The Curse Of Spring (Book Two of The Seasons Trilogy)

Chapter 11

Harley

You know those events in life where you just know sticking around will end in disaster, but you do anyway? Well, this rally was like that.

I was seriously regretting my outfit choice, and was pretty sure my backside would be bruised by the evening from all the slaps drunk old men had given it. As it turned out, it wasn't the "young bucks" Jay was so worried about that I needed to look out for - it was the creepy old men with wandering hands and boozy breath.

Even Tanner's presence didn't seem to help, although I guess he didn't really look like he would be able to do much in a physical fight. He was a lover, not a fighter. The whole personal space thing really was lost on drunkards.

Jay had scowled at some of the men and had a word or two with others, some bloody noses may or may not have resulted from the conversations too. I ended up wearing a large jacket Hank gave me to cover up the low cut of my top, that it covered my backside too was a bonus I was grateful for. It was probably better not to tempt those who lacked self-control.

"Want to go and watch the last competition? It's the slow race," Tanner asked even as he was already guiding me in that direction in his excitement. He was a bit like a kid in a toy store.

"Yeah, why not?" I replied, my arm linked through his.

We stood at the finishing line and watched the bikers lining up, my eye immediately drawn to Cole as he exchanged a laugh with another young biker next to him. A woman stepped out into the middle of the track and called for all bikers to get ready before she counted down from three. As she waved her red handkerchief, bikes crept forward, the bikers struggling to balance keeping their bike upright while at the same time keeping the bike moving slowly forward.

One or two of the bikers were just too drunk to even get their bikes up properly and were immediately disqualified for safety reasons. Others couldn't keep their bikes upright if they didn't move faster than the rest and crossed the finish line too quickly. Eventually it was just Cole and two others left, concentration clear on their faces.

Moments later, I saw him wobble and he sped up to compensate, only to cross the finishing line and earn third place as the last two bikes edged over the finishing line.

"That guy you're avoiding didn't do too badly," Tanner laughed as he poked me in the side. "He seems to have forgotten you exist."

I shoved him back slightly and watched as Cole went up to the young guy who had won and slapped him on the back, laughing about something or another with him. He had clearly made a friend.

"I'm hungry, let's get something to eat," I said to Tanner, pulling him by the arm to the rally equivalent of a food court.

He didn't need much convincing, ordering way more food than what seemed normal - although I knew he would finish it all. I ordered a burger and picked at it while I watched Cole over Tanner's shoulder.

"Why am I so drawn to him?" I asked aloud to no one in particular.

"To who?" Tanner responded with a mouthful of food while he looked around.

"To Cole, the guy I'm avoiding - as you so eloquently put it."

He shrugged in response, his eyes watching me intently.

"Did I tell you he has a picture of me from when I was a kid? Like, before my life with Jay?" Tanner's eyebrows shot up in question, urging me to explain. "He told me the girl was his best friend from when he lived in an orphanage. He said the girl's name was April."

"What did you say? Did you tell him that the picture was of you?" Tanner set his burger down on the polystyrene tray and leant forward, his attention fixed on me.

"I pretended like I didn't recognize the girl in the photo," I replied only to continue when Tanner shot me a questioning look. "Jay and I have spent years making sure my identity is kept secret. Who knows what will happen if I reveal who I am. I mean, it's great to know what my name used to be - but I'm not April anymore. I'm Harley, and that's all I want to be."

Tanner took a deep breath and took my hand in his, "Harlz, I was there the first few months after Jay found you. I know the doubts and questions that ran through your head. Don't tell me you still don't have questions about your past - and why someone would want to try to kill you when you were just a kid. Maybe Cole is an answer to your prayers."

I couldn't deny that I still had questions - far too many than I'd even admit to myself. And there was a chance that Cole could answer some of them, but at what risk?

"I'll have to think about it. Part of me is wanting him to leave as soon as possible so that my life can just get back to normal. But the other part of me wants him to stay, to become part of my life with Jay."

"I guess it's true about women not being able to make up their minds," Tanner teased before he shoved some chicken nuggets into his mouth.

I threw a chip at him in response, laughing when it hit him on the forehead only for him to throw one back at me. Resorting to a full on food fight seemed like a bad idea, so I decided to strike him where it would hurt him the most and I stole a chicken nugget.

"Hey! That's not fair," he grumbled, putting his arms around his tray like a wall.

I laughed and tried to break through his barrier only to have my hand smacked away. I tried again, sneaking my other hand forward surreptitiously. It didn't work, and I ended up knocking over my own can of coke instead. It flooded the table and spilled onto Hank's jacket, soaking the one side.

"Darn!" I exclaimed as I jumped up, Tanner trying to stem the flood with the few serviettes he had gathered.

I stripped out of the jacket and lay it on the chair beside where I was sitting, grabbing some more serviettes from the neighbouring table to help Tanner.

"I'm going to see if that food stand has a cloth," Tanner said before he ran off to the stand where we'd got our food from.

I mopped up as much as I could, and built a dam with the soggy serviettes so that the coke couldn't run across the table and onto the chairs that had been fixed to it. I was so intent on what I was doing that I didn't notice the guy casting glances my way until it was too late.

"What is a morsel like you doing all alone," I heard in my ear as foreign hands wrapped around my stomach.

I straightened and tried to pull the hands off of me. "Let me go, I'm not interested."

The guy chuckled against my neck as his hand slid up my torso, groping at my breast. His breath stank of alcohol and stale cigarettes and it made me want to gag. "Dressed like that, I'd say you are interested."

"I said, let me go!" I tried a bit more forcefully, stamping on his foot like I'd learned from Miss Congeniality.

Only, the attacker in Miss Congeniality didn't wear steel tipped boots. Instead, he laughed and tugged on my top until I heard a ripping sound while he pressed slobbery kisses all over the back of my neck.

The next moment, he was pulled away from me and I tumbled backward into someone else's arms which wrapped around me protectively.

"She said, let her go."

Cole's voice was unmistakable, the edge of danger in it was new though.

"Who are you? Her boyfriend?" I heard the other guy taunt. "No, that can't be it. That kind of girl likes variety, a different d**k every night."

He chuckled loudly as Cole took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders to cover my almost naked torso. He looked down at me and I swear his eyes turned an even paler shade of blue.

"Unless, you're her pimp…"

The last comment was clearly too much for Cole and his fist flew before anyone could have seen it coming. The guy was knocked clean off of his feet, and sat in the dirt clutching his broken nose.

It was only then that I saw the jacket of the guy who had attacked me… and the R emblazoned over the heart. I was pretty darn sure there was a larger version of it on the back and that he was one of the Rebels.

Jay appeared next to me, looking me over briefly before he turned to Cole. "Get her home."

Cole nodded and took my arm, not even looking my way as we headed toward the bikes.

"What on earth just happened?" I heard Tanner ask as we passed him, but we didn't stop to explain so I hoped that Jay would.

Cole and I rode in tandem back home, and he followed close behind as I walked into the house. As soon as the door closed behind us, it was like a dam burst.

"What the f**k were you doing, Harley?" Cole yelled, storming past me to throw his helmet on the sofa. "You were looking for attention, and you bloody well got it. Are you happy now?"

"I wasn't looking for attention, and certainly not from you!" I threw back, I pulled my hair over my shoulders to cover as much of my chest and bra as possible before I stripped off his jacket and threw it at him. "Thanks for your help, but I would have managed on my own."

An absolute lie, but I refused to acknowledge that I was out of my depths - at least aloud, that was.

I ignored his snort of disbelief and turned my back to him, heading to my room. My escape was cut short by his next words, though.

"What the f**k is that on your back?"