Jas slid her bike into a regular parking spot so Dax could park next to her. She saw Roger go down a few slots and pull his bike in. They were supposed to ignore him, so she put her head down and focused on moving a gun and knife into the inside of her jacket. For a moment, she paused and looked up. There it was the Eiffel Tower; she seriously wished she could get close and walk up inside. But it was not on the tour yet; she planned to do that when she came back, though.
There were a lot of things she planned to do, and she really hoped she would be able to do them. Jas looked around and took in the people who were walking along the sidewalk. None of them looked at her or Dax, and she relaxed a little, not much, but enough to actually smile at Dax and then hold out her hand. That was what newlyweds would do.
Dax grabbed her hand, and they walked to the front of the eatery that sold homemade croissants that apparently were legendary. He hoped they got a chance to try one, at least. Once they were inside the door, Jas grinned bigger at him and held up two fingers to the waitress who nodded and grabbed two menus and began walking in between the tables until she reached the far edge, and then she smiled and motioned for them to sit.
They had a great view of the Tower and the park surrounding it. People were moving around and sitting on blankets just taking in the view. Over the bridge was the Champs Elysees; from there, it led to the Arch De Triumph. When the waitress returned, Jas pointed at a café latte and a croissant, Dax nodded he wanted the same, and then they sat in silence looking out the window.
Then Dax leaned forward and said, “How long are we supposed to sit here?”
Jas grinned, “I don’t know, it was a crapshoot. All I know is what time we were supposed to be here.”
Dax narrowed his eyes, “You know, you can be extremely frustrating.”
Jas raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. “Now how the hell am I supposed to respond to that.”
“Stop doing it.” Dax snapped.
“How am I supposed to stop doing something that I have no idea I am doing.” Jas laughed. Damn it, she was distracting, and even now, all he could think of what she would feel like under him.
“I don’t know,” Dax said with a growl and finished it off by saying. “You need to figure it out; you are driving me crazy. This is a dangerous position, and you are sitting here looking at the surroundings like you itched to get up and walk out.”
“Duh,” Jas drawled, “Because seriously, I was going to do that before you showed up. Do you realize how much I have had to change on my trip? And make no mistake; this was my trip.”
Dax stared at her intently and then strangely, almost as if he had never seen her before. What the fuck was up with that? Finally, he spoke up and said.
“Your mother and dads were okay with you traveling across Europe by yourself for a month.”
Jas stared at him silently, her eyes becoming cooler and more pissed. “It so happens I am of age, and they don’t run my life. They haven’t in a long time. So, I don’t know what you are thinking, but get it right out of your head.”
Dax muttered, “I thought that you grew up in a club who takes care of their own. So, I assumed that you always have someone here watching your back. I just haven’t seen who they are.”
Okay, now that just pissed her off, so she leaned forward and hissed quietly at him. “I am twenty-one. I can and do shit on my own. In case this isn’t clear, I did not grow up in the club, I grew up hard and fast. Not that it is any of your business but, I didn’t have a fairy tale life, and I am not the Princess of any of the clubs. I had to make myself who I am with their help. I took what they were offering, and I could have walked away. I know they would have let me because they respect me. Yeah, my mom and dads are a bit clingy, they worry, mostly because they know how I grew up. But they would not stop me, they would argue with me, but in the end, I would do what I wanted. In addition, I belong to four clubs the Ops, Lady Rider, Satan’s Sisters, and Furies. I belong to all the clubs because they all have accepted me for who I am, not for anything else. Everything is always my decision especially not to just sit around and ignore everything that is swirling around both clubs, I have been in the know. Because I knew I was going to do something. I helped. I love all four clubs and would never move out of any of them. Yes, I am the youngest out of all them, but they respect that I am not a young schoolgirl, because I never had the chance to be one.”
Dax leaned back, staring at her with no expression on his face; Jas wondered if she had shared too much info with him; she didn’t normally do that. Her past was her past, and that is where it belonged. And she knew, even though she always dreaded the lectures, her dad’s and Shay would never keep her from doing something, she just wanted to make sure that no other shit happened to her because she had a crap childhood. Fuckin’ A, she hated when someone got her riled enough to share shit.
