Page 47 of Rough

“Did you hear about that family in Escondido? Two uhmm. Two years ago? It was in June. The 16th. That was the day that uhhm…that it happened. There was…it was three…three kids…and their…both parents. Somebody…”

I exhaled. Along with it, part of my soul escaped me.

“They were…Somebody uhhm…”

My mouth had gone dry. Continuing wasn’t going to be easy. My lower lip was quivering. I bit into it and spoke softly through the corner of my mouth.

“They had all been…”

It was all I could say. I let out a breath and then looked up and met his gaze. His eyes were red and swollen. One of my shoulders shrugged. Kind of. I wanted to be done.

He nodded.

I needed to say it anyway.

“That. That uhhm. That was him. Him and Josh.”

My head nodded a few times, even though I didn’t want it to. I think it was trying to remind me that it really happened.

He reached across the table. “I’m sorry.”

I gently squeezed his fingertips.

“Yeah.” I wiped my cheek against my upper arm. “Me, too.”

FOURTEEN

Pee Bee

Heaven, by Rag N Bone Man blared from the speakers. Momentarily lost in the music, I twisted the throttle back and increased my speed. After a few very enjoyable blocks, the song ended.

I glanced at the dash. Much to my surprise, it was 3:00 a.m. I cocked my head to the side. “You worn out yet?”

“Whatever you want,” she said. “I could do this all night.”

“We don’t have to go much longer for that,” I said. “It’s three o’ clock.”

She leaned forward. “Three? In the morning?”

“Well it sure as fuck isn’t afternoon.”

“Holy crap, I had no idea.”

Unlike most women riders, she didn’t hold onto me, and knew very well that she didn’t have to. She rested her feet on the pegs, her back against the rest, and let her arms hang at her sides. Each time she leaned forward, however, her boobs pressed into my back.

It was enough of a tease that each time it happened, I wanted to fuck her that much more.

“So what are you thinking?” I asked.

“I’ve got to get up at 5:15. Take me home, I guess.”

Although we’d ridden up and down the coast in our night’s excursion, at that moment we were only fifteen minutes from where she’d dropped off her car. I changed lanes, rolled up to the light, and quickly made a U-turn in the vacant intersection.

I grabbed a fistful of throttle and sped up to 60 as fast I could. As I steadied the speed, she rested her chin on my shoulder.

“I love it when you go fast,” she breathed into my ear. “It’s…it makes me feel clean.”

“What? Clean?”