Faith: Biker Romance (The Virtues Book 2) (13 page)

Bells rang out, like a real bank would have. I was confused at first that a gas station would have a proper alarm and the bank in Mesquite. I cocked my head before realizing what it meant. Eddie might not have gotten any money at all. The cashier might have seen the gun and immediately hit the button. The cashier might have been packing his own weapon. I hadn’t heard any shots, but I was still anticipating the worst.

I had to keep myself occupied, so I twisted the handle back, revving the engine. Each jump in the RPMs seemed to match my heart.
Thump, thump, thump. Rumble, rumble, rumble.
I waited, the bell still ringing and alerting the world.

Eddie finally came around the corner. As he sprinted, he stuffed the gun into the back of his jeans. I’ll never forget the smile on his face.

I leaned the bike vertical, pulling the stand in with my foot. My hand danced at the throttle, ready and waiting to twist it back and get away as soon as Eddie wrapped his arms around me.

He got closer, and I heard his breathing and his boots clomping on the sidewalk. Leaning forward, I allowed him to slide behind me, and I looked past him to see if he was being followed. Seeing no one, I relaxed just a tad.

“Good to go, Darlin’,” he panted at me as he slid behind me on the Harley. I waited a second to make sure he was secure, then took off.

Seventy-seven dollars. That was what Eddie yelled in my ear as we rode down State Highway 58. It would be more than enough, and I was surprised to say we were going to make it to Esther’s exactly when we said we would. Three days after leaving Colorado Springs and the first snowfall of the year, we were riding through the California desert.

I had put more miles on the Harley in that hour after the robbery than ever before. The highway was nerve wracking at first, but I soon fell into the constant rhythm of passing the trucks and holding the throttle steady. Eddie’s sure grip behind me was steadying and calming, as usual.

I knew we couldn’t stop, but I would have loved to have given the control back over to him. He was the man, and I loved that about him. Eddie loved control, and he loved being at the helm. Maybe he thought it was fitting that I would ride into Bakersfield, and maybe even to my sister’s house.

Bakersfield was seventy-nine miles out. I could hardly believe it. If I wasn't concentrating so hard on keeping the Harley upright, I might have let out a tear. The sun felt amazing on my skin. Even though I knew I’d be redder than Satan when we finally arrived, I loved the thought of never needing a scarf again.

I was so excited to sit down with Esther and talk to her. I hadn’t seen her in years, and I missed her so much. Hearing that Dad had spoken to her in a similar manner brought us even closer. She had promised not to tell my parents where I was. I knew she’d tell them I was safe and had contacted her, but they wouldn't be coming after me any time soon.

What were Eddie and I going to do for work? Where were we going to live? I don't think either of us had any idea. The world was our oyster, sure, but we couldn’t just rob some place every time we needed money. I wanted to settle down with Eddie and find a place to live.

One thing at a time,
I told myself. We weren’t even in Bakersfield yet.

The buildings began to grow in their frequency. The billboards were advertising Fomoso Dragway and the Bakersfield Sound. It felt so friendly compared to Colorado Springs. To the east, there were foothills that mirrored the ones to the west of my hometown. I breathed a sigh of relief. My body was tired. I was sure Eddie’s was, too.

He still gave my shoulders a squeeze every once in a while, reminding me that he was back there; my rock. The farms gave way to houses, and they gave way to the actual town of Bakersfield. I was glad to slow the bike down and enjoy the stops and starts of the small city’s traffic.

I felt so comfortable on the Harley. I didn't think I’d ever feel afraid of driving it again, although I still preferred riding behind Eddie. It gave me the chance to wrap my arms around my man and enjoy the scenery. I didn’t have much longer to drive, though.

We pulled into a gas station not too long after getting into the actual town limits. After getting off the bike and stretching, I realized we had made it. We still had to call my sister, but we had made it. Three days, two robberies, and more close calls than I wanted to count.

I dialed Esther’s number and only had to wait two rings. “Hello?”

“We’re here.” There was a huge smile on my face as I said it. Even Eddie looked relieved.

“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it. Where are you guys? Matt and I will drive out and meet you.”

