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“In about an hour,” Rip replied.

  I knew then and there that something major was about to go down in an hour.

  Rip dug around in the paper bag and pulled out bags of French fries, sandwiches and napkins. He threw a cheeseburger wrapped in wax paper back at me like I was some sort of dog.

  “There ya go, princess,” he snickered. He unwrapped his sandwich and shoved half of it in his mouth all at once. He was so disgusting.

  The burger smelled charbroiled and the cheese was perfectly melted. The bun was soft and fresh, and much to my surprise, there was not an ounce of mayo anywhere on the thing. I took small, manageable bites. Hoping to make it last as long as possible. I knew if I inhaled it, I would be left just as starving as I was before.

  Shark reached down and grabbed a couple cans of beer from his brown paper bag. He cracked one and handed the other to Rip, who cracked his and gulped it loudly, burping between each drink.

  “Did you get my drink?” I asked.

  Shark said nothing and handed me a cup of soda and a straw. I unwrapped the straw faster than I ever had in my life, stuck it in the cup, and took a sip. The cool, refreshing, citrusy drink told me it was none other than Mountain Dew. They were giving me more caffeine. It wasn’t quite an energy drink, but the night was starting off like it had the night before. I tried to focus on how good it felt to wet my whistle and have a warm meal in my belly. That was about all I had going for me in that moment.

  CHAPTER 20

  I sat in the back of the truck, quietly eating my sandwich and slurping my soda, while Rip and Shark got drunk in the front. Rip turned on the radio and the low lull of depressing country music filled the speakers. I could tell the sound had been moved to the rear speakers, which drowned out the conversation going on in the front seat. I couldn’t have made out what they were saying if I tried.

  I watched their expressions and tried to get a read on them. They were up to something. Shark looked more and more agitated by the minute, almost as if he was on edge. Or maybe he was on high alert. Rip seemed like his idiotic, relaxed self. He mostly nodded to whatever Shark was saying to him.

  “I’m going to go take a piss,” Shark announced loudly as he climbed out, nearly stumbling to the ground. He was clearly feeling those beers he’d just downed. I watched as he stumbled towards the inside of the restaurant. It was just Rip and me now.

  “So what’s the plan?” I asked him, trying to seem casual.

  Rip reached up and turned the music down until it was nearly silent.

  “Huh?” he asked. I couldn’t tell if he was playing dumb or buying time to try to think of what to say without his brains, AKA Shark, there to think for him.

  “What’s going on tonight?” I asked again.

  “Already told you,” he replied. “You’re earning your keep. Making us back the money you lost us last night and then some.”

  “You know, you could probably make a lot more money by selling me back to Raze,” I said, trying to think on my feet. “Like a ransom.”

  Rip raised his eyebrows as if to agree with me.

  “Had you even thought of that?” I asked.

  “Well then what would be the point of that?” he asked. “That’d be no fun.”

  “I didn’t realize this was about having fun,” I said with my arms crossed. “I thought this was about you and Raze.”

  “Oh, trust me, sweetheart,” Rip snorted. “It is about us and Raze.”

  I figured they got some sort of sick satisfaction by pimping out Raze’s girl. That was the only thing I could think of. I knew Raze would stop at nothing and pay any price to get me back if they put a ransom on my head. It wasn’t about the money, I was starting to realize. It was about power and control.

  I leaned back in the seat and sighed. I was getting nowhere with Rip. He may have been dumber than a box of rocks or it may have all been an act, but I was still getting nowhere.

  My head began to pound and throb, and I could feel a massive headache coming on. Probably from the dehydration, I figured. I hoped the caffeine from the soda would kick in soon and take care of it. The last thing those assholes would get for me would be any sort of pain reliever.

  I looked around the parking lot. Shark should’ve been returning soon and then the night was sure to really get started. It was getting later and later. I figured it was only a matter of time before they’d take me to some local bar and get things going.

  Completely out of nowhere, I heard the click of a door handle and Rip went flying out of the driver’s side of the truck. I popped up, startled, and scooted over to look out the window. Rip was lying on the ground and some man was pounding and pulverizing the shit out of him.

  “Agh, ah, ugh,” I heard as Rip took punch after punch to the face and back. His body made a sick thud as it landed on the gravel. Rocks were flying everywhere.

  The man was dressed in black leather and wore a black ski mask, which was unusual for summer. I couldn’t tell if it was a random mugging or a planned attack.

  Rip was drunk enough that he didn’t have an ounce of dexterity to even fight back. I saw splatters of blood all over the white gravel parking lot, and Rip’s shirt was quickly tattered and torn. Under the pale glow of the moonlight above, I could see Rip’s face turning growing black, blue, and swollen. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth as he put up his hands to block the swinging punches that seemed to continue without any sort of relent.

