A girl on the run.
Her father gave her one task before he died. To deliver a package.
Now she has the baddest biker in the state after her.
He wants what she's got.
Secrets in both the past and the present threaten to destroy what she is working so hard for.
He threatens to ruin her heart.
Two worlds will collide to make something explosive.
Chapter 1
Unedited and
subject to change.
You can run but you can’t hide,
I know what lies deep inside.
I lower my glasses and rush across the road, head down,
hoodie covering my head and face. A small woman standing outside of the door,
watches at me as I dart around behind the gas station, backpack tightly wrapped
around my shoulders, clipped at the front. My sneakers are worn, and they
squeak on the pavement as I scurry into the ladies toilets. I rush into the
small, crappy room, kicking in the doors, and when I realize it’s empty, I
lower my hood.
My long blonde hair tumbles out when I remove the cap from
my head that was sitting firmly under my hoodie. It’s my usual look these days.
Jeans, sneakers, singlet top, hoodie and a cap. It’s the easiest look to
disguise who I am when I’m forced to get out in public. I lower my face, and
turn on the tap, filling my hands with water and splashing it on my skin. I
close my eyes, letting the cool feeling calm my nervous, frightened body.
They’ve found me.
It’s only the third time Axel Wraithe has managed to catch
up with me in just over a year, which isn’t bad considering he’s got sources
and I don’t.
He’s the President of the MC club Angel’s In Leather, and
he’s been chasing me since the moment my father sent me running with a case
containing information on USB Drives. I’ve never plugged the drives in to see
what’s on them. Whatever is, though, I imagine is extremely important. They
wouldn’t be chasing me like this, if it wasn’t important.
Axel wouldn’t have let his men kill my father if it wasn’t
something he needed.
Would he?
I still don’t know what went down that day, all I know is
that whatever my father has in this case, Axel wants. Axel and my father used
to be best friends, until my father started up his MC club Joker’s Runners, and
they had a falling out. They became sworn enemies, and were constantly at war,
but more often then not, it was kept at a certain limit. Then that one day, it
went over.
I found out after I started running that the Angel’s In
Leather took out the Joker’s Runners in a war that stopped the entire town just
after my father died. They were looking for the case. The case I’ve been
running with for just over a year. The case that’s clearly been more important
than anything else that’s come up in that time, because Axel hasn’t stopped
looking for me.
Which means I haven’t rested.
There have been times I’ve wanted to just give in and let
him take it from me, but then I think of my father’s face the day he died in
the front of our SUV, and the desperation when he made me promise to run, and
deliver this case. If I let him down…I’ll never live happily. This is my
mission, and sadly, it’s become my life. I don’t have anything else. Without
this…I’m nothing. I have nothing…no one.
I am struggling to find this Raide fellow, without
recoursces, it’s very hard to locate him, and until I do I can’t stop. So here
I am, in a women’s bathroom, trying to calm myself down and figure out a way to
escape Axel a third time around. He’s not an easy man to escape. He’s a god
damned genius and he’s managing to get closer and closer to me no matter what I
do. I have to think of something new. Maybe I’ll cut all my hair off and dye it
red, or purple, something crazy.
I pat my face dry with my sleeve, and stare in the mirror at
the empty blue eyes looking back at me. Most girls my age would be out
partying, being in love, enjoying their life, their jobs, their friends….but
me, I’m running, living a criminal life that I never chose. On the rare days I
get where I manage to relax, I find myself imagining what it would be like to
just be normal.
I shake my head. It’s never going to happen.
I hear the distinct rumble of Harley Davidson’s outside, and
I know they’ve stopped. I feel my palms become clammy, and my heart speeds up.
I have to get out of here and into the trees behind the gas station. They’re
thick and lush, and I can run for miles through them. The problem is getting
out. This was the closest place I could find to gather myself, and it took Axel
a matter of minutes to locate me. It’s never a coincidence with him. Never.
I swallow, and lift my hair up onto the top of my head
again, tucking it under my cap. I pull my hoodie back over and grip the straps
that are sitting around my waist. My bag is strapped on as good as I can get
it, because I don’t want it to be taken from me. If it gets taken, then all this
has been a waste of time for me…and my father.
