held my dress and shirt up while he bent to fiddle with something at my waist. "There. That should do it." He stepped back. "Why don't you ditch that dress and I'll find you a hat?"
It grew a little lighter with every passing minute, and the trees all around were full of chirping birds. Morning.
I pulled the dress off and happily dropped it to the ground, then put his shirt back on, and took the baseball cap he offered.
"Pull your hair through the back of it. That'll help keep it out of both our faces on the road." He got on the bike while I followed orders. "Ready for breakfast?"
My stomach answered for me with a loud growl.
He grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. Come on, let's go."
I climbed on and held on tight as he took us back over the bumpy trail, which I saw had once been a railroad. They'd removed the rails and the ties, leaving the rock base with deep gouges where the ties had once been.
Thankfully, that ended, and in ten minutes or so, he pulled into a fast food place and parked. I climbed off as soon as he stopped the bike, not at all steady. In the near full light, he took a long look at me, then looped his arm around my waist and led me toward the door.
"The ladies room is just inside the door. You'll want to stop in there first. I'll wait for you, and we'll go on inside together. Understood?"
Memory flashed back to the last time he issued orders, and I spoke instead of just nodding. "I understand."
"Good girl." He pulled me tight to his side for a moment, then opened the door for me.
In the restroom, I got a glimpse of my face in the mirror as I rushed for the toilet. Damn, no wonder he wanted me to go there first. I'd be ashamed to be seen with me, too. I flushed and went to inspect the damage.
I couldn't do much about the fresh bruise on my jaw, or the fading one on my cheek. Wet paper towels took care of the dirt that caked the side of my face, and the blood dried over my lip and chin. With no hope of getting rid of all the heavy makeup, I used a damp paper towel to try and even it out a little. I even managed to blend a little over the bruises. Satisfied I'd done all I could, I went back out to find Ryker right where he promised he would wait.
He nodded approvingly. "You clean up pretty good, Elena." With his arm around me once more, he held the inner door open and guided me to the counter. "Get whatever you'd like."
The prices were fucking ridiculous. Even though I felt like I could eat two of everything on the menu, I forced my eyes to the dollar section. "Um, just hash browns and coffee, please."
Ryker gave me an odd look for an instant. "She'll have the pancake breakfast, too, with bacon, and scrambled eggs. I'll have the same, and coffee. Add two large OJs, too."
I squirmed uncomfortably while he paid and accepted our tray, then followed him to a table. The coffee smelled delicious and I took a careful sip as soon as he handed it to me.
He put our food on the table and dropped the tray on the neighboring table. "One rule, Elena."
My heart thundered at the sternness of his voice. I waited, too scared to ask.
"While you're with me, you eat. Understood?"
"I-I understand."
He winked at me. "Good girl. Now dig in. We have a long day ahead of us."
Chapter Seven
Ryker:
Elena ate like she'd never seen breakfast food before. That, combined with the memory of her eating the steak that night at my place, made me think she probably didn't eat too regularly. Her story must be a harsh one. Those bruises on her face said life hadn't been too nice recently.
"Tell me a little more about yourself, Elena." Of course, I only asked to make conversation, not through any real curiosity.
She shrugged a little. "There really isn't that much to tell."
It was going to be like that, huh? "Why don't you start by telling me how you became involved with Royse in the first place?"
She pushed the food around on her plate a little. "It isn't a pretty story, Ryker. I'd rather not go back through it
It grew a little lighter with every passing minute, and the trees all around were full of chirping birds. Morning.
I pulled the dress off and happily dropped it to the ground, then put his shirt back on, and took the baseball cap he offered.
"Pull your hair through the back of it. That'll help keep it out of both our faces on the road." He got on the bike while I followed orders. "Ready for breakfast?"
My stomach answered for me with a loud growl.
He grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. Come on, let's go."
I climbed on and held on tight as he took us back over the bumpy trail, which I saw had once been a railroad. They'd removed the rails and the ties, leaving the rock base with deep gouges where the ties had once been.
Thankfully, that ended, and in ten minutes or so, he pulled into a fast food place and parked. I climbed off as soon as he stopped the bike, not at all steady. In the near full light, he took a long look at me, then looped his arm around my waist and led me toward the door.
"The ladies room is just inside the door. You'll want to stop in there first. I'll wait for you, and we'll go on inside together. Understood?"
Memory flashed back to the last time he issued orders, and I spoke instead of just nodding. "I understand."
"Good girl." He pulled me tight to his side for a moment, then opened the door for me.
In the restroom, I got a glimpse of my face in the mirror as I rushed for the toilet. Damn, no wonder he wanted me to go there first. I'd be ashamed to be seen with me, too. I flushed and went to inspect the damage.
I couldn't do much about the fresh bruise on my jaw, or the fading one on my cheek. Wet paper towels took care of the dirt that caked the side of my face, and the blood dried over my lip and chin. With no hope of getting rid of all the heavy makeup, I used a damp paper towel to try and even it out a little. I even managed to blend a little over the bruises. Satisfied I'd done all I could, I went back out to find Ryker right where he promised he would wait.
He nodded approvingly. "You clean up pretty good, Elena." With his arm around me once more, he held the inner door open and guided me to the counter. "Get whatever you'd like."
The prices were fucking ridiculous. Even though I felt like I could eat two of everything on the menu, I forced my eyes to the dollar section. "Um, just hash browns and coffee, please."
Ryker gave me an odd look for an instant. "She'll have the pancake breakfast, too, with bacon, and scrambled eggs. I'll have the same, and coffee. Add two large OJs, too."
I squirmed uncomfortably while he paid and accepted our tray, then followed him to a table. The coffee smelled delicious and I took a careful sip as soon as he handed it to me.
He put our food on the table and dropped the tray on the neighboring table. "One rule, Elena."
My heart thundered at the sternness of his voice. I waited, too scared to ask.
"While you're with me, you eat. Understood?"
"I-I understand."
He winked at me. "Good girl. Now dig in. We have a long day ahead of us."
Chapter Seven
Ryker:
Elena ate like she'd never seen breakfast food before. That, combined with the memory of her eating the steak that night at my place, made me think she probably didn't eat too regularly. Her story must be a harsh one. Those bruises on her face said life hadn't been too nice recently.
"Tell me a little more about yourself, Elena." Of course, I only asked to make conversation, not through any real curiosity.
She shrugged a little. "There really isn't that much to tell."
It was going to be like that, huh? "Why don't you start by telling me how you became involved with Royse in the first place?"
She pushed the food around on her plate a little. "It isn't a pretty story, Ryker. I'd rather not go back through it
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