Someone brushed against her arm, and she looked up, thinking the waitress brought their order. And then she leaned back; it wasn’t the waitress they had before; it was a waiter, who looked like he created nightmares in little children. She could not get over all the piercings the man had. Hell, there were so many holes in his head, she wondered where his brains were. She thought he was the military type, but like his hair was too long or something, she thought that was how he was getting classified information. But this, damn, she had no words.
The ‘waiter’ held out a napkin and leaned in. “Put it on the table, please.”
Dax shrugged and then did as he said, and the man swiped it up and then turned and delivered their food. When he was done, he said, “Back here in three weeks.” Then the man turned and left.
Jas looked at Dax and whispered. “What just happened? I mean, who the hell was that? I thought we were meeting a military dude.”
Dax looked at her, stunned. “He is a contract worker on one of the bases. Seen him around a few times in Germany, he is some expert on something. I didn’t pay attention because it meant nothing to me.”
“Well, slap my ass,” Jas said with a grin. “I love being surprised.”
Dax looked around and took a drink of his coffee. “He is also like a fucking beacon if someone has been watching us. Hell, he was not conspicuous.”
Jas nodded and took a bite of her breakfast and said, “Well, at least no one is taking a pot shot at us right now, so enjoy the food, and then we can get out of here.”
Dax nodded and then looked at Roger, who was eating as well, but staring intently at something or someone outside. He couldn’t tell what Roger had zeroed in on. He wanted to look, but honestly, it would be like waving ‘here I am’ he would not do that to Jas.”
So, he sat and ate his food, watched Roger, who was becoming more agitated, and Jas, who seemed to be loving the croissant. He looked outside to see if he could spot something out of place when he saw a man standing right next to Jas’s bike. Well damn it, he thought, he didn’t recognize the man, but he did notice he was looking far to close at her bike. How had they been made? It didn’t really matter at this point, but it would later, ‘cause he was going to kill someone. They were going to Madrid, he thought and then leaned forward and said.
“Spain is looking better and better.”
Jas’s eyes looked at him in surprise, and she smiled and acted as if nothing was wrong. “Really, are you positive we should go there?”
Dax looked at Roger and back at Jas and nodded, “Yeah, I am positive it is the way to go.”
She nodded and sipped her coffee and looked around. She noticed Roger looking outside in the direction of where they parked. She slowly turned and waved to the waitress at the same time as she looked to where their bikes were parked, and she noticed the man who was leaning over her bike now. Well, fuck a duck. Who the hell was that? He didn’t look familiar. She memorized everything she noticed about him that would make him distinctive, so later she could tell Fling.
The waitress came to their table, and Jas asked with a smile. “Can we have our ticket?”
The woman nodded and then leaned down as she wrote on the paper. When she left, Dax picked it up and read it silently before giving it to her.
Tick tells me there are men in the restaurant and outside, he is upstairs and will remain there until the coast is clear. Three men will get your bikes and meet you in the back of the restaurant.
Dax threw down the money, and Jas nodded and motioned with her head the signs that showed the bathrooms by the back of the place. She stood first and walked back to the restaurant and into the restroom. She had seen the kitchen and back entrance; she would need to be careful; whoever was in the restaurant had to be watching them.
Jas paced back and forth, and she heard her phone ding. Pulling it out of the back of her pants, she looked at it. Roger said to wait; he called the fire department claiming the place had a gas leak. She sighed and waited for the sirens. It didn’t take long, and she heard men yelling for the people to leave the premises.
Jas opened the door a little and saw that people were indeed leaving. She slipped out of the door and went to the back where the waitress was waiting for her. She pushed Jas outside where her bike was sitting, alone. Welp, apparently, the guys had left, Jas walked around her bike quickly and spotted the tracer, she pulled it off and threw it in the dumpster. She got on her bike, grabbed her helmet, which would hide her face if she put down the shades. Her bike roared into action, and she took off quickly, driving down an alley and turning on a side street. Once she was sure no one was following her, she hit the earpiece on her phone and said to call Fling. She heard the ringing, and Fling picked up almost immediately.
