Faith: Biker Romance (The Virtues Book 2) (9 page)

Another hint of luck for us. After maybe six hours of sleep, I actually felt like I could handle crossing the rest of the Rockies. I was dying for something warmer, and even temperatures in the fifties would be a treat after night driving below freezing.

Eddie stood up. “Come on, darlin’. I probably shouldn’t bash this guy’s face in.”

He reminded me of the night before. God, it already seemed like ages ago. “What did he say to you, that guy at the gas station?”

“Nothing good. Maybe I’ll tell you someday. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

We headed out to the Harley, still parked and waiting for the open road. After filling up, the miles began to tick away.

Mesquite, Nevada. “Escape, Momentarily.” I had to laugh when we passed that sign. Nothing could have been further from and yet closer to the truth.

Eddie pointed to it as we passed, the irony not lost on him. We didn’t try to communicate much on the road, but when he turned back to me and called out, “Motel?” I reached forward and gave the thumbs up.

It had been a long day. I may have been joking before, but I was dying for that shower, as well.

Inside the small town, we pulled into a Dusty Lodge Motor Inn. Three cars in the parking lot left more than half the rooms vacant, so we thought we’d have a good chance at booking one.

We had less than half of our money left, and we both knew things were going to start getting rough.

Eddie booked the room, hoping to be able to pay the next day. It would have given us the early morning to slip away. Dusty Lodge looked like the kind of Mom and Pop place that would rely on the kindness of strangers, but Eddie had to pay that night and leave his license until checkout.

When he unlocked the door, I almost collapsed on the bed. He dropped the duffel bag on the floor and headed straight for the bathroom. As I laid there, I heard the shower fire up. My body was beyond exhaustion, but the thought of washing two days of travel off of my body was more than I could resist.

Even if I did want to resist, Eddie had me lifted in his arms before I could say a word about it.

I laughed and grabbed onto his strong shoulders. He carried me into the bathroom like I was light as a feather. I hadn't often been able to feel Eddie’s physical strength, but it was so sexy to know just how powerful he was.

He closed the door with his elbow and set me down. It was as if the miles never happened. In an instant, we were tearing each other’s clothes off. I pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, dropping it behind him. We fumbled at each other’s waists, dying to get naked and close.

I should have been terrified. Eddie and I hadn’t really had much time to explore each other’s bodies. He’d been my first kiss, so he was definitely my first everything else.

He pulled me into the shower, and I held onto him for stability. My heart was pounding with excitement. As relaxing as the hot water was against my skin, Eddie’s gleaming body was standing before me. I felt his cock pressing against me, and a desire more powerful than anything before washed over me.

His hands explored my body, the water gliding over my curves along with his fingertips. I took his manhood in my fingers for the first time, wondering how I had lived without it for so long. Eddie’s hands came up to my neck, teasing and pleasuring me in ways I’d never dreamed of.

He took my hair into his hands, making sure water soaked every part of it. He held it in a firm ponytail that sent electricity down my spine. Then he began to press down at my scalp. I knew exactly what he wanted, and I was more than happy to obey. I sank to my knees as the water danced around us.

After giving Eddie the relief he’d been aching for, he lifted me to my feet and took the hotel soap and lathered my body. I swore I could see the dirt running down the drain as he washed me.

As he rinsed the soap off me, his fingers dipped between my legs. One hand pinned me to the wall as the other brought me to a massive orgasm. It was bigger than any I had been able to give myself. Eddie knew exactly how to touch me. My knees weakened, and every orgasm I had previously was eclipsed by the strength of the one he inflicted on me in that shower. The water streamed over me like rain from heaven as his strong arms held me upright.

I was a mess when we got out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around my body and did his best to wrap one around my hair. It was sweet. I held onto the towel rack, feeling the world spinning around me.

Eddie lifted me again, carrying me to the bed. As he laid me down, I watched his naked body move around the room. He was so powerful and sexy. There was no doubt in my mind that I had made the right decision to skip town.

I thought again of my parents. It was maybe the second time in as many days. By now they’d probably called everyone we knew in Colorado Springs and the police. They might have even called my sister. The idea suddenly struck me that I needed to call her.

Esther would be the only person I could reach out to. She would understand, and she would take Eddie and I in once we made it to California. I made a mental note that calling her was of the utmost importance. Then I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I woke up to darkness. The clock beside the bed read a little past five in the morning. Eddie was in a deep sleep, his thick arm across my waist. I tried to count how many hours I’d been out, but I couldn’t believe that it was nearly ten.

