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“I don’t have another helmet, so she’ll have to wear mine. I can have an earpiece in to still talk to her.” Riot huffs out his disapproval of the whole situation. I squeal, about to run to Viktor and snatch the helmet from him before Riot grabs my upper arm in a punishing grip and I yelp. His grip immediately loosens. He turns me to face him before speaking.

“You listen to him. One wrong move will cost you your life, Penelope.” I nod, putting my head down, feeling like a scolded child again. I feel him press a kiss to my hair before his warmth leaves my body, and I hear his car door open, then close.

“Whelp, we better get going before boss man rips my dick off,” Viktor banters, waving his helmet at me. All my excitement returns as I bounce towards him, snatching the helmet and putting it on. Viktor tilts my chin up, tightening the strings there.

He slides something out of his pocket, pressing it to his ear before getting on the bike, leaving me standing here. Suddenly, his thick voice rings out in the helmet. “Come over here, Сестра.” Put your hands on my shoulders and put your right foot on the peg right here,” He points at the peg behind his foot. “Then hoist your left leg over the bike. Use your right foot to push your body up to help center you on the seat. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

I go over to the bike, doing what he said and planting my hands on his shoulders. Before hopping on, I hear Riot’s car start up. It’s a deafening roar blasting the quiet air. Placing my right foot on the peg, I throw my left leg over the seat, pushing my body up with my right leg. Once I’m sorta seated, Viktor helps me adjust.

I look behind me when I hear the ear-piercing roar of Riot’s car as he revs it. Clearly unhappy at Viktor’s hands on me. I guess. Big baby. His exhaust pops, sounding like gunshots that make me tense up and flinch. Viktor pinches my thigh, making my head snap to him. “Ignore him. Put your arms around my waist and hug tight. Don’t let go. Lean into the turns with me. It’ll keep us on the bike and off the ground.”

Without another word, he revs the bike, and we set off. Starting off slow to make sure I have a grip. I look behind to see Riot hot on our tail. His bumper almost kissing the back of the bike. Viktor notices and speeds up, trying to leave him in the dust, but it doesn’t work as Riot just speeds up as well.

The wind whips my loose hair back. I feel the air smack my body, my clothes shaping to my stature with the force. I squeal with excitement, looking over Viktor’s gigantic shoulder to see the road ahead. I’ve never felt whatever this is before, but I don’t ever want it to stop.

We’ve been riding for about thirty minutes before Viktor speaks again. “Do you want to stand up? It’s the best rush of adrenaline.” I don’t answer, but instead tap his shoulder three times, trying to signal yes.

“Does that mean yes? I know Riot said you don’t talk. Okay, wait. Twice for no, three times for yes,” he rants, trying to be respectful of getting my answer. I tap his shoulder three times, and I can hear his smile through his next words.

“Okay, bet. Put your hands under my shirt and grab onto the vest straps on my shoulders and hold. Very. Fucking. Tightly. Riot will murder me if anything happens to you.” I do as he says, wrapping my hands in the straps of his vest. “Okay, now make sure your feet are on the pegs, do not move them. You will fall. Once you’re ready, push down with your hands on my shoulders into a standing position.”

I look down at my feet, seeing them on the pegs. Looking back at Riot, I see his unmasked eyes peering into mine through the helmet. Turning back around, I push down on Viktor’s shoulders, making myself stand up. I’m hit with the most exciting feelings ever. It’s foreign, but it feels fucking incredible.

The rush is amazing, thrilling, extraordinary. The wind rushes my body, making my clothes warp with it. I see everything. The long windy road in front of us, the small mountains we head into. The rising sun shining on us, wishing I didn’t have a helmet on so I could feel the warmth of it.

I never in a million years thought I would be lucky enough to experience something so amazing like this. Something so freeing for someone who’s been trapped their entire life.

I squeal loudly, it pretty much turns into a scream. I scream-laugh, feeling the terror and the adrenaline rush through my veins. This is amazing. I’m going to need one of these machines for myself. The cars that drive past us look at me like I’m fucking insane, and I feel like it too.

I hear Riot lay on the horn behind us, telling me to sit the fuck down. Viktor’s laugh echoes in the helmet, hearing the same thing I am.

Feeling a little dare-devilish, I unwrap one of my hands, pulling it above my hand and letting the wind flow powerfully through my fingers. I scream a cheer, loving the adrenaline in my veins, behind my head, in my arms, my legs, and the butterflies in my stomach.

“Alright, Сестра,” Viktor’s voice bellows, “I just got an angry call from your fucking dog back there, and my dick is being threatened, among other things. Sit down.” Snapping my head back, I glare at Riot. His points down, telling me for the third time to sit the absolute fuck down. I flip him off, having a surge of confidence from the adrenaline.

His eyes widen, and I swear I see his nostrils flare, fucking smoke coming out of them. His car lurches forward, getting so close to the tire I sit down just out of pure fear.

Oh, get a load of this guy.

*This book is an advance reader copy and is to not be distributed anywhere. [email protected]*

13

Chapter Thirteen

My Own Summer - Deftones

Riot

She’s been on that death machine for about thirty minutes. Her arms wrapped around him. I watch carefully as she leans into the turns with him, keeping them on the bike.

Her hair is all over the place, the blonde shining in the sun, being forced around by the wind. Her clothes cling to her Goddess body, outlining everything. Fuck. I wish I could eat her. She looks back at me, and I can see her eyes looking into mine through the helmet. My thoughts are cut short when my brain almost explodes at what she does next.

She fucking stands up on the bike. FUCK NO. I drive the car right up to the tire. If she falls, maybe it’ll be better for her to land on the car. Laying my hand on the horn, I shout at myself, angry for even letting her get on the fucking bike. If she falls, I will fucking kill Viktor. I honk in a few quick bursts, but her ass still isn’t on the seat.

Picking my phone up from the passenger seat, I pull up Viktor’s number, pressing call. It picks up within a second, and he doesn’t have time to speak before he hears my fucking words.

“You tell her to sit THE FUCK DOWN NOW. Or it’s your dick on the platter. I will shove it up your ass along with my foot and stick you on a pole like a fucking scarecrow. SIT HER DOWN.” I shout into the phone, hanging up before I hear his response. It only takes a few seconds before her head snaps to me, before she flips me off.