“Jas,” he said quickly.
“Somehow, they knew where we were; we are headed to Spain,” she said briskly and focused on the road and making sure no one was following her.
“Are you sure?” he asked, and she said,
“Positive, they were leaning over my bike.”
“Shit,” Fling said. “Did they put a trace and trap?”
Jas nodded to herself. “Yep, but I threw it off.”
“There could be more than one.” He warned, and she said.
“I know, I will check again in a few once I get to somewhere, I can park out of the line of sight.”
“Okay, get your ass to Madrid, you can stay there until Tick is done. Then quickly grab the drive and haul ass to the airport.”
“On it,” she said and then saw a building she could pull into. “Getting off.”
“Call if you have any more problems.” Fling said, and she nodded.
Jas parked her bike and then got off quickly and hit her earpiece, and called her mother.
“What?” Shady said quickly.
“We were made going to Madrid.” Jas snapped. “Some put one tracer on my bike. I need to make sure there isn’t another one.”
“Look between the spokes in the tire wheel, under the back seat, and where your bag is,” Shady said, and Jas could tell she was on the move, in the background she heard Harmony and Freedom yelling at her, trying to find out what was going on.
Jas did what her mom said and found it in the wheel. Shit, they were slick, she could only hope that Dax and Roger had checked their bikes too, or it will be a short-lived trip to Madrid. Jas focused on getting back on the road when Slider came on the phone.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said quickly, and she turned on the engine.
“Hey, Dad, found the tracer, got it off, checked it all over, and found no others,” she said, and then she moved back on the road as fast as she could. They had to be behind her, and not too far. Looking in her rearview mirror, she saw a black SUV and knew instinctively they were trying to find her. She gunned her engine and moved faster.
“Good, now listen, we are watching you. Do you see a tail?”
“Yep, three cars back an SUV black, tinted windows cannot see in,” she said and turned quickly.
“Good, you see them, now you need to evade.” Slider said, and Jas wanted to roll her eyes, but at her speed, it would totally be dangerous.
“I know,” she said, and then Cajun came on as well.
“In five hundred feet, there is a turn; it will be illegal; it is one way, and you are going to get on the sidewalk and haul ass up three blocks before you turn again to the right. Are you with me?”
“Yep,” she said and made her turn. Instantly there were cars honking, but no one was really on the sidewalk. Jas yelled as she rode and looked in her rearview mirror. “They couldn’t follow, but they are far from gone, I think.”
“I know, honey, tell me when you turn,” Cajun said, and then Slider said.
“Honey, why is the other bike tailing you from behind?”
Jas frowned and looked behind her, and in the distance, she saw Dax riding on the sidewalk. Fuck, he was supposed to be in another part of town. What the hell was he thinking?
“Don’t know how are you seeing him?” she gritted out, and she heard her mother yell in the background.
“He is going to get you killed, why the hell is he following? God damn it, ask her what the fuck he is doing.”
“Fling has all of you being tracked, that is how we know, but you were supposed to split up.” Cajun snapped.
Jas grimaced and said, “He thinks I am the Princess of the clubs,” she said, and then she heard Shady scream.
“Well, you are, but that doesn't mean we haven’t taught you how to kill someone or to use a rocket launcher. What kind of parents does he think we are? Gimme his number, I needed to set him straight.”
“Turned, I tried to tell him that, but for some reason, he thinks I was sheltered,” Jas said. “And dads get Mom some valium, she is gonna stroke out.”
“Okay, now you need to take a left and put the boot down, the road is curvy as shit, and not used normally, so the road is probably for shit,” Slider said.
“Sheltered?” She heard Harmony say loudly. “Are you kidding me right now, does he know us, the Furies, the Sisters? No way could you be sheltered, no one is. Heck, you know first-hand how shitty the world can be, and yet you are not a bitter old hag.”
