DARK BLISS (Dangerous Games,) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Madison Smart
long time, but I hope I never have to think about it again. Now can we go?”
Rock picked up the big man’s gun and searched the car for ammunition clips. He found two. He pocketed them and wedged the gun in his belt. “My bike’s over that little rise.”
The rise was an easy climb for him but he thought it might be steep for her. Halfway up, he turned and offered her a hand, which she took gratefully. Once on top he simply lifted her in his arms and carried her down.
“Thank you, sir.” she said as he set her on her feet.
“No problem.”
He started to walk away but when he saw she wasn’t beside him, he turned. She was still at the base of the rise, arms folded with a look of annoyance. “Listen, make up a name if you want to, but I’ve got to call you something .”
He sighed. “ Most people call me Rock.”
“Rock? As in stone?”
“Yeah.”
“Just Rock?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Like ‘Shane’ or ‘Paladin?’”
“ Sort of.”
“ All right, Rock. And my name’s Aurora Constable.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Constable.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, under the circumstances I think we can drop the formalities. My friends call me Rory. Saving my life automatically makes you a friend, whether you want to be or not.”
“All right … Rory.”
She looked around. “Never was any posse, was there?”
“No. Not that I expected them to buy that but it kept them distracted and off balance for a few extra seconds.”
“I’ve never seen anyone throw a knife like that except in a movie. Where did you learn that?”
“Army.”
“The army teaches knife throwing?”
“I was in Afghanistan. You want to learn hand-to-hand, nobody knows it like the Afghans.”
“What were you doing out here?”
“Bike started burping. I was fixing it . Trying to anyway. Don’t know if I did yet. I’ve spent the night here from time to time. There’s a little spring that feeds these oaks, keeps this spot cool and shady. Cheaper than a motel, cleaner than most of them, plus amazing stars.”
He took off his leather jacket and handed it to her.
“I don’t need that,” she objected.
“Gets cold on a bike. I advise you wear it. It’ll take us a couple of hours to make Tuláz.”
She donned the jacket, which swallowed her. She laughed. “I feel like a little girl in my father’s coat!”
It was the first time Rock had heard her l augh. The sound was musical and she had a smile that went with it, full of sunshine. He took the gun from his belt and stowed it and the knife in the saddlebags, then mounted. She hitched up her dress and got behind him awkwardly.
“You ever ride a bike?” he asked.
“Onc e but it wasn’t this big and just in town.”
“Well, you might find it scary at first. May want to hold onto me till you get used to it. Don’t want to do that, there’s a strap on the seat that you can grip.”
The engine started without a hitch. He listened for a minute. No popping, at least for now. He felt her arms around his waist and the push of her breasts against his back. It had been a while since he’d had a girl there. Nice.
He went slow, bumping over the ground until he reached the dirt road. He sped up a little but not by much until they turned onto a paved road, then he took off. He was relieved when they got to the highway. He’d had a private dread that the one who got the phone call had texted an invitation to come watch the fun. It was unlikely but he’d learned that in the field a little paranoia was a helpful thing. Imagine the worst turn of events: maybe you still won’t be ready but at least you won’t be surprised.
Traffic was heavy and the highway crowded with tractor-trailers, fuel trucks, cattle trucks, old model cars driven by Mexican families and SUVs driven by American tourists. He wove in and out of the vehicles expertly, careful not to go so fast he scared his passenger . She’d had enough frights for one day, for a lifetime.
He wondered where the dead
Rock picked up the big man’s gun and searched the car for ammunition clips. He found two. He pocketed them and wedged the gun in his belt. “My bike’s over that little rise.”
The rise was an easy climb for him but he thought it might be steep for her. Halfway up, he turned and offered her a hand, which she took gratefully. Once on top he simply lifted her in his arms and carried her down.
“Thank you, sir.” she said as he set her on her feet.
“No problem.”
He started to walk away but when he saw she wasn’t beside him, he turned. She was still at the base of the rise, arms folded with a look of annoyance. “Listen, make up a name if you want to, but I’ve got to call you something .”
He sighed. “ Most people call me Rock.”
“Rock? As in stone?”
“Yeah.”
“Just Rock?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Like ‘Shane’ or ‘Paladin?’”
“ Sort of.”
“ All right, Rock. And my name’s Aurora Constable.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Constable.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, under the circumstances I think we can drop the formalities. My friends call me Rory. Saving my life automatically makes you a friend, whether you want to be or not.”
“All right … Rory.”
She looked around. “Never was any posse, was there?”
“No. Not that I expected them to buy that but it kept them distracted and off balance for a few extra seconds.”
“I’ve never seen anyone throw a knife like that except in a movie. Where did you learn that?”
“Army.”
“The army teaches knife throwing?”
“I was in Afghanistan. You want to learn hand-to-hand, nobody knows it like the Afghans.”
“What were you doing out here?”
“Bike started burping. I was fixing it . Trying to anyway. Don’t know if I did yet. I’ve spent the night here from time to time. There’s a little spring that feeds these oaks, keeps this spot cool and shady. Cheaper than a motel, cleaner than most of them, plus amazing stars.”
He took off his leather jacket and handed it to her.
“I don’t need that,” she objected.
“Gets cold on a bike. I advise you wear it. It’ll take us a couple of hours to make Tuláz.”
She donned the jacket, which swallowed her. She laughed. “I feel like a little girl in my father’s coat!”
It was the first time Rock had heard her l augh. The sound was musical and she had a smile that went with it, full of sunshine. He took the gun from his belt and stowed it and the knife in the saddlebags, then mounted. She hitched up her dress and got behind him awkwardly.
“You ever ride a bike?” he asked.
“Onc e but it wasn’t this big and just in town.”
“Well, you might find it scary at first. May want to hold onto me till you get used to it. Don’t want to do that, there’s a strap on the seat that you can grip.”
The engine started without a hitch. He listened for a minute. No popping, at least for now. He felt her arms around his waist and the push of her breasts against his back. It had been a while since he’d had a girl there. Nice.
He went slow, bumping over the ground until he reached the dirt road. He sped up a little but not by much until they turned onto a paved road, then he took off. He was relieved when they got to the highway. He’d had a private dread that the one who got the phone call had texted an invitation to come watch the fun. It was unlikely but he’d learned that in the field a little paranoia was a helpful thing. Imagine the worst turn of events: maybe you still won’t be ready but at least you won’t be surprised.
Traffic was heavy and the highway crowded with tractor-trailers, fuel trucks, cattle trucks, old model cars driven by Mexican families and SUVs driven by American tourists. He wove in and out of the vehicles expertly, careful not to go so fast he scared his passenger . She’d had enough frights for one day, for a lifetime.
He wondered where the dead