Chapter One: Caralee
The bike tore down the highway, heading toward the border.
It was a cool, comfortable night in the desert as we tore down the highway. I held on to Rod’s back as his bike tore up the pavement, flying fast through the wind. I loved the sound of it whipping past my ears, even through my helmet. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me, revving the engine higher, pushing us faster.
I’d known Rod for a while now, ever since I’d left the small Texas town of Wimberly for college. We met in my very first week; I went to a bar with some friends and there he was, chatting them up confidently. He ended up taking my roommate home that night, but we became close friends after that.
It was Rod that dragged me into a world of violence, drugs, and excitement. The world that my piece of shit father once tried to keep from me. The only thing that made me feel alive. He only gave me brief glimpses, but they were enough.
The bike was practically screaming as we flew through the night. I loved the feeling of speed every time we rode. He didn’t bring me along on his trips very often, but he’d said tonight should be a pretty low-key night, and afterward we could go for as long of a ride as I wanted.
I loved being on the back of a bike. I had no interest in actually driving one, but I loved the feeling of the speed and the excitement it rushed through me. I could stay there forever, riding through the world, letting it flash by.
I knew Rod was into some serious stuff. I didn’t know what exactly, but the patch he wore on his arm said it all. He said they were called the Rebel MC, although he never really brought me too close to them. I knew they had a clubhouse, and I knew there were a bunch of other clubs in the area, but Rod made sure I stayed at a close distance.
For a while at least. Soon enough, I started going to parties with him, parties with men that were totally unlike the boys I knew at school.
We didn’t go to a lot, but he dipped my toes into the water of the MC world. I was terrified but excited, and every time Rod promised more.
We pulled off the highway, heading down a dirt road. I hadn’t seen Rod in a few months because he had spent some time in jail, but he had promised me a good ride if I came with him on a little club business. He didn’t say what it was, but I could guess.
We were in the middle of a desert at night. What else could he be doing?
He continued riding for another ten minutes before finally pulling off the dirt track. He cut the engine and stepped off the bike.
“Here we are,” he said.
I climbed off, stretching my legs. “Where is ‘here,’ anyway?”
“Mile one thirty-four, ten minutes down the dirt road.”
“Pretty specific.”
He shrugged. “This is how it happens. You get a place and you show up.”
I crossed my arms. “And what exactly did we show up for?”
He grinned at me. “Go hide over there, behind those bushes. You’ll see.”
I frowned at him. I knew Rod was in love with me, had known it ever since we’d first met. I never felt the same way about him and never led him on, but for some reason he just kept coming back for more. I wasn’t sure if this was his attempt at impressing me, but it was beginning to make me feel uncomfortable.
“How dangerous is this?” I asked him.
“Not dangerous at all. I wouldn’t bring you to something like that.”
“Then tell me what we’re doing here.”
He sighed. “Just hide, okay? I can’t tell you. Club business and all. But if you happen to see, well that’s another thing.”
I shook my head. “This is weird, Rod.”
Suddenly there were headlights in the distance. I could hear the distant rumble of engines.
Loud, motorcycle engines.
“Go,” he said. “They’re coming.”
I gave him one last look and then turned and ran behind the copse of bushes. I was far enough away that I was hidden in the darkness but near enough that I could still see him.
This was how Rod operated. One day he swept into my life and dragged me to some sketchy party and then disappeared again for months at a time. I had no clue where he lived or how he normally spent his time, but I liked being around him.
He was like a little brother to me. Exciting, but still always searching for my approval.
Normally I wouldn’t go with him without a little more information. But I had just finished my last final of senior year, and I needed a long ride to de-stress. He promised we could go as far as I wanted if I just went with him for one small errand.