I pull my sunglasses down over my eyes, and I peer out the
window. And there he is. I feel my body tingle with fear as I lay my eyes on
Axel. He’s standing out the front of the gas station, speaking to the young
woman, flashing a photo at her. I know it’s a photo of me. She nods, and points
to the bathrooms. God dammit. Axel lifts his head, and his eyes turn in my
direction.
I gasp.
The years…they’ve been kind to him. The last few times he
got close to me, it wasn’t close enough for me to get a good look at him. To
see how the years have changed his face.
Axel Wraithe is a gorgeous man, he always has been, but he’s
got a heart of steel. I remember as a little girl, in the years before he and
my father had a falling out, I used to think he was one of the most handsome
men I’d ever met. He was just a young man back then, but he had the kind of
face that women would drool over. Now…now he’s older, and more defined, and
even more breathtaking.
He has this thick black hair that sits messily on his head.
His body is huge, tall and well built, yet unlike most bikers, not covered in
tattoos. He has a few, but not many. His shoulder’s put most body builders to
shame. His eyes are the color of turquoise water, and are the prettiest eyes
I’ve ever seen. He’s got a few days growth of stubble on his face, and his ears
are filled with silver hoops.
His body is covered in all black clothes. Large, chunky
black boots. Black jeans. A black shirt covered with his black jacket, with,
what I know, has a large angel surrounded in fire on the back. Their club’s
patch. He wears chains around his neck and leather bands around his wrists,
hanging off his jeans, he has silver chains, topping off his look.
Axel is about forty years old, and while he was my father’s
best friend, he was ten years younger than him. They met a few years after my
parents had me. I know my father helped him out of some bad things, and felt a
connection to him. Things went well right up until I was about ten, and that’s
when my father created his club and he and Axel had a massive falling out.
I never saw Axel again…until the night he saved my life.
Now, he’s standing, staring at the bathroom’s, a small,
deadly smirk on his face. Sweat trickles down my face as I turn, peering around
the bathroom for an escape. There’s a small, narrow window above the far
toilet. It’s not locked, and I could squeeze out of it with enough effort. I
glance back out the window and see Axel still staring at the bathroom, nodding
to the lady as she speaks.
I have minutes.
My adrenalin spikes as I rush towards the toilet. I peer up
at the window, and use the toilet and basin to launch myself upwards. I take
hold of the window sill and use my free hand to rattle the window. It’s rusty,
but it dislodges itself easily enough. I shove it out, and it lands with a
crash on the ground. My heart begins to hammer.
I unclip my backpack, there’s no way I can get through with
it on my back. I peer out the window, and when I see it’s clear, I shove the
bag through and let it drop down onto the ground. That’s when I hear the
rattling on the toilet’s main door. My heart lurches and I feel my jaw begin to
tremble.
“Meadow, you didn’t honestly think you could hide in a
toilet, did you?”
Axel’s voice has me freezing, but only for a split second.
I’ve been running long enough now to know how to keep myself from freezing for
long enough to cause a problem. I lift my leg up and try to be as quiet as
possible as I jump three times, and shove my body through the small gap. I lose
my balance when I push through too hard, and land on the dirt the other side
with a thump. I roll, gripping my bag and throwing it on quickly, before
leaping to my feet.
And there he is.
I scream and leap backwards as he appears around the side of
the building. Up close, he’s powerful, huge and dominating. He has a tattoo of
a bird on his neck, and it seems to be staring at me, taunting me. I lift my
eyes to meet his, and I gasp softly. Beauty, it just doesn’t cover what he is.
He can’t be classed as beautiful. There is only one word I could ever use to
describe him, and that is…devastating.
“Hello Cricket,” he purrs, using a nickname for me that he
used to use when I was a little girl. “Long time, no see.”
I swallow, and grip my backpack. “Axel.”
He smiles, showing me a row of perfect, white teeth. Two
dimples appear in his cheeks. “And here I was thinking you’d forgotten about
me, I mean, you’ve been running for me now for…what has it been, Cricket? Over
a year?”
“One year, three months and six days,” I whisper, shuffling
backwards.
He chuckles. “And you know I was going to catch up to you
eventually, so we could have avoided all this if you had just given me what I
wanted back then.”
