Faster (Stark Ink, #3) (26 page)

As Ava crossed the first lane and darted out into the second, she risked a look back. One of the bikers had managed to follow her through, but the other hadn’t been ready. He was stuck between the truck and the import, gunning his engine.

There was only one rider behind her, but it was enough to confirm that her suspicions had been right. They’d been waiting for her at the shop. In another couple of hours she would have been there. So would Adam. Hell, Jonah was there
now,
asleep upstairs unless he was at the gym.

Ava prayed that her meathead brother was throwing punches in a ring across town instead of squaring off against a biker gang.

She shot through the intersection, emerging on the other side, and had the Honda already up to third. Her own engine raged as she ground the gears, not as smooth as it could have been but she was weaving through traffic on both sides.

The Harley behind her was larger, less agile, and though he’d made it through the intersection, he couldn’t go any farther. Ava darted in and out between cars that were crawling at a snail’s pace this early in the morning. At the next intersection she turned sharply and down a side street, out of view of the biker she’d left behind.

She burned rubber in a maze of alleys and parking garages that she knew almost by heart. She knew no one was following her but it didn’t make her feel any better. Right now she had to get home. As fast as she could. She had to check on Pop and Adam.

She’d park at Sienna’s house and cut through the shared back yard. No one would know she was home. Throw some clothes in a bag and get across the state line as quickly as possible. She’d call from the road. No idea what she’d say or how she’d explain.

She blinked away tears as she entered her neighborhood and slowed at the church. The playground was empty this early in the morning. Suddenly Ava wished she was six years old again, swinging as high as she could, determined to jump off, farther than either Adam or Dalton ever could. She missed those days terribly, when all that seemed important was being faster than everyone else.

She turned toward Sienna’s and away from home. Behind her, she heard a familiar rumble. Without bothering to look, she laid on the gas again, but didn’t get far. Ahead of her, from both directions, a swarm of deep black and shiny chrome converged.

She put her foot down and spun the bike, revving the back wheel to accelerate her 180. Behind her, though, the scene was the same. Her heart sank. Within seconds she was completely surrounded; no way out, nothing left to do.

Ava Stark, it seemed, had just had her wings clipped by the Badlands Buzzards.

T
he warehouse was cool and dark but it didn’t feel like a refuge, not with half a dozen bikers filling it. Ava looked around and realized Clint wasn’t even there. Not that he’d try to rescue her, but not even seeing one familiar face was unsettling.

Hook and Haze were standing off to one side, conversing heatedly, but she couldn’t hear them—not over the sound of her bike being taken apart.

Ava watched in horror and disbelief as two men set about stripping down her Honda. They already had the seat off and were disconnecting the gas tank.

This wasn’t quite what she’d had in mind when she’d offered Clint the keys.

There was no one to turn to, she realized, as she gazed about; no one to ask for help or to even find out what the hell was happening. Hook had made it clear she was supposed to ride with them, but no one had said a word to her after that.

In a few short moments, she’d realize she would have preferred it that way.

Hook and Haze came to some kind of agreement or something because they both stopped talking at the same time. Then both of them turned to her and she fought the urge to back away slowly.

Someone was behind her, between her and the door. There was nowhere to go. As if he sensed her desire to flee, the man behind her snorted at her. “Nowhere to go, bitch.”

Ava didn’t reply.

Hook sauntered forward, taking his eyes off her long enough to look to his friend. He was grinning, but it looked somehow feral and not at all comforting. “Nah,” he told the other man. “She’s not a bitch, are you, Ava?”

Ava still didn’t know what to say, had no idea what game they were playing. She kept her mouth shut.

Hook stopped in front of her. He was a full head taller than she was, though not as large as Haze who came up next to him. Ava had never felt so small in her life.

“Nah,” Hook repeated. “She ain’t a bitch.” He squinted at her. “Bitches come when they’re called.”

Ava licked her lips nervously. “I—I just did a run!” she reminded him. “And I can’t go all the time. Not every single day! My brother would—”

“Oh, we know all about Adam,” Hook told her. “We’ve had some nice, long conversations with him in the past.”

Ava shook her head, not believing a word of it.

