“I promise, Daddy.” I disguise my trembling with the firmest voice I can muster. “I swear I won’t let you down.”
CHAPTER 2
ONE YEAR LATER
You can run but you can’t hide, I know what lies deep inside.
I lower my glasses and rush across the road, head down, hoodie covering my hair. A small woman standing outside the door watches at me as I dart around behind the gas station, backpack tightly wrapped around my shoulders, clipped at the front. My sneakers are worn, and they squeak on the pavement as I scurry into the ladies toilets. I rush into the small, crappy room, kicking in the doors, and when I realize it’s empty I lower my hood.
My long blonde hair tumbles out as I remove the cap from my head that was sitting firmly under my hoodie. It’s my usual look these days: jeans, sneakers, singlet top, hoodie, and a cap. It’s the easiest way to disguise who I am when I’m forced to get out in public. I lower my face, and turn on the tap, filling my hands with water and splashing it on my skin. I close my eyes, letting the cool calm my nervous, frightened body.
They’ve found me.
It’s only the third time Axel Wraithe has managed to catch up with me in just over a year, which isn’t bad considering he’s got sources, and I don’t.
He’s the President of the MC club Angels In Leather, and he’s been chasing me since the moment my father sent me running with information on a USB drive. I’ve never plugged the drive in to see what’s on it. I’ve never had the chance. Whatever is on it, though, I imagine is extremely important. He wouldn’t be chasing me like this if it weren’t.
Axel wouldn’t have killed my father if it wasn’t something he needed.
Would he?
I still don’t know what went down that day. All I know is that whatever my father has on this drive, Axel wants.
Axel used to be a part of our family, so to speak. He used to come over, and talk to my dad, and hang out with me when I was a little girl. That was until one day, when he went missing for about six months. When he came back again, there was something different about him. He was darker, angrier, and he hated my father with a wild passion. They became sworn enemies, and were constantly at war. He stopped speaking to me, and I rarely saw him. Until the day he saved my life.
Just after I started running, I heard that Axel had upended the town looking for me. Any friends I had, he went to them. Any person who knew me, he harassed. He was looking for the information. The information I’ve been running with for just over a year. The information that’s clearly been more important than anything else that’s come up in that time, because Axel hasn’t stopped looking for me.
Which means I haven’t rested.
There have been times I’ve wanted to just give in and let him take it from me, but then I think of my father’s face the day he died in the front of our SUV, and the desperation when he made me promise to run, and deliver this USB. If I let him down...I’ll never live happily. This is my mission, and sadly, it’s become my life. I don’t have anything else. Without this, I’m nothing. I have nothing...no one.
I have been struggling to find Raide. He’s not at the police department anymore, and without resources, I don’t know where he is. No one will give me any information. So here I am, in a women’s bathroom, trying to calm myself down and figure out a way to escape Axel a third time around.
He’s not an easy man to escape. He’s a goddamned genius, and he’s managing to get closer and closer to me no matter what I do. I have to think of something new.
I pat my face dry with my sleeve, and stare in the mirror at the empty blue eyes looking back at me. Most girls my age would be out partying, falling in love, enjoying their life, their jobs, their friends...but me, I’m running, living a criminal life that I never chose. On the rare days I get when I manage to relax, I find myself imagining what it would be like to just be normal.
I shake my head. It’s never going to happen.
I hear the distinct rumble of Harley-Davidsons outside, and I know they’ve stopped. I feel my palms become clammy, and my heart speeds up. I have to get out of here, and into the trees behind the gas station. They’re thick and lush, and I can run for miles through them.
The problem is getting out. This was the closest place I could find to gather myself, and it took Axel a matter of minutes to locate me. It’s never a coincidence with him. Never.
I swallow, and lift my hair up onto the top of my head again, tucking it under my cap. I pull my hoodie back over, and grip the straps that are sitting around my waist. My bag is strapped on as tight as I can get it, because I don’t want it to be taken from me. If that gets taken, then all this has been a waste of time, for me, and my father.
