Page 60 of A Second Dawn

It’s short-lived.

Aiden squeezes my hand to get my attention and nods to his right. A quad-bike is parked a few feet behind our vehicle, but no one is in sight.

Letting go of my hand, Ade tosses me the keys. “Get ready to floor it,” he says in a low tone. If the situation wasn’t so serious, it would have me clenching my thighs. Gosh, I’m so easily distracted.

A high-pitched scream leaves my throat, when a broad-shouldered guy with a crowbar in his hands suddenly appears from around the other side of the RV. He looks pissed off.

Whatever did we do to him?

Ade pushes me and Claudette behind him. He’s not fazed at all, appearing as cool as a cucumber and his calm somehow transfers to me. Normally, I’d freak out, but I’m still able to think clearly.

I watch as Aiden strides toward the guy with confident steps. The stranger swings the bar at him.

I hold my breath.

Ade evades it with ease, grabs the other end, and tugs it toward him.

When Burly is within arm’s reach, Ade encircles his throat with one hand. The next second, the guy falls to the ground like a felled oak tree, his body crashing with a thunderous thud.

Claudette and I gape at him, open-mouthed.

“Wow,” Claudette mutters in awe. “I needthatparty trick.”

So do I. Against my better judgement, I’m extremely turned on.

Ade made it seem like child’s play, but I’m sure it’s anything but.

“Get in the RV,” Aiden bellows, not looking at us but bending down over Burly’s body. Hastily, I unlock the side door and Claudette and I rush inside. I go straight to the front and climb into the driver’s seat, starting the engine.

Time to get out of here.

Half a minute later, Ade jumps in, too. “Floor it, Sunshine. This guy is going to wake up any time now and he won’t be happy. He’s probably got friends wondering where he is. Let’s not deal with more of them than we have to.”

I don’t need to be told twice and step on the gas, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

“Who are they? Why did they attack the camp?” I ask as I fly down the dirt road.

“Probably the farmers who own this land. I wouldn’t be happy either if I was them and found a bunch of nudists partying on my property.”

He glances at Claudette and quickly averts his eyes. It’s only then I realize she’s still naked.

“Put on some clothes,” I shriek, but Claudette only laughs at me.

“Oh, darling, lighten up!”

I shoot her a playful glare. This trip really is creating memories.

With an exasperated sigh and a muttered “Fine,” she gets up to find her bag.

While she’s busy rummaging through her options, I look in the side-view mirror, squinting to make sure I see right.

Ever-alert, Aiden notices. “What is it?”

“There are three little dots behind us and they’re getting bigger. Burly might have recovered and found his friends. Shit, we’re never going to outrun them in an RV.”

Aiden checks out the back and announces, “I’ll drive. Pull over and let’s swap.”

“No! They’ll only gain on us. I’ve got this,” I reply, already shifting into a higher gear, flooring it for all its worth.