Sweat beaded on Tazzy’s neck despite the cool night air. Her fingers dug into Jaxon’s leather jacket. “It’s still there,” she shouted into her mike. “It won’t go away.”
“Trust me, Darklin’,” he growled back. “I have you. Nothing touches you while you are on my bike.”
Darkness bled into every word, but not like before. Before, it scared her. Now it was different somehow, carrying the same sinister certainty, but now it gave her comfort.
Leaning even deeper than before, he took another hard turn. Tazzy’s knee came close to the asphalt. Her pulse thundered in herears. What a rush. Once they made the curve, she ventured another peek back. Braking late, the SUV had almost missed the turn, running over a stop sign in its effort to keep up. Still, it kept coming.
They hit a stretch of highway where Jaxon could open the throttle wide. Blurring into streaks of light and shadow, the world passed by. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the black SUV surge forward, trying to pull even with them on their left.
Jaxon swerved to block it, cutting across lanes with precision that spoke of years of training and muscle memory. The SUV swerved and dropped back, but only for a moment.
It surged forward again, this time on the right. Tazzy’s breath came in short gasps. She wasn’t sure if it was more from fear or excitement… or if there was even a difference. So far, the vehicle hadn’t made contact, but there was no mistaking their intent.
Jaxon cursed under his breath and took the next exit ramp at high speed. The curve forced the bike low again. The SUV followed, but the tighter radius slowed it down. The maneuver took them into a quiet neighborhood where Jaxon pushed through a series of quick turns.
Up one side road and down another, they roared down one block, then up the next before cutting through a parking lot to exit out the back. Jackson brought the bike to a stop and scanned the area. Behind them, those same headlights turned a corner and came at them. Jaxon spun the bike around and accelerated hard.
Soon, they left the lights behind and entered a more rural stretch. Trees pressed close on both sides as the road narrowed. Jaxon shot through an opening in the trees that Tazzy hadn’t even seen before they went into it. It turned out to be a dirt path that wound into the woods, barely wide enough for the motorcycle.
Branches scraped the handlebars. The Harley bounced over roots and uneven ground. Tazzy held on and prayed they didn’t hit anything solid. Behind them, brakes squealed. Her heart raced, even though she knew the larger vehicle couldn’t possibly fit. Jaxon turned the bike to the side before killing the engine and turning off the lights.In the complete darkness, it was easy to see the SUV lights sitting at the entrance to the trail.
Jaxon turned to Tazzy and put a finger up to his lips in the universal signal to keep quiet. Within a few seconds, the SUV sped away. Its lights soon disappeared in the trees between them and the road.
Jaxon got off the bike and walked the bike deeper into the woods until the path widened into a small clearing. He took off his helmet. Tazzy dismounted and did the same. Silence pressed in on them. Only their heavy breathing and the tick of the cooling motor filled the air.
He leaned against the bike. Reaching for her, he cupped her face and searched her eyes in the dim moonlight that filtered through the trees.
“You’re okay, babygirl. You’re safe,” he said. His voice stayed low and steady now. “I have you. I will never let anything happen to you. Not while I draw breath.”
The fear and excitement still coursed through her entire body, even though the immediate danger had passed. She leaned into his touch and let his warmth chase away the chill. “I know, Daddy. But it was strange. There was fear, and also there wasn’t. Somehow, I knew as long as you were in control, it would be okay. The worst part was when it seemed they wouldn’t leave us alone.”
The other feelings, that feeling of excitement and even pleasure, she kept to herself. If he thought she enjoyed the danger, it might mean more restrictions. She wondered briefly if something was wrong with her. Old Tazzy would have never felt this way.
He pulled her closer until she straddled his lap. His arms wrapped around her tight. “I know, baby. I saw how close it got. You did a good job holding on and telling me what you saw. I’m proud of you.”
She rested her forehead against his chest and breathed him in. Leather and soap and the faint scent of the warehouse still clung to him. After a minute, she felt the tension that still radiated from his body. His muscles remained coiled like he hadn’t let the chase go.
She pulled back enough to look at him. “You’re still angry. I can feel it in you.”
He nodded once. His jaw stayed tight. “You’re damn right I am. I’m fucking furious but not at you, Darkling’. It’s those people who were chasing us that I’m angry with. Them and whoever sent them after us. They don’t get to hurt you or scare you. Not when I can stop them. That was a close call.”
“I know! They almost got us.”
“No, not a close call for us. I mean, a close call for them.”
That didn’t sound right. “What are you talking about, Daddy?”
“If anyone had followed us down that trail, they’d be dead right now.”
“You couldn’t just kill them Daddy. Not unless you ran over them with your bike.”
“I can protect you, little girl. Can and will. I’m going to show you this once, just so you know that when you’re with me, you’re safe.” Unzipping his jacket, he pulled a gun from a holster she hadn’t known he was wearing. He held it up, away from her, and moonlight glinted off the smooth barrel.
Tazzy almost slid off his lap. Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t that. She reached up to touch it, wonder in her eyes.
“Absolutely not, little girl. This isn’t for you. You do not want the spanking you’ll get if I even think you’ve touched this. It’s Daddy only, do you understand?”
“Y-yes, Daddy. I won’t touch it. Promise.”