Page 10 of Fractured Mind
“You still run?” Her voice faltered.
I’m taken aback by her question. “Yes . . .”
Within a blink, her face changes. Her eyebrows lower, forming a V above her eyes. “Exercise gives me hives,” she replies as she shudders.
I smother a laugh. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not joking. My body repels any excessive exercise.”
We’ve been driving down a dark dirt road for some time now. All I’ve seen are trees, but then an opening reveals an enormous warehouse. Cars fill the dirt lot outside, and when I squint at the entrance, there’s scattered men standing around, smoking.
“Where are we?” I struggle to keep the worry out of my voice.
She parks the car and squeezes my leg, but my eyes remain trained on the warehouse. It’s in the middle of nowhere, with sketchy men.
“It’ll be fine,” she reassures me. Her voice is calm, but her reply doesn’t relieve the tension in my muscles.
“You can watch your bestie Ashton in action.”
I inhale sharply. “I don’t know him.”
“But he remembers you, and I’m sure he’d like it if you were here to support him.”
The warmth in her eyes weakens my defenses because she’s trying to be a good friend. A nervous laugh escapes me. I guess I wanted to live a little more, though this was not what I had in mind. “Okay, okay.”
Ruby beams. “Yes!”
I get out on shaky legs, then she links her arm with mine.
“Make sure you stay with me the entire time.”
I nod sharply.
My heart hammers wildly as the yelling and shouting intensify as we approach the entrance. “So what happens here? Does Ashton play a sport or something?”
“Yes, he fights. It’s run by the local motorcycle club. He hasn’t lost a fight yet.”
I dig my heels in and sputter, “He fights?” A chill courses through me as my eyes flicker from side to side. “This is a bad idea.”
“Everything will be fine.” She puts an arm around my shoulders, encouraging me to move forward.
We walk toward the main door, where a handsome man in casual jeans, a shirt, and a black vest stands. He’s keeping guard, checking every person who walks into the building. When his gaze lands on us, it softens, and a flirty smile curves his lips. “Whatcha doing here, darlin’? I haven’t seen you before.”
“She’s with me,” Ruby answers with a bright smile.
“So it’s your first time?” he asks me as a strand of his hair falls into his eyes.
I give him a nod, wondering if I should run back to the car.
He grabs his vest and points to where it reads “War Brothers MC.” “If you find yourself in any trouble tonight, look for the men who have this cut on.”
“Thank you,” I reply and smile in appreciation.
“Is my brother inside?” Ruby asks.
His chin lifts. “Yeah, front row.”
As we move forward, out of earshot, I ask Ruby, “Who was that?”