CHAPTER ONE DASH

CHAPTER ONE

DASH

I squint my eyes to get a better look at the car that stands out in the oncoming traffic on this California freeway. It looks like any black Charger, but something about it seems off...

Blacked out windows.

Blacked out rims.

Blacked out lights.

Solid black.

I watch it through the dark tinted visor of my helmet as it passes me. I glance over quickly, in time to see brake lights come on before it pulls to a quick stop and turns into the center median. Then I see the colorful lights come on that are hidden in just the right spots.

"Fuck," I cuss into my helmet.

Just as I suspected. It's a cop!

I look down at the speedometer on my bike and see that I'm doing ninety-two in a sixty-five. Fuck!

I reach back and tap the thigh of the girl who is sitting on the back of my bike—signaling to hold on. I feel her knees tighten on my legs as her arms wrap tightly around my waist. Her big ass fake tits, a high school graduation present from her parents, are against my back just as I rev the throttle more. I can pretty much bet my left nut that she's yelling at me through her helmet right now to slow the fuck down. But it's too late. I've already decided to run and now I'm committed to it.

I look down quickly to see I'm going well over a hundred when I look in my side mirror and notice the Charger gaining on us. Usually, if you run on a motorcycle, the freeway is your only option to get away, but I see brake lights up ahead. Traffic is coming to a standstill. I need to get off the highway and try to lose him in a neighborhood on some backstreets. I see an exit up ahead and decide at the last minute to take it.

I look both ways and run a red light when I see both directions are clear. I swerve through traffic quickly as my adrenaline pumps. I know this road. I'm only about a mile away from my best friend Blake's house.

I take my next right and see a cop car pulling out in front of me. His lights come on as well.

Shit! Of course, the cop on the highway has called for backup.

I let off the throttle and pull on the brake. I turn into a gas station, and without stopping, I exit out of the opposite side, getting back on the road.

I see another cop coming from the opposite direction. Fuck! I should have just stayed on the highway, but I didn't want the possibility of being stuck in traffic.

But what other option do I have? Fuck it! I need back on the highway.

I go to take the on-ramp, but there are already cops there as well. I'm fucked. I look over at the ditch. I could take it. It's not that deep. The bike could get me through it and back onto the highway in no time. They would never be able to catch me. But Valerie tightens her body around me, reminding me that she's also on the bike, and I won't risk her life.

I bring the bike to a quick stop. The front of Valerie's helmet hits the back of mine from the force due to my last-minute decision to surrender.

She starts to climb off the bike before I can even get my feet on the ground, almost knocking us over. I watch as she frantically pulls her helmet off and throws it to the ground. I cringe as it hits the concrete. Couldn't she have thrown it behind her in the grass? Stupid bitch.

I climb off quickly as well. I've been in this situation enough to know that the police will fucking tackle your ass while you're still sitting on your bike. And all that does is knock your bike over, and that pisses me off. Cops are dicks anyways, but they are ten times worse when you try to run from them and they catch you.

I take my helmet off as well and set it on the ground. They are also known to cut your helmet off. This one is my favorite—no way will I let that happen.

"Hands up in the air!" a police officer yells with his gun raised and aimed right at me. By now other cop cars are coming to a stop to join the show—lights flashing and tires squealing.

I raise them with a heavy sigh. Can't they see I'm not packing? Where in the hell would I keep it? I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

"Is there a problem, officer?" I ask with a cocky smile.

Valerie lets out a cry, and I turn around to look at her. Tears run down her face leaving a trail of black mascara and eyeliner. I've always felt like she wears too much makeup. "What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Seriously?" she screeches. "You're a jackass, Dash!" she cries. "You shouldn't have run. Now we're getting arrested." She drops her head but keeps her arms raised. "My parents are going to kill me," she adds, and I roll my eyes. She never has been much of a risk-taker. Or an adrenaline junkie, like myself. Why did I once date her? How is that saying? Opposites attract. Or maybe the sex was just that good…? Nah!

"We got him."

I spin my head back around to look at the officer who is walking to me as he speaks into his radio that's connected to his uniform.

"Yes, sir," he responds to the person on the other end of it.

He reaches for my raised arms and yanks me toward him before he shoves me forward. He then grabs the back of my neck roughly and throws the front of my body over the back of his cop car. "Fuck!" I mutter under my breath from his force.

He yanks my arms behind my back and proceeds to place me in handcuffs as he reads me my rights. He doesn't need to inform me of them, though. I've been in this situation before. Hell, I've totaled a car and two bikes in my twenty-two years. And I've had my license revoked a handful of times. I always get out of it though. Money talks. And that is one thing that I have plenty of.