I don’t say anything, I just grip my backpack straps
tighter, and let my eyes dart around behind my sunglasses to look for a way
out. I see a thick mass of trees behind him, probably about fifty meters. If I
could get to them, I could hide myself…I also see a pile of rusty metal poles
in the corner, leaning against the wall. I turn my body slightly toward them,
and begin very slowly backing up. Axel steps forward, suddenly gripping the
side of my face. His other hand grips my backpack. I snarl and shove, pushing
hard enough to get him to let go. He stands back with a smirk.
“Don’t touch me!” I hiss.
His smirk widens. “Nice disguise you have there, but you
know, when you live in a disguise, people start looking for it. Should have
changed it, Cricket.”
“Don’t call me that,” I growl, gripping the straps on my
backpack even tighter.
“Take off your hoodie, Meadow,” he rasps. “Let me see you.
Let me see the girl who has fucked my life up for the past year. It’s been so
long, hasn’t it? Last time I saw those baby blue eyes, you were jumpin’ off a
bridge tryin’ to end your life.”
I flinch and anger builds in my chest.
I let go of my backpack and grip my sunglasses and I pull
them off, then I lower my hoodie and rip my cap off. I want him to see me. I
want him to look into my eyes and see the determination there. He won’t beat
me, it doesn’t matter how hard he tries – I’ll try harder. I lift my face and I
stare him right in the eyes. And it’s because of that, I notice his reaction.
His body flinches, only just barely, and his eyes widen. He
hasn’t seen me since that awful night. Our interaction after that, was done
with me being fully covered. I stand on trembling legs as he takes me in,
letting his eyes move over my body. I notice when he narrows his eyes, that he
has small lines beside his eyes, the only indication of his age.
“Well fuck me, Cricket. You grew up and became a knock out,
and here you are, wastin’ it by runnin’ when all you have to do, is give me
what I want and you can go on your way. Wouldn’t it be nice to be a normal
girl?”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” I say, trying to stop my voice
from trembling.
He glares at me. “You are fuckin’ stupid, because you’ve
been wastin’ your time running for me for the past year.”
“And I’ll continue running from you, Axel. I won’t stop. And
if you think I’m going to fall for your promises of freedom for me if I hand
over the goods, then you know nothing about me. I’ve lived with bikers before,
remember? I’ve seen the promises made. You’ll not get your hands on me…”
His eyes harden and he takes a step forward. I brace myself
to run.
“Is that so? Funny, because you’re the one trapped against a
toilet wall with no where to go.”
“Again,” I whisper, reaching around behind me and gripping
the long metal poles I’ve been edging closer to. “You don’t know me, if you
knew me, you’d know that I know what I’m doing by now, and no one traps me
against a wall.”
I swing the pole. His body moves to block it, but it hits
his hands so hard he goes reeling back with a roar. I swing it again,
connecting with his kneecaps. When he drops to the ground, I run. It’s one
thing I do know how to do. I put my head down, my arms by my side and I run as
fast as I can move.
I hear Axel’s bellow, and I know he’s calling for his men. I
have seconds. I hit the trees just as I hear the shouts beginning to grow
louder behind me. I skid to my left, running through a narrow set of tall
trees, in an attempt to get into the thicker shrubs. My sneakers crunch, and I
know there’s no way I can pull this off quietly, but I will pull it off.
I hear the sounds of boots crunching in the distance, and I
have no doubt Axel has his entire group of men spreading out to chase me. My
adrenalin spikes, and I pick up my face, ignoring the sweat pouring down my
face, or the branches scratching into my skin. I won’t let him beat me now, not
after everything I’ve fought for.
I pick up my pace when I come to a clearing, running hard
and fast. It’s never good to be caught in a clearing, I’ve learned that. I put
my head down, and run as hard as I can. I can hardly breathe through my
panting, it’s so intense. The sweat begins to fill my eyes and it burns. I
blink rapidly, lifting my hand to swipe it quickly across, trying to remove
some of it. It only makes it worse.
“Stop, Meadow, do yourself a favor!” Axel bellows.
I look over my shoulder to see him and six other men running
towards me. My adrenalin spikes and I focus my attention in front of me. The
only thing I can see is a large river off what looks like a small ledge. My
heart skitters. Can I jump off that?
“Stop now and I’ll make it easier for you.”
