by Brook Wilder
“Right, you just stay put. I’m going to look for something we can use to get this thing off of you,” Hatchet said, his voice laced with urgency.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Elsie threw a glance at the chain.
Hatchet nodded before melting away into the shadows to become nothing more than an indistinct blob of darkness. Elsie could hear him as he moved around the warehouse, cursing under his breath. Something about it had that damned smile creeping back on her face, despite the fact that she was chained up and should be terrified. Instead, she just felt… safe. Like, as long as he was there, everything would be just fine.
You’re being ridiculous. Don’t lose your head over this guy. He kidnapped you! Old Elsie shouted silently. She shook her head, arguing with herself. He’s also saving me.
You’re kidding yourself if you think he actually cares about you. He’s a biker, a criminal, and a troublemaker.
And for the moment he’s my troublemaker, Elsie shot back, quieting the other voice. And I’ll take him for as long as I can get him.
You know it will never last. You know men like him. They never stay. They never will.
Shut up! Elsie finally forced the other voice away, cramming it into the farthest corner of her mind. Shut up! Shut up!
She was sick and tired of always living her life afraid of the ‘what ifs’. Sure, it had gotten her into this mess, but she’d never felt more alive than she had done in the past twenty-four hours. She’d never felt more free, which she knew shouldn’t make sense, but it did. And she was damned if she going to let her own fears order her around. Not anymore.
Hatchet crouched in front of her again, interrupting her inner argument and she gasped as his sudden appearance.
“Don’t go all hysterical on my now, sweetheart,” he murmured as he grabbed the lock that was keeping the chain connected to her ankle. His thumb brushed against her bare skin and sent a surge of heat shooting through her body.
“I don’t get hysterical,” Elsie finally said, peering at him in the darkness. She could see he had something long clutched in one hand, but she couldn’t make out much more than that. “What did you find? That doesn’t look like a key.”
“No, it’s not exactly a key, but it’ll get you out of here, so it works for me.” Hatchet moved a little closer, placing the lock so that it rested only against the big metal cuff gripping her ankle. “Just hold still, alright?”
“Hatchet, what is that?” Elsie hissed, a little worried now. She leaned forward, squinting in the darkness, and gasped when she finally made out the shape. “An ax? You are not chopping my foot off!”
“Of course I’m not. This isn’t ‘Saw’,” Hatchet said calmly. “I’m going to use it to break the lock. Now, can I get on with it or do you want to sit here and argue about it until someone comes looking for us?”
“Oh, okay,” she said softly, taking a deep breath to still her nerves. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks so much for your permission,” he said with an edge of sarcasm, but she was too busy imagining what that dull, rusty blade would do to her if he missed. Tetanus, at the very least. And at the worst? Well, she shuddered and pushed that thought away as quickly as it came.
She watched wide eyed as he took a few practice swings, but she had to squeeze them shut tight when he raised it over the lock, the same lock that was attached to her ankle. He took a swing and she gasped out in fear despite herself.
“Alright, I’m going to go for it. You have to stay quiet now, okay?”
“Okay, okay. Just… Just do it already.”
“On the count of three,” he muttered, “One, two…’ He swung on two and she nearly jumped out of her skin at the feeling of the blunt end of the ax making contact with the lock. She tried to force her eyes open to see if it had worked but couldn’t.
“Well?” she finally said after a long moment. But then she could hear him fumbling with the padlock and a moment after that, he was taking her hand in his.
“Come on, Els. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
She almost cried in relief when her eyes flew open to find the lock gone and freedom within reach. Hatchet helped her to her feet, still unsteady after being chained up for hours. The next thing she knew, they were hurrying out of the warehouse.
Hatchet paused at the warehouse door shut and locked it once more before he pulled his arm back and threw the key as far into the tree line as he could.
“That ought to slow them down a bit,” Hatchet said softly, then he took her hand again, wordlessly telling her to stay low and to stay quiet as they sneaked across the darkened parking lot. Elsie followed blind with her heart pounding hard in her chest. Freedom was so close she could taste it, so close that she was practically drooling for it. Or maybe that was just Hatchet, crouched next to her behind a truck, the heat of his body rising so intimately against her own.
Focus Elsie! We’re trying to get out of here, remember? She shook it off, forcing herself to pay attention only to what was going on around them rather than too distracting man pressed up against the side of her body. But that was nearly impossible.
“Come on. Coast is clear,” Hatchet whispered in her ear. His breath sent warm shivers tickling down her back. But she barely had time to savor the sensation before he was tugging on her hand again, leading her further and further away from the warehouse but precariously closer to the other building. It looked like an abandoned office-building from the outside. The windows were all barred and boarded up. But there was a muffled ruckus coming from inside and she could see light streaming through the gaps in the boards.
“What is this place?” she whispered.