Jas laughed and then turned and saw the road, yeah, the road was for shit, she thought and put the peddle down and moved. She went through the curves with one foot down because of her speed. Everyone from home did not say a word; they waited until she was out of the shitty section of the road she was on. It took a while, and she could see Dax behind her, and there were no cars. Maybe they lost the assholes. No matter than a second after she thought it, Jas looked forward and saw the SUV in the middle of the road blocking her.
“Shit,” she whispered, and Cajun said.
“What?”
“Ahead of me, they blocked off the road.” Jas snapped and looked behind her to see that Dax was moving quickly up to her. And there was another SUV coming up behind them.
She heard rustling, and then she heard on the line her mom and Doc, with Harmony yelling shit in the background about getting her knife out.
“Where is your gun?” Shady asked, and Jas looked down. She had two guns, and both were on either side of the tank.
“Tank,” she said, coming closer to the SUV.
“Pull them, one in your hand, one in the front your jeans,” Shady said, and Jas did what she said. Jugs had taught her how to ride with one hand on the handlebars and the other with a gun. It took concentration.
“How close?” Doc snapped, and Jas said.
“Football field.” Jas snapped back. “The other one has stopped and blocked the road in we try to go back.
“Here is what you are going to do, and it is not going backward,” Doc said and explained what she should do, and Jas’s eyes got wider. She stopped her bike like Doc told her and waited for Dax to meet her.
“Are you shitting me?” she said, and Doc growled. “He is there, use him.”
With a sigh, Jas said, “Okay, I just hope he doesn’t leave my ass.”
Slider said, “Then, he would be dead.”
“Dead dead,” Cajun said over the phone.
“Don’t have time, three men standing out of SUV, guns,” Jas said and looked at Dax, who had his weapons out as well.
“Catch me,” Jas called, and Dax frowned and then shrugged and nodded.
He had no clue but was trusting her. Wow, he could either be a dumbass or a savior. They would soon find out what. Jas revved her engine, and Dax did that same thing. Higher and higher, the motor roared as she got ready to make her play. He didn’t do that, he was waiting.
Jas turned and pulled out her gun and looked at Dax, who nodded. “Stay put until I signal you.” She yelled, and then she took her hand off the brakes, and her bike shot forward. Signal, how the fuck was she going to signal him?
She was going fast right off the bat, and Jas started to count one, two, three, four, five, she counted in her head, and then she hit the brakes lifting the front of the bike up then she raised her gun shooting at the three men. One dropped the other two dove for cover, Jas swung her bike back around and revved the engine and this time instead of turning she planted her feet and let the bike go out from under her, aimed right at the engine of the SUV, while she pulled the gun from her pants and with two hands began shooting and she yelled to Dax who was already on the move. She counted but still shot at the men, pulling her other gun when she was out of ammo.
Number two went down, and Jas grinned. And done, she thought and shot at her gas tank as it reached the SUV and hit where the last man was standing blowing up not only the SUV, but her bike as well damn it. Jas grimaced at her bag, going up in flames. Well, she needed to shop apparently. She heard shooting again, shit, does this guy never die?
Dax was coming, and she turned to the side, and as he drove by, Jas grabbed onto his arm and swung herself over the back of his bike. Hanging onto his middle as she fired with one hand, and the last man went down.
They both wanted to cheer, but they had to get the fuck out of there. He throttled the gas, and the bike shot forward. He heard her talking to someone, and he was quiet until she was off the phone, but he did wonder who she called. That whole situation was fucked, and what pissed him off was it was like someone had known which way she was going and was prepared.
Then he thought about Roger and hoped like hell that he had not had the same problems. He hit his own phone and called Roger. When the old man answered, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“What’s wrong?” Roger snapped, and Dax filled him in while the old man was cussing in his ear.
“Quick, check your bike. We need to get together sooner rather than later. I can handle Jas on the back of my bike, but we need someone watching our backs as well, or we may not make it.” Dax said, and Roger agreed.
They made plans to meet; he felt Jas lift her hand and knew she was done with her conversation. Time to make the plan they needed.