.
I nod, and then gesture toward the Harley. “I’m going to take you home. Where do you live?”
She tells me she attends the college whose campus is located just blocks from uptown. Not too far from the G-Ring’s warehouse. But a world apart from where I grew up, even though my mom’s trailer park is just on the other side of uptown. In a not-so-up-and-coming area.
She turns to mount the bike again, before she whirls back to face me. “What are you going to do?”
Her tone, soft yet demanding, gives me the impression the answer to my question matters to her.
I lift a shoulder and let it drop. “Don’t know yet. Right now, I’m going to get you home.”
Her eyes narrow. “And then what, Ace? Do you have anyone who can help…with what just happened? Maybe the police?”
The snort is out there in the air between us before I can stop it, but I manage not to roll my eyes. “No.”
She takes a step closer, studying my face like she’ll be able to read the answers there. “No, you don’t have anyone to lean on? Or no, the police won’t help you?”
Shaking my head, a wry smile tweaks my mouth. It’s probably a little sad, a little wistful. “No to both, angel.”
Her mouth opens again before she shuts it. “Then come with me.”
What does she think is going happen when she goes strolling back into her normal life with me tagging along?
I cock my head to one side. “I’m taking you home. And then I’m going back to my place. I need to think this out. Alone.”
Alone is what I’ve always been, expect for my uncle. He’ll hear about this as soon as I can get to him, and he might have an idea of who the Suit owes. The fact that a man is probably still dead inside my ring is kind of a problem, but knowing my uncle, all it’ll take is a phone call to have that cleaned up, too.
Just because he went straight after prison doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have contacts he can trust.
“We can call the police together.” Naima’s voice is low.
Shaking my head, my tone is harder than I mean it to be when I growl. “Hell, no. You realize my ring’s illegal right? That a dead body laying inside means I’m guilty no matter what?”
Now it’s her turn to pull agitated hands through her hair. “Well, what then?”