Forceful Biker Daddy by Scott Wylder

CHAPTER FIVE

Annie

I didn't know why I was giving him so much grief. He had already proven to be better than the Demons, but I was treating Blake like he was a monster. Yes, I was frustrated about not being able to talk to Axle yet, but there wasn't anything Blake could do about it. At least I didn't think so.

I still wasn't sure if I could trust him or not, but I did know one thing: being on the run with him was a lot better than being on the run by myself.

After a hearty meal and a good night's sleep, I was feeling more alert and stronger. My wounded shoulder still hurt, and my muscles were sore, but at least I didn't feel like I was going to pass out.

Blake biked me down the road to a close-by diner for breakfast. It was a dingy place but looked welcoming enough. By the time we got there, I had to pee. "I have to go to the bathroom."

He raised an eyebrow at me and gripped the backpack tighter as if he was expecting me to take it and bolt. "Go ahead," he said. "I'll order some food for us."

I huffed. "Can't you trust me to not run off for three seconds?"

"Can't you trust me?" He said it quietly but there was a dangerous tone to his voice.

I flushed. "Touche," I mumbled.

"Go do what you need to, kitten," he said, his voice softer this time. "Maybe we'll both be in more trusting moods after we get some food in our systems."

I smiled weakly and scurried to the bathroom. Somehow, Blake made me feel safe and in danger at the same time. He looked at me like a lion stalking its prey, but every time he touched me, he was gentle and patient, even as I flinched away from him.

I went to the bathroom and cleaned up a little. I didn't have time before we left to brush my hair, but I could at least put it into a ponytail so it was out of my face.

When I came back out, Blake was already seated at a table with a cup of coffee in his hand. Another cup was at the end of the table, waiting for me. I smiled and slid into my seat. I lifted the mug, expecting coffee or tea. Instead, it was a pure white liquid. "What's this?" I asked.

"A cup of warm milk." He smirked. "For my kitten."

I made a face at him, even as I felt a small rush of pleasure. I didn't know why I enjoyed him calling me his kitten so much, but I did. For some reason it made me feel even safer with him.

I took a sip of the milk. It was actually pretty good.

"I ordered you some chocolate chip pancakes," he said. "I hope you don't mind."

"I love chocolate chip pancakes." I frowned. "I'm surprised you're not giving me more healthy food to get my strength up."

"Yes, but you deserve a little comfort," he said. "I'm also sorry for not being able to let you talk to your brother."

I was surprised. I was beginning to think Blake was the type of guy who didn't apologize about anything, but he looked a little ashamed. "Thank you for your apology."

"If I thought I could arrange it before tomorrow, I would. I understand why you want to see him and know for yourself that he's safe, but I promise you he's safe. Mac's not going to let anything happen to him."

I wanted to believe him more than anything, but it was hard. I didn't know him or the Hell's Renegades. The only thing I knew was that I couldn't trust the Demons. Even though Blake seemed all right, it was a little hard for me to tell the difference between Demons and Hell's Renegades. Part of me felt like I was being played like a pawn in a turf war.

Before I could say anything, two men walked into the diner. I tensed up immediately. They were dressed in jeans and t-shirts. Anyone would think they were just two guys grabbing breakfast. But I recognized them.

"Kitten? What is it?" Blake grabbed my hand as he looked around.

I nodded at the two guys who were busy talking to the hostess. "They're the guys who came to my apartment," I whispered.

He was tense, but he didn't try to look. Instead, he took out his wallet and threw a few bills on the table. "Did you see a back door near the bathrooms?"

"I-I don't know, maybe?" I felt panic rising inside me. I didn't want to do this. We were in a diner too. What if other people got hurt?

"Hey, kitten-- Annie. Take a deep breath. I promise I'll get you out of here alive, okay? But you need to stay calm right now. We'll go out the back door and they won't even see us. Understand?

I nodded and let him lead me through the diner to the back. We were almost at the back door, right near the bathrooms, when I heard a shout behind us.

I turned just in time to see one of the Demons shove the hostess out of the way and rush towards us.

Blake immediately got behind me, shielding me from them. He gently pushed me towards the exit. "Go," he whispered.

Then he turned around to face the Demons.

Anxiety hit me full force, but I obeyed his orders. I went outside the diner and to his bike. I wasn't sure what to do next. I didn't want to leave him there.  I wanted to go inside and make sure he was all right, but I would only make things worse.

So, I stayed rooted to the spot and hoped more Demons weren't coming.

Finally, he burst out the door and sprinted towards me. "On the bike!" he shouted.

I got on the bike and he slid in front of me. Behind him, the two men stumbled through the door and were running toward us. They looked a little worse for wear, with bruises on their faces and hands. One of them even had a busted lip.

Blake took a gun out of his pockets and shot the tires out of the nearby motorcycles that no doubt belonged to the two Demons. I started to hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

"We’ve got to get out of here," he muttered. "The police won't be on our side."

We peeled out of the parking lot a second later and sped down the road.

Blake was going fast, a lot faster than he did last night. Now and then he would take a sharp turn down a side road just to get back to the main road again. I gripped his waist tight and buried my face against his back. He felt so strong and I needed his strength right now.

We didn't stop for hours. It was mid-afternoon by the time he slowed down at a rest area. I realized we were close to the state line.

"I'll refuel and then we'll get something to eat here," he said, nodding at the little building with fast-food restaurants. "You must be starving."

I was starving, but that wasn't what I was worried about right now. For the first time since leaving the diner, I got a good look at him. He had a bruise on his face and his knuckles were bloody. I was sure that underneath his shirt and jacket there were more bruises. At least they hadn't used guns inside the diner. I reached up to gingerly touch the bruise on his cheek. "You're injured. You need medical attention."

"They're just bruises. I've had worse." He smiled but he looked exhausted.

I swallowed. "I'm sorry," I said. "This happened because of me."

"You don't need to apologize, kitten," he said. "I promise I'm fine."

I pulled him into a hug. He winced slightly when I touched him, but he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. He had saved my life back there. I couldn't believe I hadn't trusted him. Now I owed him my life. "You don't need to worry about me," he whispered. "And you don't need to apologize. Protecting you is my job. Believe me, I'd rather get hurt protecting you than find you dead in a ditch somewhere."

"I’m still going to worry about you, and I'm still sorry you're in this mess."

"For the last time, kitten, you don't have to apologize." He broke away from me to look at me. There was a hint of tenderness in his eyes.  "Let's get some food in you. You'll feel better with a full tummy."

I nodded. Food did sound good.