I pull my sunglasses down over my eyes, and I peer out the window. And there he is. I feel my body tingle with fear as I lay my eyes on Axel. He’s standing out the front of the gas station, speaking to the young woman, flashing a photo at her. I know it’s a photo of me. She nods, and points to the bathrooms. Goddammit. Axel lifts his head, and he turns his eyes in my direction.
I gasp.
Axel Wraithe is a gorgeous man. He always has been, but he’s got a heart of steel. I remember as a young girl, in the years before he and my father had a falling out, I used to think he was one of the most handsome men I’d ever met. He was just a young man back then, but he had the kind of face that women would drool over. Now...now, he’s older, and more defined, and even more breathtaking.
He has this thick black hair that sits messily on his head. His body is huge, tall and well-built, yet unlike most bikers’ skin, it’s not covered in tattoos. He has a few, but not many.
His shoulders put most body-builders to shame. His eyes are the color of turquoise water, and are the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s got a few days growth of stubble on his face, and his ears are filled with silver hoops.
His body is covered in all black clothes. Large, chunky black boots. Black jeans. A black shirt, covered with his black jacket that I know has a large angel surrounded in fire on the back. Their club’s patch. He wears chains around his neck, and leather bands around his wrists. Hanging off his jeans he has silver chains, topping off his look.
Axel is about thirty-two years old, and while he was my father’s friend, he was younger than him. Axel is ten years older than me, but even when I was just a young girl at ten, and he was twenty, we always got along. He was so carefree back then, so beautiful. Now he’s a monster with eyes that make you want to shrink inside yourself with fear.
He’s deadly.
He’s standing, staring at the bathrooms, with an empty expression on his face. Sweat trickles down my face as I turn, peering around the room for an escape. There’s a small, narrow window above the far toilet. It’s not locked, and I could squeeze out of it with enough effort.
I glance back out the front window and see Axel still staring at the bathroom, nodding to the lady as she speaks.
I have minutes.
My adrenalin spikes as I rush towards the toilet. I peer up at the window, and use the toilet and basin to launch myself upwards. I take hold of the windowsill, and use my free hand to rattle the glass pane. It’s rusty, but it dislodges itself easily enough. I shove it out, and it lands with a crash on the ground. My heart begins to hammer.
I unclip my backpack. There’s no way I can get through with it on my back. I peer out the window, and when I see it’s clear, I shove the bag through and let it drop down onto the ground. That’s when I hear the rattling on the toilet’s main door. My heart lurches, and I feel my jaw begin to drop.
“Hiding in a toilet won’t stop me from finding you, Meadow.”
Axel’s voice has me freezing, but only for a split second. I’ve been running long enough now to know how to keep myself from freezing for long enough to cause a problem. I lift my leg up, and try to be as quiet as possible as I jump three times, and shove my body through the small gap. I lose my balance when I push through too hard, and land on the dirt the
other side with a thump. I roll, gripping my bag and throwing it on quickly before leaping to my feet.
And there he is.
I scream, and leap backwards as he appears around the side of the building. Up close, he’s powerful, huge, and dominating. He has a tattoo of a bird on his neck, and it seems to be staring at me, taunting me. I lift my eyes to meet his, and I gasp softly. Beauty—it just doesn’t cover what he is. He can’t be classed as beautiful. There is only one word I could ever use to describe him, and that is...devastating.
“Hello, Cricket,” he growls, using the nickname for me he used when I was a little girl. “Long time, no see.”
I swallow, and grip my backpack. “Axel.”
He smiles, but it’s empty. There’s something missing in his eyes, something that got taken from him a long time ago. Something that turned his heart into ice. “And here I was thinking you’d forgotten about me. I mean, you’ve been running from me now for...how long has it been?”
“One year, three months and six days,” I whisper, shuffling backwards.
His eyes pin mine, even though I’m wearing sunglasses, and they’re so intense I struggle to hold his gaze. “And you know I was going to catch up to you eventually, so we could have avoided all this if you had just given me what I wanted back then.”