Hook ignored her protests. “Know your brother Dalton, too. Now there was a man who could party.”

The guy behind her laughed. “Not no more. Now he’s pussy-whipped. All straight and narrow.”

Hook clucked his tongue. “I don’t know, man. I don’t know any pussy that’s good enough to turn civilian for. Do you?”

“Nope,” came the voice from behind her.

Hook turned his head slightly. “What about you, Haze? Know a woman who sucks dick good enough to make you wanna go out and get a day job?”

A long moment passed between the two men and even Ava could feel the tension. Haze didn’t answer and eventually Hook turned back to her. He slid his phone out of his pocket and held it up. He tapped the screen with a greasy finger. “I mean, she’s
okay
looking,” he declared as a picture of Zoey popped up in full color.

A scream caught in Ava’s throat.

“Got nice, big tits,” he observed. “Probably breastfeeds that little brat of hers. Does she breastfeed, Ava? Does she pop them titties out at the dinner table?”

“Milk, does a body good.” Someone laughed.

Hook smiled widely as he cycled through pictures of Zoey. Ava recognized the park. It was near the house, across the street from the church. She was with DJ in all the photos. They’d been taken recently. Yesterday, for all Ava knew. She shook with fear, terrified of the idea that someone from this group, one of these nasty bastards, had gotten so close to them, apparently without Zoey even being aware of the danger.

“Yeah,” Hook decided. “Bet she does.” He looked up from the screen, cold, dark eyes boring right into Ava. “We know all about your family. All about the Starks.” He brought up a photo of the wedding.

Bile rose in Ava’s throat.

“I won’t lie, Ava. I was a little bit offended that we weren’t invited.” He finally slid the phone back into his pocket. “But business is business and never mix business with pleasure—right, Haze?”

Haze remained silent.

“Anyway, we got another run for you,” Hook told Ava. “A big one.
The
big one. But we won’t be ready until late tonight.” He jerked his chin to the side, toward her ruined bike. Go get yourself some beauty rest and be back here tonight.”

He leaned closer, too close as far as Ava was concerned. “You tell anyone, you call the cops between now and then, we’re gonna pay your sweet sisters-in-law a visit.” His hand slid down to his crotch.

Ava felt lightheaded.

“We’re all a little hot for teacher.”

“Not me,” said the guy guarding the door. “I want the mommy.”

Hook snorted. “You would, Bones. Bet you fucked your own mom. More’n once.”

One of the mechanics looked up from Ava’s Honda. “Bet her pussy’s real loose from popping out that kid. Bet she could take
two
dicks in there.”

“Bet she could,” Hook mused.

“And one in her ass,” Bones replied. “That ass is
mine
.”

It was all Ava could take. She shook her head vehemently, backing away from all of them. “You’re sick!” she shouted. “And you can’t—”

Hook suddenly sprang forward, grabbed her arm and squeezed it hard. Tears sprang to Ava’s eyes but she knew better than to fight his hold. His face came dangerously close to hers and she wanted to vomit. His breath smelled sour, like whiskey. The brown outline of his gums made her stomach turn.

“Be back here when it gets dark,” he demanded.

Ava’s eyes darted to her bike, which was in pieces at that point. She looked back at Hook and swallowed hard. She didn’t want to question him, she probably
shouldn’t
question him, but there seemed to be no choice. “But...” she whispered, pulse pounding in her throat.

He grinned. “One of us can give you a ride.”

Ava shook her head quickly. “No. No. I— I’ll get here.”

Ignoring her, Hook shoved her backward.

She collided with someone behind her and stiffened.

“Get her out of here,” Hook ordered. “Take her home. Get back here by dark.”

Dread flooded her as she turned. She didn’t want to know who he’d passed her off to, but at the same time she had to find out. She was only somewhat relieved to see a pair of familiar, steel-gray eyes glaring down at her.

Haze.

At least it wasn’t the Candy-man. Or one of the pigs who’d threatened to rape Zoey.

Haze looked cold and distant, though, as his fingers wrapped around her arm again. He yanked her toward the door and she could do nothing but stumble after him.

“Sundown, Ava Stark,” Hook called after them.

