Steel 4: Blackthorne MC #4 Read Online Free PDF Page A

lips nervously and ducked down so if anyone was inside they wouldn’t see me pass. I wasn’t exactly a natural at this escape stuff and felt a bit silly creeping around the building.
    I had no idea what I was doing, but I had a pretty good idea what would happen to me if I got caught.
    When I reached the outbuilding, I grabbed the key from my pocket and leaned down to try and locate the keyhole.  
    The low level of moonlight was good in one way, but it made it really difficult for me to see the lock. I finally inserted the key in the hole and heard the lock open with a click as I turned the key.  
    I exhaled a long breath in relief and pulled open the door. It creaked loudly, and I froze, guiltily looking over my shoulder.  
    I waited a few seconds, but there was no sign of movement and no indication that anyone had seen me or heard the door opening.
    I was trembling now, and my hand shook as I shoved the key back in my pocket. I stepped inside and something grazed my cheek.  
    I stifled a scream, and I didn’t feel much better when I saw what was responsible. A long, grey, twisted cobweb. Luckily I couldn’t see its eight-legged owner, but I didn’t stick around to look for it. I grabbed the bicycle by the handle bars and dragged it outside.
    I propped up the bicycle against the wall while I locked the door. Then I quickly skirted around the outside of the building to put the key back in the pile of bricks where I’d found it. I slipped it in a gap, unwilling to move any bricks tonight and risk finding another scorpion.
    I grabbed the bike, swung my leg over and planted my butt on the very uncomfortable saddle. I put a foot on one of the pedals and pushed off.  
    At first, it was a little tricky. It had been a while since I’d last ridden, but what was that saying? It was like riding a bike? I wasn’t so sure about that.  
    It was hard to keep my balance, and it was even harder to peddle at the same time. It definitely wasn’t as easy as I remembered.  
    The muscles in my legs were protesting from the effort. Then I had a horrible thought. Did the bike have a flat tire? I hadn’t checked. Why hadn’t I thought of checking something so obvious?
    I planted my feet on the floor and then peered down to inspect the tires. It was hard to see in the dark, but they both looked okay, so I figured it must be hard going just because the sandy surface was difficult to ride on.
    I gritted my teeth and began to move again. It didn’t matter how hard it was. I had to do it. Once I reached the town, I would be safe, I told myself, pushing down hard on the pedals.
    When I got off the track and onto the main road, it made it a little easier. With the cool night breeze rippling through my hair, I began to feel more confident.  
    The sound from the bar had faded behind me, and I could see the lights from the town of Blackthorne in front of me. I could do this.  
    I wasn’t sure how long it would take. But it could only be a maximum of five miles. A few more miles on this bike and I would be safe. I tried to keep up the positive thoughts to encourage myself to go faster.
    I’d only been cycling for a few minutes when I saw lights up ahead. They were too close to be from the town, and from the way they jumped and moved, I guessed it had to be a car going over bumps in the road.  
    I felt a wave of absolute terror, and for a split second, I froze.  
    What should I do now?  

7

    I decided to get off the bike and move it to the side of the road. There wasn’t exactly much to hide behind, but I managed to get myself and the bike mostly covered by a prickly shrub. I sat there, praying that there were no scorpions nearby, until the car roared past.
    I waited, expecting to hear the squeal of breaks when I was spotted. But the sound from the engine grew distant.
    I waited a minute or so, to make sure that they weren’t coming back, and then I freed myself from the shrub, which had decided to catch onto my sweater with its