I don’t say anything. I just tighten my fingers around my pack straps, and let my eyes dart around behind my sunglasses to look for a way out. I see a thick mass of trees behind him, probably about fifty meters. If I could get to them, I could hide myself...I also see a pile of rusty metal poles in the corner, leaning against the wall. I turn my body slightly toward them, and begin very slowly backing up. Axel steps forward, suddenly gripping the side of my face. His other hand wraps around my backpack.
“We’ll not continue to fucking play this game, Cricket,” he hisses, jerking me hard.
I bring my leg up, hitting him in the thigh. He snarls and steps backwards, shoving me as he goes. I stumble back into the wall with a wince. He crosses his big arms, and he looks like he’s trying to control his panting. Suddenly he doesn’t look beautiful anymore, instead, he disgusts me. His eyes burn into mine, and I know it’s taking all his strength not to throw me down and tie me up. Both of us know that in a place like this, he’ll never get me away.
“Don’t call me that, and we will continue to play this for as long as I need,” I growl, clenching my fists.
My body is trembling inside, and I’m getting hot in this hoodie. I want to lower it, but at the same time, I don’t want him seeing my face. Not now. I feel myself becoming flustered, though, and I know I don’t have a choice. If I pass out, he wins. And he needs to know that, no matter how hard he fights, I’ll fight harder.
“Why don’t you lower the hoodie, Meadow?” He purrs, but it’s in no way sexy. “Let me see you. It’s been a long time. Don’t you at least have the guts to look me in the eye?”
The asshole is challenging me. Straightening my shoulders, I decide I’ll let him see me, so he can see what kind of damage he’s doing to a young, innocent girl.
I take hold of my sunglasses and I pull them off, then I lower my hoodie and rip my cap off. The breeze feels cool; I was so hot. I inhale deeply, needing to feel the fresh air filling my lungs. I turn my eyes to Axel, and he’s staring at me, his face expressionless. I thought I saw a glimmer of something in them, but right away they’re hard again.
“Well haven’t you grown up,” he leers, letting his gaze travel slowly down my body and back up again. “Filled out real nice.”
Pig.
I cross my arms, giving him a hard stare.
“Are we goin’ to stand here all fuckin’ day, or are you goin’ to give me what I need?”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” I say, trying to stop my voice from trembling.
He glares at me, and his jaw ticks. “You are fuckin’ stupid, because you’ve been wastin’ your time running for me for the past year. I will get what I want; I always do.” His eyes crinkle, and a cruel smirk appears on his lips. “Just accept defeat graciously, like a lady. Give me the USB, and go back to living your life like a normal girl.”
“You know nothing about me, Axel. I’ll never be a normal girl. And if you think I’m going to believe your promises of freedom, you’re wrong. I’ve been around bikers before, remember my father? The one you killed? I know how it all works. I won’t let you get your hands on me, not now, not ever.”
He flinches at the mention of my father, and his eyes harden. He takes a step forward. I brace myself to run.
“Smart mouth for a girl trapped against a toilet wall with nowhere to go.”
“Again,” I say meekly, reaching around behind me, and gripping the long metal poles I’ve been edging closer to. “You don’t know me. If you knew me, you’d know that I know what I’m doing by now, and no one traps me against a wall.”
I swing the pole. His body moves to block it, but it hits his hands so hard he goes reeling back with a roar. I swing it again, connecting with his kneecaps. When he drops to the ground, I run. It’s one thing I do know how to do. I put my head down, my arms by my side, and I run as fast as I can move.
I hear Axel’s bellow, and I know he’s calling for his men. I have seconds. I hit the trees just as I hear the shouts beginning to grow louder behind me. I skid to my left, running through a narrow set of tall trees in an attempt to get into the thicker shrubs. My sneakers crunch, and I know there’s no way I can pull this off quietly, but I will pull it off.