Hatchet threw a look over his shoulder before answering. “It’s the Roadburner’s clubhouse. Now, no more talking. We have to be quiet,” he said shortly, forestalling her next question.
They were halfway through the large parking lot when the front door of the clubhouse suddenly swung open, letting light and noise out into the darkness. Hatchet pulled her down behind a cluster of parked bikes.
She looked over at him wide-eyed and he put a single finger to her lips, telling her without words to remain silent. She nodded, trying to hold her breath as the sound of drunken bikers came closer to her.
It seemed like an eternity, as they laughed roughly over some vulgar joke and then finally turned to disappear back inside. Even still, Hatchet waited another few long heartbeats to make sure the coast was clear before pulling her forward again.
After the close call, her legs felt like jelly and they nearly gave out altogether when they reached a familiar, jet-black motorcycle parked at the other end of the lot.
“Hurry up, get on,” Hatchet whispered sharply, tossing a helmet her way. She gratefully complied, more than happy to have something else supporting her trembling weight. A moment later he was climbing on the bike in front of her and she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his leather jacket clad waist, melting against his hard body. He’d become the only thing that felt real to her in a world that had been flipped upside down. Elsie let her eyes slide shut in relief as Hatchet revved the engine and tore out of the parking lot in a shower of rocks and gravel.
She didn’t turn around. She didn’t look back as they fled. It was all she could do to hold on, her eyes squeezed shut as the wind whipped against her face. The thrumming of the bike between her thighs had her holding on to Hatchet tighter than she ever had before.
They rode in a whole different direction from the one that had brought them there, but Elsie couldn’t register anything besides the fact that she was free and that it was Hatchet who had rescued her.
It was Hatchet who kidnapped you in the first place too, that voice of old Elsie snapped in, and she just nodded her head slightly. That voice was true. And it was something she’d have to deal with.
But not now.
Now, all she could do was marvel at the fact that for the first time since that awful moment this morning, when Mad Dog had burst thr
ough the bedroom door, she felt like she could breathe again.
And for the moment, that was enough for her.
Chapter 12
For a long time, Elsie just clung to Hatchet as they rode. No thoughts, no worries, no fears. Only the feel of the cool evening wind on her face, the thrum of the engine between her legs, and the heat of Hatchet’s body in her arms. There was nothing else. It was as if for one, perfect moment the rest of the world and all of its crap had just fallen away and all that was left was Hatchet, her, and the road that stretched endlessly in front of them.
It took a while longer for her to realize that she didn’t recognize where they were, or the direction in which they were going. She pulled herself closer to Hatchet, so he could hear her over the wind.
“Where are we going?” Elsie shouted, thinking about all the other times she’d asked him that very same question and he’d responded by either not answering or just evading her. She wondered which it would be this time. But, to her surprise, he actually slowed his bike, pulled over to the shoulder as it widened next to a small cliff, and stopped the bike, balancing it with his two feet on the ground without killing the engine.
He turned around enough so that their faces were just a few inches apart and she could see his serious expression even in the rapidly approaching darkness.
“We’re going somewhere safe,” he finally said, looking around them suspiciously as if expecting someone to come chasing after them at any moment. “We can’t go back to my place, or your daddy’s ranch. Mad Dog will come looking for you there.”
“But, why? I don’t understand. Won’t he just give it up now that I’m gone?”
“No. That’s not how Mad Dog works,” he said bitterly. “Once he’s got a way to make more profit, he won’t let it just get up and walk away. I’d bet my life that he’s already searching for you.”
“And… and we’ll be safe there? At this new place?” Elsie asked.
But Hatchet didn’t quite meet her questioning gaze. In the end though, he just sighed and a shrugged. “Look, I can’t make any promises. A few of the Roadburners know about the place. But as long as they keep their mouths shut, we’ll be fine.”
“And if they don’t?”
Hatchet didn’t answer this time. Instead, he pulled the bike back onto the road and picked up speed again.
All Elsie could do was hold on, biting her tongue down on all the questions that tumbled through her head. Questions that would have to go unasked for the moment as they began racing down the highway towards their destination.
There’s no point in worrying, she tried to tell herself. There’s nothing you can do about it right now. Elsie took that thought and held on to it as they rode. Once more, she felt the peace of the ride flow through her. All around her were miles and miles of fields that turned orange and gold as the sun finally made its last bow.
She tightened her arms around him, feeling the warmth from his body leech into her. But it still couldn’t reach the very center of her that was still frozen with fear. She turned her head to rest it against his shoulder, her eyes tracing the last, vibrant streaks of color the sun painted across the sky before night fully set in. In the back of her head she thought to herself that, if it weren’t for the biker gang and being chased by a maniac who wanted to sell her, she could get really used to this.
