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Today, he was not the same person. He’d left the Louisiana Jokers MC to ride with the Phoenix Skulls MC while he got over the trauma of his accident. He hadn’t run away from New Orleans…he’d just decided that a new place would help him to start over. But he missed his home state, and he was ready to return permanently.
He’d blamed himself as soon as he’d heard what had happened to Wendy, and even after he knew all the facts, he still felt responsible for cutting her life short. Living in hell was what he deserved…or so he thought at the time. But it wasn’t…and it took a long time to heal the scars…inside and out. They would always be there…but they would no longer stop him from moving on.
Cruz stopped at the gates of the cemetery and looked down the road and his heart missed a beat. It was her again. He sat on his bike and watched her trying to thumb a ride until she walked around the corner and out of sight. He continued to sit there until he heard the sound of a Harley coming towards him. It turned into the cemetery and slowed as the driver eyeballed him and rode by.
Cruz pulled out onto the road and drove in the direction the girl had walked. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know where she was headed.
* * *
Brian pickedup the flowers and tossed them aside.Fucker.He pulled out his cell phone and called Jimmy Hanson. “Hey, Jimmy. I'm at the cemetery.”
“I'll be there shortly,” Jimmy said.
“Yeah, no problem, man. I'm ringing because I just saw Brandon Cruz.”
“Brandon fucking Cruz. Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah…I’m sure. I’ll never forget that cunt.”
“So, he's finally come back to town? Let's make sure the only way he leaves this time is in a bag of ashes.”
Jimmy Hanson scooped up his keys off the dining room table and stepped outside to his pickup. He flipped open the glove compartment and checked that his gun was inside, pulling it out and sliding the magazine into the handle. He wasn't sure whether he’d be using it today, but he wanted it ready when the time came.
2
A REASON
He sawher up ahead when he turned the corner. She was still trying to thumb a ride. She wasn’t having any luck so he decided to see if he could help.
When she saw him coming, she put her arm down and kept walking.
He had a smile on his face when he pulled up beside her. “Care for a lift?” he said.
She stopped and looked at him. “No, thanks. I was just going for a stroll.”
“But you had your hand out thumbing a ride.”
“You must be mistaken. I was just waving to a friend,” she said.
She had pretty eyes. They were the color of gold. “You must have a lot of friends,” he said. He was having trouble containing his smile.
“Have you been watching me?” she asked. He didn't say a word. She raised her eyebrows. It made her eyes sparkle in the sunlight. “Are you a stalker or something?”
“Or something?”
She looked in the direction she’d been heading, but she didn’t move.
“You weren’t having any luck so I thought maybe I could help give you a lift.”
She turned back to him. “Thank you but I don’t need one.” She still wasn’t walking away though.
He squinted into the sun and said, “Well, good luck with getting the ride. I wish you more success than you’ve been having.” He twisted the throttle, as she opened her mouth to say something, but he’d already started moving away from the curb.
Fuck, he’s leaving.She watched him ride off and disappear around the curve of the road.Fuck, Edie. Day one and a hot guy offers a lift, and you blow it already. Fuck.
She continued to stroll down the road listening out for vehicles coming up behind her as she walked with her head down. She’d turn towards the traffic when she heard a sound and would hold out her thumb, but she wasn’t having any luck.Hmm…like anyone would want me anyway.Another car passed by, and she dropped her arm. As she lifted her head to adjust the straps on her backpack she noticed the black Harley with the skull on the tank. It was parked against the curb. She stopped and looked at it for a few seconds before turning slowly to the little sidewalk cafe she was about to walk past. As her eyes went from the entrance door to the big window that faced out to the road, her eyes met his. The biker from whom she’d refused the offer of a ride lifted his coffee and smiled. He was so fucking sexy her eyebrows shot up before she had a chance to control her response. Knowing she’d already lost, she let a grin tug at the corners of her mouth, and as he licked his lips, it turned into a full-blown smile. She nodded her head sideways slowly and he continued to give her the sexiest smile she’d seen in, like…forever.
She couldn’t drag her eyes off him…like she was in a trance. He stood up from his seat and disappeared for a long few minutes. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been staring at the door when it opened, and “God” walked out. And God was looking at her and her legs were feeling like jello. She knew the only way she was going any further up the road was on the back of a bike. His bike.