A smile crept onto my face as I lay next to my man. I couldn’t help but love that even in sleep, he was doing his best to protect me.

I drifted off again, feeling a peace that I’d wished for finally work its way into my soul.

The second time I woke up that morning, Eddie wasn’t in the bed. He was at the small table near the door, staring out the window. I sat up.

“What’s going on?”

He barely turned to me. “Not sure, but I don’t like it. There’s some suspicious car outside. It’s driven through the parking lot twice now. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

I turned my body to the edge of the bed, wanting to be ready no matter what happened. My clothes were in a pile at the edge, and I started digging through them for my socks.

“Do you think it has to do with the guy in Frisco?”

Eddie shook his head. “Awful long way for someone to drive for revenge. What’s that, a thousand miles? Nah, probably nothing.”

I had no idea how many miles I’d ridden on the back of the Harley. I knew it had been two long days of driving straight through, stopping for gas and quick snacks. I pulled my jeans up my legs and stood up.

Resting a hand on his shoulder, I asked, “You want me to get everything together?”

“Not sure. I was gonna run an idea past you.” His eyes were still focused outside the room.

“Go for it.”

“We need money. Probably another two hundred would really seal the deal for us. Bakersfield? That’s where you wanted to go?”

I nodded. “My sister’s there. I want to call her sometime soon, if we can. She’ll take us in and won’t say a word to my parents. What are you thinking?”

Eddie turned to me, letting the curtain fall back into place. “There’s a small bank in town. I drove past it this morning while you were out cold. One teller, probably no camera. We’d need to stash the Harley and find a getaway vehicle. It’s a small town, probably nothing’s locked.”

I listened, adrenaline already surging in my veins. We’d never truly robbed a place, but the thought—just the thought—was so hot. I wanted to interrupt him and tell him “yes.” I trusted him, and I trusted his plan, even if he was coming up with it on the spot.

Eddie had talked about boosting cars, and I was so eager to take the danger to the next level. It was addictive, and just like an addict, my fixes were getting bigger. I listened, but in my head I could already feel the weight of the gun in my hand, and the money in the duffel bag as we sped out of Nevada.

“What do you think?”

I thought through the simple idea. I didn't see too many glaring holes. “Can we see what the police presence in town is like? And can we see if there are cameras? If not, I‘m in.”

Eddie stood up, the morning sun bathing his large chest. “You know what I’m asking you to be a part of, Faith?”

I nodded, speaking like it was nothing more than a lunch order. “Yes, Eddie. We’re going to rob a bank.”

Eddie headed over to the front desk to speak with the owner when she arrived later that morning. He needed some information, and he wanted a solid alibi for us. When he came back, he filled me in on what he’d learned.

Her name was Dolores Allison. Her late husband had left her the Dusty Lodge in his will, the “only mean thing he’d ever done” to her. She’d been running the place for the last few years, just waiting until Social Security kicked in so she could give the place up.

When Eddie mentioned seeing a suspicious car drive by slowly, she waved it off. Delores said there was a jealous ex in town. The guy looked everywhere for his ex-wife, and since she’d stayed at the Dusty Lodge when they were separated, it was one of his usual haunts.

Eddie said that the old lady was sweet, and it would be easy to establish an alibi, if needed. She seemed eager to give up information, so he’d asked about the bank. It was small town, indeed: two tellers working with a manager splitting his time between that branch and another in Moapa.

We decided to stay on in Mesquite for at least another day, which would drop our money down to less than five bucks. The bank job was inevitable, but that didn’t really have any effect on me. I
wanted
to do it. I wanted that thrill and the rush only danger could give me.

That day, we went out for a drive, telling Delores we wanted to enjoy the small town atmosphere. We were actually planning out the routes in and out of the bank and scouting for getaway vehicles, but the slow, short drive was actually nice after two days of hard riding.

Mesquite was a growing town, with new construction springing up everywhere. It was sleepy and vibrant at the same time. I was able to leave the sweatshirt back at the motel and finally enjoy the fall air in the dry Nevada desert. It was worlds better than the hours and hours of frozen fingers clinging together for warmth.

My love for Eddie grew more in those two days than I could have imagined. He had sacrificed his body to carry me as far from Colorado Springs as possible. The weight of that wasn’t on him, but he took up more than half of my burden. It was a debt I didn't think I could ever repay.

I held onto him with an iron grip as we rode through the small town. It wasn’t for fear of freezing to death this time, but I wanted him to know I was grateful for all he had done—and all he
would
do, as I’d soon find out.