Slate (Rebel Wayfarers MC) by MariaLisa deMora Read Free Book Online Page A

sleek lines of the fairings and the tank; running his hands over the leather seat, he flicked his fingertips against the fringe underneath. “She was a good price, an Indian Chief Roadmaster. She’ll be lots cheaper on gas than the truck, and powerful enough to take pretty much anywhere.”
    “Oh my God, Andy, this bike is awesome. Red, white, black, and chrome. Can we unload it? I want to watch you...hell, I want to drive it.” Ben was suddenly looking and sounding fourteen, overly enthused about a motorcycle.
    “No way you’re going to drive her,” Andy shook his head, “but we can unload her. You can see me ride for a minute, and then I’ll show you how to check the oil and stuff. It’s a little different from the dirt bike.”
    Putting down the truck’s tailgate, Andy dragged out the planks he and Harddrive had used to push the bike up into the bed of the truck. Wedging them into place, he climbed up and straddled the bike, loosening the straps that held it upright. Slowly, he began backing the bike down the makeshift ramp and breathed a deep sigh of relief when he got to the ground without falling off or turning the bike over.
    Turning the key, he kicked the bike into life, watching Ben’s face as the engine revved. It grew louder and then backed off, the pipes burbling with power. Nodding his head, he pulled out of the driveway slowly, letting his feet drift inches off the ground until he was safely turned to go down the hill. Pulling away faster, he picked his feet up and started shifting through the gears as he reached the main road. In the mirror, he saw Ben still standing beside the pickup, so he raised one hand and waved before he goosed the bike.
    The wind teased tears from his eyes as his mouth froze in the widest smile he’d ever felt on his face. He instinctively crouched down over the gas tank, streamlining his profile for speed. When he realized how fast the vegetation was flashing by in the ditches on either side of the road, he glanced down at the speedometer and saw he was going over one-hundred-miles per hour. Backing off on the throttle, he slowed down to highway speed and sat upright on the bike. After slowing even more, he pulled to the shoulder and looked up and down the highway, turning around to head home.
    Driving back up to the house, he saw Ben had remained in the same place beside the truck, and he lifted a hand to wave at him as he drove up. He killed the engine, and put down the kickstand; tilting the bike, he couldn’t get the grin off his face.
    “Brother, that bike is awesome,” Ben growled out, and Andy grinned some more.
    “I know, right? It’s just so good; it feels like this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
    ***
    He sat on the bike in a parking lot two blocks from her house. He’d already put the truck in storage, and had the few things he was taking packed in a backpack and the pannier bags on the bike. This was the last stop on his way out of town, and he was contemplating simply leaving without seeing her.
    Leaning his elbows on the handlebars, he rubbed his face in his hands briskly, twisting his neck back and forth. Adjusting the backpack on his shoulders, he kicked the bike to life and idled out of the parking lot.
    Pulling into her driveway, he saw the car was parked in the back and knew that it was likely she was home. He hoped this visit wouldn’t last long, but he wanted to let her know he wouldn’t be around, that she had to take care of her own shit. Parking, he put the kickstand down, angling the bike over as he stepped off, and onto the driveway. He dropped the backpack on the ground beside the bike and walked up to the backdoor of the house. He raised his hand to knock at the door, and then dropped his hand silently back down to his side, still not sure he wanted to do this.
    Before he could walk away, the door opened, and a tall, scrawny man with an unbuttoned, stained shirt free from his waistband stood in the doorframe with a lit cigarette in