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CELESTINA
Not sure howI ended up in this badass car with a guy I barely know. Yeah, Frank and I have gone back and forth on that dating app and through some texts, but we’ve only just met. Now, after a few days, I’m putting my life in his hands. That thought sends shivers up my spine, but I’m between a rock and a hard place.
“Sweetheart, ya getting hungry? We’ve been on the road now for just a little over four hours. If you don’t want to eat, then let’s do a break for a pit stop and some gas. Maybe something to drink, then we can hit the road again. Sound good, Celee?”
Damn him, I’m getting to love that nickname, my first one ever. No one ever cared enough about me to even give me one. To be honest, most people in my past life didn’t even call me by my given name. I’ve been called every dirty name out there, and my father never cared. As long as I didn’t cause trouble or draw attention to myself, he left me alone. Unless he needed me or my body for something, then he was all up into my shit. Shaking my head, I realize I’m drifting again.
“Frank, I’m good with whatever you want to do. I’m sure I could eat, or we could just stop for a bit and I’ll get something to drink. Maybe an iced coffee, if possible. Guess we are getting close to needing fuel. I’m pretty easygoing and just so you know, I can’t make a decision at all to save my life, literally, so I have no problem if you make all the choices.”
Feeling him looking my way, I turn toward him to see an expression on his face I don’t recognize. He’s staring at me for a brief second then turns his eyes toward the road. Wow, what was that? Before I can ask, he gives it to me.
“Celee, never give up your power, sweetheart. Only you know what you want to do. I get it, it’s hard sometimes to make decisions, but if you allow others to do that for you forever, you will never do what you want. I’d rather you tell me ‘I’m not sure, let’s get gas and we can decide then.’ I do know where you’re coming from, believe me, that’s why I’m telling you this. So, Celee, are we stopping or going for a bit longer?”
I smile inside, Frank is a good guy, one in a million, and I don’t know how I got so lucky being so stupid. God, I could have ended up with a murderer or a rapist, but instead I found the one biker who seems to have a soft heart and an old soul. Saying that though, I know he’s with the Grimm Wolves so I’m sure when needed he can be a cold-hearted killer.
“Frank, why don’t we stop at the next big truck stop, fill up, and see how we both feel? Sound good?”
He laughs instantly, which has me giggling. This right here. It’s so easy to be with him since he doesn’t make me feel stupid, or worse, worthless. Well, maybe he will if he ever hears my entire story.
“Celee, where did you just go? I felt that all the way over here. There isn’t anything you could share with me that would change the way I see you. Brick, my prez, told me when I wanted to prospect, and he was feeling me out, that what happens in our past is just that, and it should always stay there. Only I can drag that shit up and take it with me wherever I go. And he was right. Try and let it go, Celee. From the little you said, none of it was your choice, so you have nothing to feel bad or embarrassed about.”
After that, we are mainly silent but not uncomfortable. Frank even puts the radio on low and, to my surprise, he stops on a pop station. I give him some crap for it and we laugh about it. He is honest and says he doesn’t let his brothers in the Grimm Wolves club know he jives to that kind of music. I must have fallen asleep to the music and motion of the car on the highway because I’m jerked awake when I hear him screaming and swearing.
“Celee, grab the wheel. Come on, sweetheart, we ain’t got a lot of time. They’re almost right next to us. Just keep the car straight, that’s all I ask.”
When I grab the wheel, he reaches under his vest—no, what did he call it, oh yeah, a kutte—and pulls out a gun. Holy shit, what’s going on? I go to turn my head and see the headlights speeding up next to us. We are on a two-way highway, so thank God no one is in the other lane.
Frank’s window is open, and he’s got his gun out of it. Right before the car comes up next to us, he leans out and starts firing. I hear the pings before there’s a sudden, loud explosion as the car swerves off the shoulder toward the ditch. In shock, I watch the car skid, slide, and then flip once, twice, and on the third time land on its roof half in the ditch, half on the shoulder.
Frank drops the gun between his legs and grabs the wheel. Then he slams on the brakes as he does a scary U-turn before coming to a stop in the middle of the road, facing that car. Opening his door, gun in hand, he jogs toward the vehicle. Once there, he cautiously looks in the windows and before I can even get out of the car, he’s firing into it. Oh my God, did he just kill whoever was in there? I mean, yeah, they seemed to be after us, but he just killed whoever is in the car without a thought.
I jump out and start running, my mind is all over. He turns when he hears my feet hitting the pavement and puts his hand up to stop me. Something inside me makes me slow down then come to a complete stop, right in front of him. His eyes look crazy and he’s breathing heavy.
“What the fuck, Celee, get back in the car. NOW. I’m trying to protect you and I can’t do that and take care of this shit too. Come on, sweetheart, we need to get gone as fast as we can.”
“Frank, you’re risking your life for me, the least I can do is help. Please don’t tell me no or treat me like a porcelain doll. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Remember who I am and, more importantly, who my family was. Know I’ve seen a lot of stuff living with my father and brothers. So what’s next?”
He watches me for a brief second before he starts moving closer to the car again.
“I’ll take the driver; you take the passenger. Use your hoodie, cover your hands to pull out any ID. Grab their weapons and any jewelry or money they have. Make it quick. If you can’t hack it, just let me know.”
I go around to the passenger side that isn’t hanging off toward the ditch and with my phone light see a bloody body slumped over. First, I grab the gun, placing it on the pavement. Reaching farther in, I check the jacket pockets first, taking hold of a phone and a wad of money. That goes next to the gun, then I go back in, going through his jeans pockets. I grasp his wallet and make sure there is nothing else in them.
Turning to pick up the stuff I put on the pavement, I hear a whine from the back seat. Oh no, what was that?
“Frank, I think something is in the back seat. It sounds either hurt or scared. Want me to look what it is?”
His head jerks up and he knocks it up against the frame of the window, he’s bellowing as he rubs his head.
“Goddamn motherfucker, that hurt. Son of a bitch, why does this shit keep happening? For Christ’s sake. Give me a minute, Celee.”
Watching him rub his head, walking back and forth muttering to himself, I hope he doesn’t have a concussion, though I doubt it.
“Okay, can you see anything? Be careful, for Christ’s sake.”
I turn my phone light back on and move closer to the car. Right when I put my phone to the back window, two eyes pop up and scare the fuck out of me. So much I back up, trip over the crap on the road, and fall on my ass. I let out a shriek, trying to catch my breath. By the time I’m on my knees, Frank is beside me trying to help me up. He grabs me under my arms and pulls me up gently, bringing me up close to his body.
Damn, this man is hard and I mean everywhere. And that goes to say I’m more like my father than I like to think. Two dead bad guys and I’m concentrating on Frank’s hardness pressing into my stomach. Which makes me think, why the hell is he hard right at this moment?
