Page 8 of Enforce This
Her co-instructor, Louise, gave a tense smile and eyed the door.
My heart began to race as everyone squirmed and looked around.
“Alright, people… Alright,” Peggy attempted to reassure and settle the class.
Louise, the younger of the two, began to gravitate toward the door. Her hand was already extended toward the lock.
“No!” I blurted out, lurching to my feet.
A wave of panic suddenly shot through me, and I was certain that I was going to be sick. I left my bag and books and ran after Louise. She turned, startled by my abrupt approach.
“Oh!” she awkwardly exclaimed.
I shoved my way past her and thrust the door open.
“Trista!” Louise cried. “Trista, get back here!”
I couldn’t stop. I didn’t even know where I was going. My keys might not have even been in my pocket, but I had to get out of that room before I was sealed inside it.
“You can’t be in here. We are on lockdown!” a woman called, injecting a bit of authority into her voice just before the panic seeped in. “Sir… Excuse me, Sir!”
My breath hitched as the weight of the words and tone registered, and I looked up in time to see all six foot and four inches of Eric Aviston as he rounded the corner.
I hadn’t seen him since the night my father introduced me to Princess. Doug’s car got a flat on the way to pick me up from my dad’s ranch in Swanwick, so Mark ended up taking me to the Steel Disciples’s compound with him to wait.
Doug and my mother were never late again.
I didn’t mind so much because I got to meet Eric. He was so much older than me, that he likely hadn’t noticed me at all. I sure noticed him, though, in his sharp military uniform. He looked like he was going places back then. Far, far away from Illinois that was for sure.
I blinked at the man who was currently speed walking toward me. It was him, but it wasn’t. He still had that same short, dark hair. He wasn’t so baby faced, though, he had haunted, brown eyes and a neat beard. He was wearing leather and a patch that read: Enforcer.
It was safe to say he had been in more than a few of my fantasies over the years…
In his uniform, of course…
“What are you wearing?” I blurted out when he drew close to me.
He didn’t stop to explain the leather kutte that was currently soiling my beloved memories of him. Instead, he grabbed my arm in a vice-like grip and continued storming along.
“Wait – Wha…?” I stammered.
“Ma’am…” the authoritative voice down the hall grew loud with concern as I was dragged along with him.
“What are you doing? Let go of me.” I slapped and shoved at Eric.
He hauled me against him like he meant to knock me out with the impact. It did throttle a little of the fight out of me, until he lowered his voice, hitched his brows, and growled in a low tone, “Your mother is dead, your father is dying, and if we don’t move now… You’ll be next.”
A strangled sound lodged in my throat and the impact of his words allowed him to steer me through the glass door. I numbly followed along for perhaps five paces, before I thawed and exploded on the spot.
“Get your fucking hands off me! I don’t want any part of your biker coup! I don’t have anything to do with Mark or any of that life.” Tears were streaming down my face, I had no idea if he was telling me the truth about my mother, but the determination in his eyes never swayed.
“Mark ordered me to protect you. That’s what is going to happen.” His low tone was more dangerous and effective than any shouting and cursing would have been.
I searched his eyes, imploring him with my gaze to say it was a joke. I silently shifted my head back and forth in denial and prayed he would tell me to go back to class.
We could pretend none of this ever happened…
Tires screeched, and I jerked my gaze toward a dark, luxury sedan that was already sporting bullet holes. Two armed men in black suits smoothly climbed out of it, their attention focused on us.