“Okay.”
She didn’t fight me on it this time. We both piled onto my bike and we were off. She rested her head on my back, her arms wrapped tightly around my torso while we sped through the streets. I felt my heart thump loudly in my chest with how close she was, and I realized then it felt different this time. She felt different this time. I noticed every subtle movement of her hands, relishing how incredible it felt to have her right there with me.
I dropped her back to her apartment, making sure she was safe inside before I sped off, heading back to the motel. A half-hour later, I was curled up on the clean sheets, my jacket hanging over the armchair near the window. I reached for the remote, switching on the television, slowly drifting off to sleep.
***
I heard my cell phone ring, jolting me awake, and I scrambled around for it with my eyes still shut.
“Hello?”
“Claymore. Any updates on Ray yet?”
“No, Tank. Those Freeway Fucks are hunting Ella down like fresh meat. They’re cornering her, pulling up to her work, her home. They’re enjoying taunting her, and I’m at some swanky downtown motel hoping I can convince her to come back with me to Mascid. We’re never gonna find Ray if I have to spend all of my time evading those fuckers.”
“I have the other guys on it. I just need you to find out what you can. Ray stuck around in Sedona for a reason. It’s his home. Ella has to know something about where he might be.”
“I can’t press her right now,” I said.
“Claymore, you’re gonna have to. That’s the job. That’s how you protect the club. Get it done.”
“Okay, Tank. I will,” I said through my gritted teeth.
I hung up the phone, squinting at the sheer curtains as they let in way too much light. I groaned, making my way into the bathroom to clean up. I opened up the complimentary soap, shampoo, and conditioner, taking a scalding hot shower because I couldn’t figure out how to use the damn tap properly.
I got dressed in the same clothes and tied my hair back. I glanced down at my phone screen to see I had just enough time to make it to Ella’s. The roads were pretty empty on my way there. The rush hour traffic slowly died down, and I had space to roam freely. I parked outside Ella’s apartment, patiently waiting for her. I caught a whiff of her sweet, citrus-scented shampoo in the air as the lobby door opened.
Her strawberry blonde curls lay in ringlets around her face and she tousled them until they fell. Those piercing green eyes of hers were still looking as tired as ever, but she seemed to be in a much better mood this morning.
“Morning, sunshine.”
“Claymore.”
“You ready to go?”
“I am. Not exactly looking forward to work after what happened last night, but I’m hoping the Kings will eventually steer clear ofCrystal’s.”
“Highly unlikely if they know you’re still working there, but at least now you have me looking out for you. I’m just a call away, okay?”
“Thank you, Claymore.”
I handed her a dome, watching her eyes dart around as she got onto the back of my bike, wrapping her arms around me. She warmed my back, the scent of her perfume filling my nostrils, entangling with the scent of her shampoo. There was something real comforting about it. I smiled under the tint of my dome, gripping my bike handles, tearing through the streets.
We arrived at the front door a little while later and Ella hopped off, shooting me a soft grin.
“I’ll see you tonight when I pick you up. If there’s any trouble, you call me. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Just call,” I instructed.
“All right.”
She shifted around, and I could tell that there was a part of her that just didn’t want to accept help. She took a deep breath, getting ready to head inside and I stopped her.
“Whether you like it or not, you’ve got yourself a babysitter now.”
“Right and you’re only watching out for me because you want my help to find my brother,” she snapped.
“Oh, it’s more than that,” I said with a smirk, speeding off.
I drove around town for a while, noticing a small gas station at the corner near the strip club. There were at least four bikes parked out front. There were no King sigils plastered on the sides of them, no indication that they were the ones piled into the little Stop & Shop trying to score some beer or a pack of cigarettes. I kept my head down, making my way inside to find that they were all huddled near the cash register stocking up on a few things.