  Soon Rip was completely passed out. That or he was dead. I wasn’t completely sure. My blood suddenly ran ice cold as the man turned towards the truck and locked eyes with me. In the dark night, I couldn’t see his face, but he had honed in on me. I wondered if I was next and what he wanted.

  He took a step closer to the truck and swung open the door, climbing inside.

  “Wh-who are you?” I stammered.

  He took a look around the parking lot before lifting up his ski mask part-way. I saw the most amazing sight I’d ever seen in my entire life. It was Raze.

  “Raze!” I exclaimed as my heart raced. “Oh, my god!”

  “Shh!” he said as he lowered the mask back over his face. “Act natural.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shark returning to the car. Thank goodness he couldn’t see Rip’s limp and possibly lifeless body lying next to the driver’s side of the truck. Shark wrestled with the door handle, still drunk as a skunk, and climbed in the passenger seat.

  “Glad to see you didn’t do anything stupid,” he snorted to me. “Got big plans for you tonight.”

  He reached down and fished around for another beer in his paper sack and then groaned as he realized they were all gone.

  “Well, fuck,” he said. He leaned back in his seat, sighing loudly in frustration.

  I sat in the back, frozen like a block of ice, as I waited for Raze to make a move. Somehow Shark hadn’t noticed that it wasn’t Rip sitting in the driver’s seat. It was nothing short of a miracle.

  I heard the cocking of what could only be a handgun, and I closed my eyes.

  “What the-” I heard Shark say.

  “Don’t move,” Raze said in a low growl. It didn’t sound like Raze at all.

  “What fuck is this?” Shark said with a smart ass laugh. He was trying to act like he wasn’t intimidated at all.

  “What the fuck do you think it is?” Raze growled back. “Don’t move or I’ll blow your fucking brains out all over the inside of this truck.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Shark said.

  “Try me,” Raze said. “Seriously. Try me.”

  Raze held the gun mere inches from Shark’s temple, inching it closer and closer until it was smack dab against his left temple. Shark winced as the cool, smooth metal made contact with his skin.

  “I highly recommend the lady in the back closes her eyes,” Raze said in a low tone.

  I willingly obliged. I trusted Raze.

  I’ll never forget the sound that followed. The explosion. The smell of gun powder. The ringing in my ears. T
he blood everywhere, splattered across the dash, the upholstery, the windows, and both of us. It happened so fast.

  Raze climbed out of the truck, popped the seat forward and grabbed me by the arm. My legs felt like Jell-O from being crammed back there all day, but I ran after him as fast as I could. No matter how fast we ran, though, it still felt like slow motion. Even though I knew Shark was dead, I still wanted to turn back and look over my shoulder. I felt like he was chasing after me, about to grab my shoulder and yank me away from Raze at any moment.

  We hurried around to the side of the building where Raze’s bike was hidden between some dumpsters. He climbed on, started it up, and I hopped on behind him. I clenched onto him so tight it probably hurt him, but I didn’t care. I was never letting go of him ever again.

  As the fresh air covered our blood-spattered selves and the vibration of the cycle rumbled beneath us, I’d never felt anything so amazing in my life.

  Raze had rescued me. I was free.

  CHAPTER 21

  I don’t remember how long we rode for. The minutes seemed to stand still and fly by all at the same time. It was surreal to say the least. To be riding on the back of Raze’s bike once again, to have been rescued from the evilness that was Rip and Shark, and to be free once and for all was nothing short of a dream for me.

  I’d never given up hope completely, but I had my moments over those three days where I seriously doubted I would ever be free.

  I rested my cheek against Raze’s back and breathed in the musky scent of his leather jacket. He felt like home to me. He was home to me.

  We pulled off to a rest stop along a quiet stretch of dark interstate some time later.

  “Raze,” I said as we climbed off and he took a step towards me. My eyes burned and tears wanted to fall, but they were happy tears. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

  He cupped my face in his hands and rubbed my cheek.

  “Let’s get cleaned up,” he said. “We can talk when we get to the hotel.”

  “I’m not leaving your side,” I said as I clenched onto his hand.

  “That’s fine,” he laughed.

  We strolled towards the bathrooms, hand in hand, and found a private, single stall restroom labeled for family use only. Paying no regards to the sign, we walked in and locked the door. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I looked awful. My skin was pale and sallow. I had big circles under my eyes and my dark hair washed out my fair complexion, especially under those harsh fluorescent lights.

  Blood spatters covered the side of my face, and dried bits of blood were stuck in my hair. It was almost a metallic scent and one that I’d never forget as long as I lived.

  “I’m sorry you had to see me to that,” Raze said with a solemn expression.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “I’m glad you did that. Those men were monsters.”

  Raze studied my face. I could tell he wanted to ask about everything that had happened, but he knew it just wasn’t the time.

  “Let’s get cleaned up and back on the road,” he said. He pulled out a plastic sack. I hadn’t even noticed him grab it. I guess I was too worried about not letting go of him for one second.