I don’t have a choice.
I have to jump.
I run to the edge, and skid to a stop as I look down at the
flowing water. My entire body stiffens and my breath hitches. Memories of that
night on the bridge flash through my mind. My skin begins to prickle, and it
becomes even harder to breathe. It’s not the same, you can swim now and the
water is nice, clear and safe. You won’t die. You just have to get over the
other side.
“She won’t jump,” I hear Axel yell.
“Hurry it up!” someone else bellows.
I hear the sound of boots crunching coming closer. God, if
they get hold of me now, all this has been for nothing. I stare down at the
water, and goosebumps break out over my skin. I can’t breathe, I can hardly
concentrate. I know they’ll get me any moment. I close my eyes, taking a deep
breath.
“Promise me, Meadow…”
My father’s words spring back into my mind and I know I have
to do this. So, without opening my eyes, I jump. It happens in what feels like
slow motion, my entire body plummets to the water below. I hit it flat on my
stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I sink quickly, even though I can swim
now, the panic has my body stiffening in fear.
I begin to struggle.
My backpack is too heavy.
I shake my head from side to side, keeping my mouth clamped
shut, kicking my legs as hard as I can. I feel a set of hard arms go around me,
and I sieze. I’m slowly being pulled to the surface, on that surface I’ll be
taken somewhere I don’t want to go. At the realization of that, I start kicking
harder, until I hit the person holding me.
When I surface, I gasp a breath of air in, and I kick hard
towards the other side. I hear Axel’s crackled voice sound out behind me. “Stop
fuckin’ running Cricket, we’re not going to keep doing this.”
Oh yes we are.
I kick harder, using everything inside me to get to the
other side. I reach the bank and launch myself up, gripping the sides with my
hands. I’m about to pull my body up, when those arms go around me again and
yank me back down. With a scream, I go crashing back into the water. Axel has
me, and he spins my body around so I’m facing him. Up close I can see his eyes,
and I hate that he makes my heart flutter.
I’m supposed to hate him.
“Quit this fuckin’ bullshit and just give in.”
“No,” I growl, shoving at his chest.
“I won’t play this game with you any longer, Cricket. If I
have to, I will hurt you.”
I lean in close. “Does it look like I care?”
He growls and pins me tighter against his body. When I’m
this close to him, and my body is pressing against his, I can feel every part
of him. His powerful form is twice the size of mine, and a good solid foot
taller. His arms tighten around me, and I know I have to think quickly. I stare
up at him, meeting those devastating eyes.
“Please,” I whisper. “Don’t do this to me.”
His eyes soften a touch, but only a touch. “Then give me
what I want.”
I’m playing, only he doesn’t know it.
“I cared about you Axel, can’t you just remember that and
let me go. Remember how once, you cared for me too.”
He shakes his head. “Nice try, Cricket. It ain’t gonna
work.”
I let my eyes fill with fake tears. “He was all I had left
and you took him from me, now you’re going to take the last of him and leave me
with what?”
He narrows his gaze. “You’ll find a way, that’s what strong
people do.”
“No, Axel, that’s what you would do. I’m not you.”
“Girl I knew wouldn’t have a problem being that strong.”
“I’m not the girl you once knew, I grew up, Axel. Or hadn’t
you noticed?”
I press myself harder against him and he growls. I want to
lean up and kiss him, I can smell his masculine scent and it’s killing me that
it’s affecting my control. I realize I’m staring at his lips, and I quickly
turn away, biting mine.
“Stop fuckin’ doin’ that,” he murmurs.
I look back up at him, and slowly I lean up so my lips just
graze his ear. I’m having him on, I need to escape, but my body is betraying
me, because it’s enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. “Doing what?” I
murmur.
“Fuckin’ hell, stop,” he growls.
I let a warm puff of air tickle his neck, and then I lean
down, and I bite him so hard I draw blood. His bellow of pain as he reels
backwards is enough to let me know it fucking hurt. I spin quickly, not looking
back. I launch up onto the bank, and without stopping, I run into the line of
trees.
“I’ll fuckin’ find you, Willow,” Axel roars. “Mark my
fuckin’ words.”
I have no doubt he will.
But like always, I’ll find a way to escape him.
I always do.