I hear the sounds of boots crunching in the distance, and I have no doubt Axel has his entire group of men spreading out to chase me. My adrenalin spikes, and I pick up my pace, ignoring the sweat pouring down my face, and the branches scratching into my skin. I won’t let him beat me now, not after everything I’ve fought for.
I pick up my pace when I come to a clearing, running hard and fast. It’s never good to be caught in a clearing; I’ve learned that. I put my head down, and run as hard as I can.
I can hardly breathe through my panting. It’s so intense. The sweat begins to fill my eyes, and it burns. I blink rapidly, lifting my hand to swipe it quickly across my brow, trying to remove some of it. It only makes it worse. My chest heaves, and my lungs burn.
“I will fuckin’ catch you, Meadow, give it up,” Axel thunders viciously, and I know he means it.
I look over my shoulder to see him and six other men running towards me. My adrenalin spikes, and I focus my attention in front of me. The only thing I can see is a large river off what looks like a small ledge. My heart skitters. Can I jump off that?
“Stop now, and I’ll make it easier for you.”
I don’t have a choice.
I have to jump.
I run to the edge, and skid to a stop as I look down at the flowing water. My entire body stiffens and my breath hitches. Memories of that night on the bridge flash through my mind. My skin begins to prickle, and it becomes even harder to breathe. It’s not the same. You can swim now, and the water is nice, clear and safe. You won’t die. You just have to get over the other side.
“She won’t jump,” I hear Axel yell.
“Hurry it up!” someone else bellows.
I hear the sound of boots crunching coming closer. God, if they get hold of me now all this has been for nothing. I stare down at the water, and goosebumps break out over my skin. I can’t breathe. I can hardly concentrate. I know they’ll get me any moment. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Promise me, Meadow...”
My father’s words spring back into my mind, and I know I have to do this. So, without opening my eyes, I jump.
It happens in what feels like slow motion. My entire body plummets to the water below. I hit it flat on my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I sink quickly, even though I can swim now. The panic has my body stiffening in fear.
I begin to struggle. My backpack is too heavy. I shake my head from side to side, keeping my mouth clamped shut, kicking my leg
s as hard as I can. I feel a set of hard arms go around me, and I seize. I’m slowly being pulled to the surface, and when I surface I’ll be taken somewhere I don’t want to go. At the realization of that, I start kicking harder, until I hit the person holding me.
When I surface, I gasp a breath of air in, and I kick hard towards the other side of the river. I hear Axel’s crackled voice sound out behind me. “Stop moving!”
I kick harder, using everything inside me to get to the other side. I reach the bank and launch myself up, gripping the sides with my hands. I’m about to pull my body up, when those arms go around me again, and yank me back down. With a scream, I go crashing back into the water. Axel has me, and he spins my body around so I’m facing him. Up close I can see his eyes, and right now his beauty only makes me hate him more.
“Quit this fuckin’ bullshit, and just give in.”
“No,” I growl, shoving at his chest.
“I won’t play this game with you any longer, Cricket. If I have to, I will hurt you.”
I lean in close, almost nose-to-nose, and sneer, “Does it look like I care?”
He growls, and pins me tighter against his body. When I’m this close to him, and my body is pressing against his, I can feel every part of him. His powerful form is twice the size of mine, and a good solid foot taller. His arms tighten around me, and I know I have to think quickly. I stare up at him, meeting those shattering eyes.
“I’m a bad man, Meadow. You’re pushing a wild animal, and eventually that animal will lose it.”
“You don’t scare me,” I rasp.
His eyes lower, and meet mine. The intensity in them scares me, and I can see something dark behind them. Whatever happened to Axel, it was bad. “Well I should.”
I turn my eyes away from his, and I have to think quickly. I do the only thing that comes to mind. I drop my mouth onto his shoulder, and I bite so hard I feel his skin pop. A metallic tang fills my mouth, and I resist the urge to gag.
Axel roars and stumbles backwards, his hands slipping from my body. I take the opportunity to spin around and launch myself up onto the bank. I graze my knees as I scurry forward. I get to my feet, and I run...fast.