  He sat out a bottle of shampoo, a bar of soap, and a fresh change of my clothes. He was so prepared and it was damn sexy. I wondered how many times he’d done that before, cleaned up after a crime, but I quickly pushed that thought aside. It didn’t matter now. Not at all.

  I turned the faucet on, adjusting the temp to the perfect combination of hot and cold, and lowered my hair down. Raze grabbed the bottle of shampoo, squeezed a glob into his hand and began massaging it into my hair. The water ran red as Shark’s blood rinsed out. It was both disgusting and exhilarating to see those traces of Shark get clean washed away.

  His strong hands massaging my scalp was everything I loved about Raze. He was tough yet he had a sensitive, compassionate side. He was protective, yet you didn’t want to ever cross him. I knew he was capable of a lot of things, many of them unspeakable, but I knew he cared about me deeply. I knew he shared with me a side that no one else got to see.

  As the last of the blood rinsed from my hair, I stood up and ringed out the excess water, letting it drip clean down the sink. I washed the blood spatters off my face and grabbed the clean change of clothes.

  Raze watched as I ripped off my white tank top to reveal a black teddy. His face seemed to temporarily fill with rage at the first sight of the hideous lingerie they’d put me in.

  He shook his head and his jaw clenched, but he said nothing. I couldn’t get it off of me quick enough. I peeled off the teddy and slid off the too-loose jeans and tossed them in the garbage.

  Raze tore off his blood-covered leather jacket, washed his face, and changed into clean clothes. We were almost as good as new, and it was almost as if none of that had happened.

  “Ready?” he asked as he looked me up and down, inspecting me.

  “Yep,” I said with a smile. It was the first time I’d smiled in almost three days.

  We left our bloodied clothes in the bathroom trash and stepped out of the family restroom. Fortunately no one was around to see us, and we took cover under the shade of the night sky. We climbed back on his bike and zoomed up the on ramp, back on the interstate. I didn’t ask Raze where we were going. I knew wherever it was, it didn’t matter. I was back with him now, and I felt safe.

  Maybe an hour or so later, we stopped at a nice, clean, well-lit hotel just off the interstate. It seemed to be situated in a nice neighborhood and looked newer. The parking lot was filled with family SUVs and minivans and happy people going about their business, oblivious to horrors that were going on right next to them.

  We climbed off the bike, grabbed our things from the saddlebags, and headed inside to check in. I stood back as Raze handled everything. He spun around a few short minutes later, handed me a keycard, and pointed towards the elevator. The hotel lobby had smooth, crystal clean marble tile floors, a flowing fountain, and more greenery than I’d ever seen on the inside of a building. It was easily the nicest hotel I’d ever stayed at in my life.

  We headed up to the fifth floor and found our room halfway down the hall and to the left of the elevator. As soon as Raze opened the door to our room, the smell of industrial cleaners and new carpet filled my nostrils. I walked in and sat my stuff down on the bed, sitting down to take a load off. I could tell the comforter was new, and there was not a speck of dust to be seen anywhere in the room.

  “This is a really nice place, Raze,” I said with a smile. “I feel safe here.”

  Raze said nothing but looked satisfied with our surroundings. He walked across the room to where an enormous curtain was covering floor to ceiling windows, and he pulled them back to reveal a beautiful ironclad balcony. He slid the door open, and a breeze of fresh air filled the room.

  I stood up from the bed and followed him out to the balcony where a little bistro table and chair set were waiting for us.

  “Where are we anyway?” I asked as I looked out over the most beautiful city light scape I’d ever seen.

  “Just outside of L.A.,” he said.

  “This is really pretty,” I said as I took a seat.

  He stood, leaning against the railing on his elbows and looking lost in thought.

  “I’m sorry that stuff happened to you, Mia,” he said as he hung his head. I could tell he blamed himself.

  “Raze, it wasn’t your fault,” I insisted. “You did nothing. You saved me. You saved my life.”

  Raze shook his head. “I never should’ve brought you into this lifestyle.”

  “I made a choice,” I argued with him. “And I chose you.”

  Raze spun around, still leaning on the balcony. His face was hardened, and I could tell there were things he wasn’t saying. He was such a closed book sometimes. I stood up and took a few steps towards him until we were almost nose to nose. I leaned in and placed a delicate kiss on his mouth, wrapping my arms around his narrow waist.

/>   “You saved me, Raze,” I said. “I owe you everything for that.”

  He buried his face in my neck, breathing me in, and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer.

  “I don’t deserve you,” he said. “I never really thought I did. I don’t know what you see in me, but thank you for seeing the best in me. I feel like a monster most days.”

  I knew Raze had done some horrible things in his young, adult life, and knowing him, he was surely eaten up over them every single day.

  “You’ve always done what you’ve had to do,” I said. “You did what you had to do to survive, to right the wrongs. You’re only human.”