I’m not on the phone for over fifteen minutes when I turn around and don’t see Rosalie. The hotel room we are sharing is small. She is not in the bathroom and I didn’t hear the door close. I notice the towel on the floor keeping the door from closing and making a sound. I grab my jacket, pat my pockets to make sure I have my keys and wallet before I run out of the room, kicking the towel inside and hearing the door clicking close.
I race out of Heartstone and onto the highway towards Saddleback. Before they cross the line between Missouri and Tennessee, I see her inside of a taxi. I inch close to the taxi car and force him to get off the highway and into the emergency lane. Before the driver could scream at me, I open the door beside her, grab her by the arm and offered him a hundred-dollar bill. He presses his lips together and grabs the money. I close the door and pat the top of the cab to let him know he can leave.
“What the fuck you think you were doing?”
“Getting my van?”
“I’m not stupid, and I know you are not. What you thought you could do by going there alone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe stop them from bringing people who have nothing to do with this?”
“By offering yourself?”
“Yeah. If that’s what it takes for people, for you, for my friends to be safe, I will. I’ve given up so many things; what’s one more that different?”
“What if they want you to give up your life?”
“Kill me? I’m not ready, but if my death protects innocent people and my friends, then so be it.”
“What if they want something else? Something more? What if they want to sell your body to the highest bidder? What if they want to sell your naked photos? What if they want to use your voice to entertain horrible people? What if they want you to sing and dance while men rape other women and little girls in front of you?”
She gasp and her eyes are open so wide I think her eyeballs are going to pop out at any second. Fear colors her face. Her hands covering her open mouth tremble.
“They would do that to me?”
“That and more. Rosalie, Los Cuervos de Plata, left a bigger cartel group because its current core members were doing things the bigger cartel leader despise. The boss of the Crows is ten times more vicious than the cartel he came from. These are not people who would logically negotiate with you. To them, every person is a means to an end.”
The sound of motorcycles catches my ear, and I swear. I grab the helmet she’s been wearing and put it on her fast.
“These helmets are bulletproof. Don’t open the visor and don’t take it off until I tell you to. It’s gonna be uncomfortable and tight, but we both have to sit here. If they are using guns, I can’t have you sitting behind me. You are not ready to drive at the speed we need to. Come on, we only have less than five minutes to gain some distance from them.”
I hop on my bike and sit as back in the already small seat as I can. I help Rosalie get on in front of me and instructed her where to hold on. This way, my back can shield her from any bullets. I kick the kickstand and drive faster than I have ever done in my life.
“Hold on,” I scream over the wind, the sound of half a dozen motorcycles and gunshots.
The ones chasing us have shit aim. I tighten my grip on the accelerator before I pull my gun out of my back and shot them. One deflated tire takes two bikes down. The one I hit loses the control of his bike and hits the one beside him. I narrow my eyes and zero in the next one. I hit his shoulder so hard he also loses control of his motorcycle, but he doesn’t take any of his friends with him.
A few of their bullets graze my helmet and one tears my jacket but doesn’t touch my skin.
I hit the foot of the next driver and that one takes care other the rest of the cartel members and makes the motorcycle explode and burn.
I don’t wait until I find an exit to turn to Heartstone. There is a small open section between the metal barrier dividing the highways. It is enough space for me to pass with my bike. I hit the 110 mph as I hear them shooting at us. I bite the inside of my cheek as one bullet hit me. I look down to check how much I’m bleeding and how long can I hide it from Rosalie when I see the scratches and holes on my motorcycle.
I take a deep breath, trying to push down the pain on my side. It seems like I’m gonna cash on that favor he owes me.
I get us safely back to Heartstone, stopping at the Miller Car Restoration & Repair. I help Rosalie get off the bike before I do. As I take her helmet off, she presses her hand onto the side I’m bleeding from and she freezes when she sees blood on her hand.
“You got hurt and you come here to get your bike repair? We need to go to a hospital, Cooper.”
I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear before caressing her cheekbones. Gosh, she is so beautiful, in and out. I don’t want to think what I’m willing to do if I didn’t get to her before the Crows.
“If I don’t fix my bike, we won’t be able to escape if they come here,” I say.
“Fuck that. Cooper, you are hurt. You are bleeding.”
I shrug. “As long as you are not the one hurt, I’m okay.”
“Don’t say that.”
