Page 164 of Dirty Salvation

Please, god, let me get to Rider.She needed him. Tears rushed to her eyelashes. It was better than the vomit she wanted to spew everywhere.

"Youreallywanna talk about our feelings right now, girl, with a dead-fucking-body not ten feet away? Get your head on." Hawk was growling, shoving his hands into his inner pocket of his Renegade Souls leather jacket, coming out with a dirty rag he scrubbed his hands. "Getgone. Let me sort this shit. Motherfucker can get eaten by wild coyotes for all I care. Don’t you give it a thought. Go!" slamming her car door shut, she watched the tall VP stride back to the store like he hadn't just stabbed a man umpteen times, making a call at the same time.

Zara wished she had his cool calm persona.

But then ... no, she didn't because Hawk might possibly be the scariest person on the planet, he certainly didn't look like he had a soul left.He saved me.

It was a long-tortured drive home, seriously fucking terrible, she replayed it all on a loop, her eyes wild and frantic she barely glanced forward for looking back checking for cops, sure they'd appear out of nowhere to arrest her.

Home. Rider.Home.

Palms sweaty, her stomach continued to roll, dread leached out of her every pore. If was as if she was living a nightmare all over again. She wished she’d been better equipped to deal, but she just wasn’t.

It wasn't as though she was even sorry Hades was dead, she wanted him six feet under, but outside of a seven-eleven in the middle on a Fall morning, the store clerk was a sixteen-year-old boy who had flirted shamelessly with Zara both times she’d been there. What if he'd seen it, heard it? she had to trust Hawk knew what he was doing.

Her fingers gripped the steering wheel tight, willing herself towards the MC.

Nearly there. Just a bit further.Keep going.I can puke when I get there. Just a while longer.

She didn’t even stop when she doubled over the passenger seat and puked all over.

Okay, puking now then.

Her throat raw and burning, she brushed her mouth on her forearm, kept right on driving. She was maybe a mile away from the surrounding clubhouse when she spotted a bike in the distance heading towards her. Two bikes, three and more. Her foot hit the gas. The way her heart sped up had her believing it could only be Rider, she didn't slow until she was sure, the distinct frame of her man hunched over the handlebars.

Therehe was.

Riding like a demon, his face pulled tautly. They came to a stop at the same time, Zara was out of the car and sprinting towards him, the other bikes stopped but she only had eyes for one, she dodged Snake's bike, it almost clipped her hip when he rolled to a halt. "RIDER!" her ordinary voice boomed, emotion-laced through it, her legs jelly still carried her forward, her man had jumped from his bike and was doing the same thing.

Bizarre to see alarm on his face, she was so used to him being this overpowering tower of force, instead his jaw was taut with concern, as he advanced towards her in a ripple of muscle and aggression, she was swept up a second later, held so tight, feet off the floor crushed to his chest, she was in no doubt to how affected he was. "Rider. Ohgod, Rider."

"Zara, baby. I got you.I got you, baby. Fuck. Fuck. Hold onto me. I’m here."

There. Right there.

Comfort flooding her system, she fell into his arms letting him hold her up, the only energy she had was to band her arms around his neck, she had no plans to let go. She was drunk on relief endorphins saturating her system.

"I love you. I love you. Oh, my god. I couldn't. I thought. I needed to tell you before. I didn't think I'd get a chance to tell you. I love you so much, Ambrosio, you are my everything, my all, I love you so fucking much." Her words ran together, she clung so hard, so goddamn relieved to see him, to touch and hold her man. Rider drew her back, held her face in his large hands, and she saw his face soft yet murderous, every line etched in anger.

"He's dead." she blurted at once. “He’s gone. He can’t--can’t hurt us anymore.”

"Hades.” chimed a menacing voice behind her before she could get the words out. Hawk strode like the grim reapers brother, coat flapping at his hips. Twice now she hadn't heard his arrival. The damn man was a phantom.

They were all in the middle of the road surrounding Zara and Rider, a formidable crew to be reckoned with.

“He’s dead? How?” the question directed to Hawk but Rider’s eyes were on her face, she reached up and put her hand to his cheek, just testing he was real, that she wasn’t dead after all.

Hawk told him in short sharp detail. Ending with. “I know you wanted the kill. But I didn’t think you’d want him dragging your girl off somewhere, so I stopped him.” he shrugged like it had been nothing.

It waseverything.

Zara, if she ever got over this latest trauma and the anxiety zipping through her body she was pretty sure she’d have to hero-worship Hawk now.

“Goddamn, bro.” Laughed Preacher slapping him on the back. “I mean fuck, really, I might love you now, you crazy sonuvabitch.”

The others joined in with the celebration.

Expletives poured out of Rider, dragging her into his arms again, his entire body was quaking. She squeezed tigher.