I looked around, giving her the best description I could. I knew what road we’d come off of, and I knew what gas station we were sitting at. Surprisingly, Esther knew right where we were. She said to sit tight. Sitting was the last thing I wanted to do.

Eddie and I paced back and forth, stretching our legs and getting used to the heat. My skin was still tingling from the battering wind only beginning to subside.

Eddie’s arms were around my shoulders, pulling me backwards against him. “We did it.” His chest rumbled into me.

“We sure did.” I closed my eyes and felt him hold me. I felt so comfortable. That fear had melted away. I had my sister’s support, and I had Eddie’s support.

“What now?”

“Eddie, we sleep in. That’s what we do now. We’ll worry about what we’re going to do after a good night’s sleep. Agreed?”

He nodded. We wandered back to the bike, waiting for my sister to pull into the station.

“Faith?”

I spun around, my heart racing at the sound of my sister’s voice. I had a huge smile on my face. Esther was standing behind us, with Matt standing back next to an SUV.

I let out a scream. “Esther, oh my gosh!”

She stepped forward and we embraced. Esther was a few inches taller than me, the perfect fit for an older sister.

We swayed back and forth, holding each other tight for a long time. She whispered in my ear, “It’s so good to see you.”

“I’m so glad to be here. I’m
so
glad to be out of Colorado Springs.”
 

She laughed. “I felt the exact same way when Matt and I got out.” I broke the hug to wave to him.

“Thank you so much, Matt.” He was coming forward to greet us. I hugged him, too.

“Good to see you, Faith.” He was cautious, as always.

I turned to Eddie. “Eddie, this is my sister, Esther.” They shook hands, “And my brother-in-law, Matt.”

“Hey. How’s it going?” Eddie and Matt exchanged greetings in that manly way that won’t let them be anything but macho. Matt wasn’t exactly a tough guy, so I was sure he felt intimidated by Eddie.

“You guys want to follow us home? How long have you been driving?” Esther gave Eddie a look up and down, probably hoping no one would notice.

He had noticed, but didn’t let on. “Actually, Faith’s done most of the driving today. She gave me a bit of a break.”

I smiled, feeling proud. “He earned it. He did most of the driving all the way here.”

Esther smiled, “Well, I’m sure you guys are beat. Why don’t you follow us and we can grab some dinner and relax. Then, little sister, I am going to have to hear about this whole adventure from start to finish.”

Eddie drove this time, since it was going to be mostly stop and go. Meanwhile, I rode right behind him, wondering how to tell the censored story of how we’d met, and how we’d been able to afford getting to Bakersfield. I had a little over ten minutes to figure out how to explain the money, Vegas, and any other questions that might come up. It would definitely be interesting...

Living with Esther and Matt was a blessing, but even blessings have their downsides.

After two weeks, Eddie and I knew our welcome was wearing thin, but our choices were limited. He was looking for work, but we both knew the score. Eddie was good with his hands and not much else. He applied and kept a smile on his face, but I saw the real feelings behind it. I saw them because I felt it, too.

It was restlessness. He and I had lived a three-day adventure, then gone into two weeks of nuclear family stagnation. As I laid in bed next to Eddie, I thought about Bonnie and Clyde. If they hadn’t been gunned down in their prime, would they ever have settled for day-to-day work, again? I didn't think so.

I was having even less luck than Eddie. Even though I had tons of hours of volunteer work, I’d never actually held a job. I interviewed all over Bakersfield, but no one was looking to hire a nineteen-year-old with no skills in retail. Esther had tried to get me into an entry-level position with her company, but they weren’t hiring either.

Eddie and I were getting desperate, and I think we were both fighting that primal urge. We were both adrenaline junkies, addicted to the danger—we had a death wish. Whatever you call it, we would never be the type to sit behind a desk or punch in at nine and out at five. He and I knew it, and Esther probably did, too. She sat down with me one day after a quiet dinner on their back porch.

I knew the talk was coming, but it was still hard. Esther had protected my location from our parents long enough.

“You know they have a right to hear from you, Faith.” Her voice was soothing, almost too soothing. She was working hard to convince me, probably motivated by my mother. “I know things were bad, but they
are
still our parents.”