Steel Me Away Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Vivian Lux
were definitely starting to find us, but I didn't care. I drifted off to sleep listening to his heartbeat.
*****
There was a crunching noise. Then another one. A huff of breath.
My eyes flew open to see the beast above us. I nearly screamed before I realized.
"J.?"
"Mmm,"
"J., honey, wake up."
He was awake instantly, his head darting around. "Jesus fucking Christ!" he shouted in terror.
"Oh no no no, stop, it's okay. See? It's just a cow."
The giant Holstein regarded us placidly, her jaw working.
"Fuuuck," he breathed.
"I think we slept in a farmer's cowfield," I helpfully pointed out.
J. hadn't turned from staring at the cow. "Fuck me," he breathed again.
I realized something. "Haven't you ever seen a cow before?"
He shook his head, mesmerized. "Never up close. I've seen 'em from the road and I just, I never knew they were so fucking big. "
"She's a pretty big girl," I agreed. "We should probably get the fuck out of here. Slowly," I cautioned as he grabbed hastily for his jacket.
I pushed myself unsteadily to my feet. It was still early morning. Farmer's hours. I pressed in my side where I had slept on a rock, rubbing it gingerly. I was going to pay for this.
J. was already moving normally, rolling up the blanket while casting apprehensive looks at the cow. "Don't turn your back on her," I warned him.
"Fuck," he said again.
"I can't believe my big biker is scared of an animal."
"That's not a fucking animal," he protested. "That's a house with legs."
I had to stifle my laugh as we backed away from the placid beast. She watched us go, her liquid brown eyes blinking slowly and unconcerned. Until J. kicked the engine to life. She turned tail and ran over the rise. As we moved forward, I saw that the field below was a sea of cows. "Oh my god," I shouted over the engine. "We definitely slept in a cow field."
J. only shook his head and grabbed my hand. I heeded the warning and held on tight.
The closer we got to Philadelphia, the lower my spirits sank. After a night of freedom, I wasn't ready to go back to the uncertainty and tension of the clubhouse. I didn't want to spend another day hovering at the edges, unnoticed and unneeded. By the time we rolled into the parking lot, my happiness had all but drained away.
It left completely when Case came rushing up to us, his face a mask of fury.
"You fucker! " he shouted as he barreled across the parking lot with his fists clenched. "You motherfucking asshole, I ought to kill you!"
J. stepped of the bike, moving quickly between me and the furious mountain charging towards us. "Case man, what the hell?"
Case screeched to a stop, inches from J.'s nose. His ham-sized fists were clenched at his sides, every muscle tensed and ready to swing. "We," he snarled, "are on lockdown! That means you stay at the fucking clubhouse with the rest of the fucking club so we know where the fuck you are!"
I stepped back from the bike, backing up until I felt the chain link fence behind me and could go no further. This was my fault. We had left because of me. And now J. was in trouble.
But he wasn't acting like it. He raised his hand soothingly, his face as calm and placid as the cow's. "We're here and we're fine. Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it?" Spittle flew into Case's beard. "May I remind you that this all started when your hotheaded ass went and got into a fight with a guest? A guest from a bigger and way the fuck more powerful MC?"
"Hey now," J.'s voice was sharp. "You were there. You saw what that piece of shit was trying to pull."
"Yeah," Case snarled savagely. "I was there." He poked his ribs, yanking his black T-shirt up to expose the tape that held him together. "And where were you? Well you ran off with your girl. " He buried his fist in his palm. "Just like you did yesterday."
J. stepped forward so that their noses were touching. His voice was
*****
There was a crunching noise. Then another one. A huff of breath.
My eyes flew open to see the beast above us. I nearly screamed before I realized.
"J.?"
"Mmm,"
"J., honey, wake up."
He was awake instantly, his head darting around. "Jesus fucking Christ!" he shouted in terror.
"Oh no no no, stop, it's okay. See? It's just a cow."
The giant Holstein regarded us placidly, her jaw working.
"Fuuuck," he breathed.
"I think we slept in a farmer's cowfield," I helpfully pointed out.
J. hadn't turned from staring at the cow. "Fuck me," he breathed again.
I realized something. "Haven't you ever seen a cow before?"
He shook his head, mesmerized. "Never up close. I've seen 'em from the road and I just, I never knew they were so fucking big. "
"She's a pretty big girl," I agreed. "We should probably get the fuck out of here. Slowly," I cautioned as he grabbed hastily for his jacket.
I pushed myself unsteadily to my feet. It was still early morning. Farmer's hours. I pressed in my side where I had slept on a rock, rubbing it gingerly. I was going to pay for this.
J. was already moving normally, rolling up the blanket while casting apprehensive looks at the cow. "Don't turn your back on her," I warned him.
"Fuck," he said again.
"I can't believe my big biker is scared of an animal."
"That's not a fucking animal," he protested. "That's a house with legs."
I had to stifle my laugh as we backed away from the placid beast. She watched us go, her liquid brown eyes blinking slowly and unconcerned. Until J. kicked the engine to life. She turned tail and ran over the rise. As we moved forward, I saw that the field below was a sea of cows. "Oh my god," I shouted over the engine. "We definitely slept in a cow field."
J. only shook his head and grabbed my hand. I heeded the warning and held on tight.
The closer we got to Philadelphia, the lower my spirits sank. After a night of freedom, I wasn't ready to go back to the uncertainty and tension of the clubhouse. I didn't want to spend another day hovering at the edges, unnoticed and unneeded. By the time we rolled into the parking lot, my happiness had all but drained away.
It left completely when Case came rushing up to us, his face a mask of fury.
"You fucker! " he shouted as he barreled across the parking lot with his fists clenched. "You motherfucking asshole, I ought to kill you!"
J. stepped of the bike, moving quickly between me and the furious mountain charging towards us. "Case man, what the hell?"
Case screeched to a stop, inches from J.'s nose. His ham-sized fists were clenched at his sides, every muscle tensed and ready to swing. "We," he snarled, "are on lockdown! That means you stay at the fucking clubhouse with the rest of the fucking club so we know where the fuck you are!"
I stepped back from the bike, backing up until I felt the chain link fence behind me and could go no further. This was my fault. We had left because of me. And now J. was in trouble.
But he wasn't acting like it. He raised his hand soothingly, his face as calm and placid as the cow's. "We're here and we're fine. Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it?" Spittle flew into Case's beard. "May I remind you that this all started when your hotheaded ass went and got into a fight with a guest? A guest from a bigger and way the fuck more powerful MC?"
"Hey now," J.'s voice was sharp. "You were there. You saw what that piece of shit was trying to pull."
"Yeah," Case snarled savagely. "I was there." He poked his ribs, yanking his black T-shirt up to expose the tape that held him together. "And where were you? Well you ran off with your girl. " He buried his fist in his palm. "Just like you did yesterday."
J. stepped forward so that their noses were touching. His voice was