She lost track of time after that, but it seem too much longer until she felt the bike starting to slow. She looked up just in time to see Hatchet pull off the main highway onto a smaller road that was more dirt than pavement and lined with tall oak and mesquite that stood like sentinels in the evening air. The branches arched and tangled together to form a canopy of green overhead, and it felt like they were riding into another world entirely as the bike rumbled down the winding path.
A few minutes later, they came to a rolling stop in front of a house that came straight out of a home and garden magazine, complete with whitewashed fences and climbing vines. It wasn’t exactly the place that she had pictured when he’d said they were going somewhere safe. It looked more like a country cottage than a biker’s personal hideout.
“Is this… is this it?” Elsie finally asked, looking around and wondering if they were in the right place. But there were no other buildings except a small shed off to the side of the overgrown yard, and nothing beyond that but miles of trees and open fields.
“Not what you expected?” Hatchet asked with a secretive smile as he threw one leg over the bike and turned to grab her by the waist and help her down. “That’s kind of the point.”
“It’s just that it’s… Well, it’s so cute.” She was still looking around in surprise but was interrupted by Hatchet’s chuckle and his hand grabbing hers.
“I know. Come on. Wait until you see the inside.” He sounded almost excited as he pulled her towards the front door after hiding his bike behind the shed.
The inside wasn’t at all what she expected. Going by the outside, she’d been waiting for chintzy floral print and old doilies covering every surface. Instead it was clean, modern almost, but with a coziness that made her instantly feel more relaxed.
“Wow!” Elsie breathed out as she looked around, “This is…”
“Nice, right?” Hatchet filled in the word when her sentence trailed off.
She smiled. “Not what I was expecting.”
There was a masculine feel to everything, no doubt about that. From the granite countertops to the stylish grey stained wood floors, and the simple but expensive-looking leather furniture. There wasn’t anything fussy about it, with nothing out of place and everything equal parts form and function. It suits him, Elsie thought.
“You hungry?” Hatchet’s words were muffled, and Elsie turned to see him bent over, head in the refrigerator, as he pulled out some items.
“Did you know we were going to come here?” she asked as she leaned against the kitchen island. “How come you have food here already?”
“I have a housekeeper, Tanya. She keeps it stocked just in case I need to make it here without any warning.”
“Like tonight.”
“Yeah.” He sighed and brought his armful of food to the counter. “Like tonight.”
They both fell silent for a long moment as Hatchet focused on chopping the vegetables he laid out in front of him. Elsie took the moment to watch him. There was something so comforting about the whole thing. Being there in the cozy house with him while he prepared dinner.
It seemed so… normal.
She took a deep breath, trying to make sense of it all. But the truth was, it didn’t. None of this made sense. What had happened to her? What was happening to them? It was almost more than she could bear to think about, and she suddenly felt the after-effects of the adrenaline coursing through her system.
It was like her emotions were going haywire and she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. But there was one thought that kept repeating itself over and over in her head. For the first time in her life, she knew what she wanted and there wasn’t anything that could stop her from taking it. Not her controlling father. Not her own fears and worries. No, this time, nothing was standing in her way.
Moving on instinct, excitement, and with the remnants of fear still driving her body forward, Elsie walked slowly around the counter. Each step was deliberate, every movement aimed only at one thing. Seduction.
Hatchet was still busy dicing up the onion, so he didn’t notice that she’d moved until she was right behind him. When he finally did, he turned, his mouth open in surprise. But no sound came out as she reached down, grabbed the hem of her shirt—the shirt he’d given her this morning—and drew it over her head.
Some sort of crazed bravado filled Elsie as she stood there, completely bare except for the pair of shorts—Hatchet’s shorts—cinched around her waist.
His jaw dropped open even more as his gaze burned over her. “Elsie, what are you…”
“Hush.” She stepped closer towards him and rested her finger over his lips to
cut him off. For the first time since she’d met him, he looked unsure. But for the first time in as long as she could remember, Elsie knew exactly what she was doing.
With a quick tug, she took the edges of his jacket, feeling the soft leather between her fingers, before shoving him back against the kitchen counter and planting her mouth on his. She kissed him hard and fast, exactly what she needed to still the trembling inside her. But, instead of making it go away, the shaking only spread throughout the rest of her body and she pressed as much of her against as much of him as she could.
He let her kiss him, standing there, his hands at his side, the food long forgotten. And then it was like a switch had been flipped. With a feral growl rising from the depth of his throat, Hatchet grabbed her and turned, lifting her until she was half sitting and half leaning on the kitchen counter.
Like animals, they tore at each other’s clothes. Elsie’s shorts, Hatchet’s jacket, shirt, and jeans—all were thrown carelessly to land wherever they happened to. It didn’t matter. All they could focus on was each other, and the fierce need humming through both their bodies, until they were finally skin to skin.