heavy boot. His gaze raked over me, missing nothing. Looking thoughtful, he fished in the bag on the other side, and pulled out a flannel shirt.
"Put this on. I can't do anything about your legs right now, but maybe that'll help a little." He tossed the shirt my way. "We have a fifteen-minute ride ahead, and part of it will be a little rough. Nothing I can do about that either. When we get there, I'll have to take a little walk and talk to my buddy. You stay at the bike and don't move. Understood?"
I nodded and buttoned the shirt, grateful for it. He got back on the bike, and I waited for him get it started and gesture for me to climb behind him. Wherever he intended to take me must be even more in the middle of nowhere. No other cars came into sight from either direction.
At one point, I caught the sparkle of moonlight on a lot of water. Once more, I felt fear at Ryker's intentions, but I tried to shake it off. Surely he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of rescuing me from the Russian just to kill me himself? He put himself in serious danger from both Royse, and the Russian. I doubted he would go to that much trouble just to turn around and kill me himself.
He slowed and turned off the road onto a gravel track. When he hit the first bump, I felt it all the way up my spine. The second came not even a heartbeat later. I quickly lost track of everything except trying to hold on and keep all my teeth in my mouth.
The path came to a sudden end in a tiny clearing and he stopped the bike. I climbed off when he told me to.
"Remember what I said, Elena. Do not leave this spot under any circumstances. I'll be back in a few minutes. Understand?"
I nodded.
He took my shoulders in a firm grip. "I need the words, Elena."
"I understand. I'll stay here."
"Good girl." He handed me the bag he'd brought his clothes in from the fights. "If you're hungry or thirsty, there's water and a protein bar in the side pocket. I'll be back soon."
And just like that, he disappeared from sight. The sound of his footsteps reached me for a couple more minutes, but then that was gone, too.
Fear made my mouth painfully dry, so I searched his bag for the water he'd mentioned. After a few swallows, I took a careful look around. The darkness hid things I'd rather not think about, but I could make out the path that brought us to the middle of nowhere.
A long time later, Ryker still hadn't returned, and I tried to decide what to do. Surely he didn't mean me to stay there forever? What if something had happened to him? I couldn't just sit there and hope for another rescuer. I made my way to the edge of the path, but quickly turned back when the sharp rocks cut into my bare feet.
Discouraged and scared, I went back to the bike and dropped to sit beside it. The damp grass chilled my legs, but I stayed put. If he never came back, I would die there, anyway. What difference did it make if I caught a cold?
Tired as fuck from the stress of the last few days, I put his bag beside me and lay down, using it for a pillow. At the moment, just curling up to die seemed like as good a choice as any. I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, a warm hand stroked over my cheek.
"Come on, Elena, time to rise and shine."
There for just a second, I thought the whole damn mess might have been a bad dream. But then I moved a little and a rock dug painfully into the side of my thigh.
"That's my girl. Come on, got you some clothes." He helped me stand with gentle hands, and didn't let go until I'd stretched and steadied myself. "Here, put these on. They're not much, but better than that dress."
I nodded and shoved my legs into blessedly dry, warm jeans. They were too big, but it didn't matter, they felt fantastic. He handed me a pair of sneakers and turned to do something at the back of his bike. I put the shoes on and managed to tie them tightly enough they might not fall off my feet.
"Here. I don't have an extra belt, but this should help with the pants." I
"Put this on. I can't do anything about your legs right now, but maybe that'll help a little." He tossed the shirt my way. "We have a fifteen-minute ride ahead, and part of it will be a little rough. Nothing I can do about that either. When we get there, I'll have to take a little walk and talk to my buddy. You stay at the bike and don't move. Understood?"
I nodded and buttoned the shirt, grateful for it. He got back on the bike, and I waited for him get it started and gesture for me to climb behind him. Wherever he intended to take me must be even more in the middle of nowhere. No other cars came into sight from either direction.
At one point, I caught the sparkle of moonlight on a lot of water. Once more, I felt fear at Ryker's intentions, but I tried to shake it off. Surely he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of rescuing me from the Russian just to kill me himself? He put himself in serious danger from both Royse, and the Russian. I doubted he would go to that much trouble just to turn around and kill me himself.
He slowed and turned off the road onto a gravel track. When he hit the first bump, I felt it all the way up my spine. The second came not even a heartbeat later. I quickly lost track of everything except trying to hold on and keep all my teeth in my mouth.
The path came to a sudden end in a tiny clearing and he stopped the bike. I climbed off when he told me to.
"Remember what I said, Elena. Do not leave this spot under any circumstances. I'll be back in a few minutes. Understand?"
I nodded.
He took my shoulders in a firm grip. "I need the words, Elena."
"I understand. I'll stay here."
"Good girl." He handed me the bag he'd brought his clothes in from the fights. "If you're hungry or thirsty, there's water and a protein bar in the side pocket. I'll be back soon."
And just like that, he disappeared from sight. The sound of his footsteps reached me for a couple more minutes, but then that was gone, too.
Fear made my mouth painfully dry, so I searched his bag for the water he'd mentioned. After a few swallows, I took a careful look around. The darkness hid things I'd rather not think about, but I could make out the path that brought us to the middle of nowhere.
A long time later, Ryker still hadn't returned, and I tried to decide what to do. Surely he didn't mean me to stay there forever? What if something had happened to him? I couldn't just sit there and hope for another rescuer. I made my way to the edge of the path, but quickly turned back when the sharp rocks cut into my bare feet.
Discouraged and scared, I went back to the bike and dropped to sit beside it. The damp grass chilled my legs, but I stayed put. If he never came back, I would die there, anyway. What difference did it make if I caught a cold?
Tired as fuck from the stress of the last few days, I put his bag beside me and lay down, using it for a pillow. At the moment, just curling up to die seemed like as good a choice as any. I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, a warm hand stroked over my cheek.
"Come on, Elena, time to rise and shine."
There for just a second, I thought the whole damn mess might have been a bad dream. But then I moved a little and a rock dug painfully into the side of my thigh.
"That's my girl. Come on, got you some clothes." He helped me stand with gentle hands, and didn't let go until I'd stretched and steadied myself. "Here, put these on. They're not much, but better than that dress."
I nodded and shoved my legs into blessedly dry, warm jeans. They were too big, but it didn't matter, they felt fantastic. He handed me a pair of sneakers and turned to do something at the back of his bike. I put the shoes on and managed to tie them tightly enough they might not fall off my feet.
"Here. I don't have an extra belt, but this should help with the pants." I
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