Ava looked at Haze, lips trembling. “What happens at sundown?” she asked him quietly.

Haze didn’t bother to answer her. But Hook had heard from across the room. “You’re off probation,” he told her. “Now the
real
job starts.”

She barely had time to process his words as Haze pulled her out the door. “Wh-what?” She dragged her gaze from the front of the building to Haze. “What’s he talking about? Probation? What? What’s the
real job
? I don’t want
this
job!”

“I’m taking you home.”

Ava struggled to free herself from his hold. “What’s the job?” she demanded.

The older man sighed and slowed to a stop. He waited for a long moment, clearly debating what he should say. Finally he told her, “You’re first. You’re the fastest. Hook’s anxious to set a deal in motion as quickly as possible. The run is across the Canadian border.”

Ava gaped at him.

“Once you make it there and back, Clint will make the same run. Then the Wonder Twins.” His mouth twisted thoughtfully. “Can you get your birth certificate?”

She couldn’t respond. Didn’t even know where to start. Canada?
Canada
?

“We have a guy,” Haze told her. “He’s working on documents for you and the others; should be done by tonight. But I think his work’s shit. And he’s ripping us off. It’s better if you have the real thing. None of you have a criminal record. Should be easy getting there and back with your real identities.”

“But what do I even
do
? What is this?” she asked. Even she knew the cost of a trip to Canada was more than the bud was worth. What was the point? And why were they destroying her bike? How would she get there?

“Just drive,” he replied. “The MC in Canada will take care of everything else. Come on.” He stepped toward a large Harley parked in the lot, dragging her with him.

Ava balked. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to be away from him, away from this place. She’d never wanted anything to do with this shit. She didn’t deserve this.

“No!”

She planted her boot on the crushed gravel, pivoted, and pulled her arm back.

Haze didn’t let go, though. Instead, he jerked—hard—and Ava stumbled into him. His solid frame didn’t budge a fraction of an inch. He did let go, but only for a second. Quickly, he had her by the upper arms. He looked angry, but his voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

“
Do not do this
,” he growled. “Not here. Not now.”

“I never wanted this!” she shot back, twisting, trying to get out of his grip. “I want out!”

Haze lifted her off her feet and pulled her in close. He didn’t smell like whiskey, only leather. Ava blinked up at him in the harsh sunlight.

“There is no out! Not like this!” He glanced toward the door nervously and then back to her. “You don’t cut this temper-tantrum bullshit
right now
, you’re gonna end up in pieces in the fucking Badlands. You hear me?
Real
buzzards might end up picking your pretty bones clean.” He set her down, gray eyes flashing fiercely. “You won’t be the first person I’ve left there.”

He wasn’t boasting. He seemed disgusted. With himself. With her. Ava wasn’t sure. He turned away, preferring to look at the sky as the sun disappeared behind the only cloud. His jaw twitched as he ground his teeth.

“Help me,” Ava whispered.

Haze didn’t turn back. “I can’t. I can’t help anyone these days.”

In the silence, Ava realized she was free. She backed up, out of his reach, then turned to run.

Haze didn’t chase her.

“Sundown,” he called out wearily. “Make the right choice, Ava.”

Ava sprinted down the road, as fast as her boots would carry her. Away from all the shitty choices she’d made that had led her here in the first place.

A
va made it as far as her own two feet could carry her and then shuffled into a burger joint on the corner of an adjacent street. After washing her face in the bathroom, she pulled out her phone and dialed Sienna’s number.

“I need a ride,” she declared solemnly.

Sienna gasped. “Oh, my God. Are you hurt? Did you crash? Are you in the hospital?
Is anyone dead?
”

“No one’s dead,” Ava reassured her.

Yet.

“And no, I didn’t crash. I just... look, I need a ride, okay? Can you come?”

“Um, yeah. Yeah, sure.”

Ava gave her location to Sienna. “Where is that, exactly?” she asked.

“On the other side of town.”

“What’s on the other side of town?”

Ava looked around her. Aside from the burger place, there were a few empty lots and a used car place across the street. “Not much,” she told Sienna honestly. “Not much.”