Chapter 8

Eight

Regan

M y hands shook as I ran around the corner, the giddy flutter of my chest making me laugh. I knew I didn't have to do it. I could leave and he still wouldn't know who I was, but the fact he cared so much to know my name felt nice.

I could order a car. It wasn't like it would be too hard to get one here in the next ten minutes, but I didn't pull out my phone.

Instead, I took off running down a side street. Every street in town felt safe enough, and with so many people out for the night, I didn't feel in real danger. Then again, I had a feral biker after me, who seemed intent on hunting me down, and I wondered if I should rethink my survival skills.

I ran down a few more side streets until I stopped in front of a restaurant to catch my breath. I wasn't exactly a runner, and it currently showed as I pulled in deep, ragged breaths.

A motorcycle revved in the distance, but I had no way to know if it was Rook's or one of his friends'. The corner felt safe enough, so I stayed for another twenty minutes before I heard a bike getting closer.

My heart jumped again before I walked down another side street, keeping an eye out for bikes as I went. He had to have told all his friends to drive around town because the sound of them seemed endless. He was messing with me, making me not know which way to go because there were bikes all over the place.

I didn't know what I would do if Rook caught me, or if I even wanted him to, but I still wanted to play.

And I still liked the way my heart raced when I heard another bike getting closer.

For the first time in a long time, my dull life didn't seem so dull.

I started to wonder if Rook had this effect on me.

I took off again, this time ducking down a side alley. This one led to a few more hidden shops, but was less busy than the main road. I wondered how often Rook came to this part of town to know if he even knew his way around here.

This part of the alley had no formal road, so it wouldn't be somewhere he could be driving up and down.

I slipped into the one shop on this road still open.

"We're closing," the girl behind the counter said.

"When?"

"Now."

I groaned, looking back out on the sidewalk before sticking my head out the door and into the night. I had been walking around for a while now, and I still hadn't heard Rook's bike again. It had to be getting close to an hour, and I was surprised I hadn't seen him at all.

I really thought he would be better at this. Then again, maybe he found Elliot and gave up on this game.

The girl behind the counter grumbled again, so I didn't wait any longer, slipping out onto the street and taking a left. I had come in the opposite way, and I hoped he would still be on the other end. The town wrapped around four blocks, with a park in the middle and smaller, less traveled roads branching out.

It wasn't big, but it should be enough to stay out of sight for a little longer.

I made it to the end as his bike roared. He had been idling down the street, revving to speed towards me the moment I stepped out of the small road.

He grinned as he got closer. The creepy way his eyes brightened against the dark face paint let me make a quick decision. I turned back down the small alley I came from, taking off at a run. My heart raced, and I yelled out when I looked back to see Rook coming down the sidewalk towards me.

The bike screamed as he hit the throttle again and again, filling the alley with the loud echo and making my heart race. I veered into another narrow alley, my feet pounding against the pavement. The walls seemed to close in around me, the dim light casting eerie shadows, dancing as I ran.

My legs ached as I flattened myself against the wall. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I tried to calm myself, listening for the sound of the bike. The alley fell silent, and for a moment, I thought I had lost him. Then one loud rev of the engine echoed off the brick walls, getting closer.

I peeked around the edge of the wall just as Rook's bike roared past. He scanned the alley, his eyes sharp and focused. I held my breath, my heart hammering in my chest. He slowed down, almost stopping right in front of me. I could see his silhouette, dark and menacing, just a few feet away. If he turned around, he would see me.

As he continued down the alley, I waited a few more seconds before slipping out from my hiding spot. I had to keep moving. The street ended, turning back out onto the main road or connecting to more alleys. I thought hiding in them might be my best bet. The crowded street would disperse the moment he followed me out.

I ran down the side alley, realizing five seconds too late this one stopped at a dead end. Panic surged through me as I turned to see Rook's bike shut off, still rolling towards me. He kicked the stand down, jumping off to corner me.

Rook was fast, already wrapping an arm around my waist and turning me to face the wall. He pushed me harder into it, caging me in with nowhere to go.

"Caught you."

His lips found my neck, biting down on the other side now. His hands grabbed mine, pinning them on each side of my head. I leaned back against him, liking the strength of his body against mine and the feel of his chest heaving at my back. He pressed a little harder into me, my hands pinned on the bricks under his. My body flushed, heat creeping down my spine as my thighs clenched together.

"Let me go," I finally said, already regretting it before the words were out of my mouth.

"Not until you tell me. You heard the rules. If I catch you within the hour, you tell me your name. How long has it been?"

I looked up at my watch. "Fifty-six minutes."

"I win. Now tell me."

"Why?"

"That's none of your business," he said, biting at my ear. "Tell me."

He pressed against me harder, the ragged breath and wicked smile letting me know exactly how much he liked this game. I did, too. I liked someone caring so much about who I was, even if it was just about my name. His wild, dangerous energy felt intoxicating, something I had never dealt with before. It gave me the type of thrill I never thought I would want, but there it was, pulling me in despite every rational reason to stay away. The fight in my head seemed almost unbearable—I knew I shouldn't feel this way about him, but every part of me liked his intensity.

"Regan," I yelled as his hand wrapped into my hair.

"Regan," he breathed. "I was already so close with Rebel. Regan what?"

I didn't answer, too scared to know why he wanted my last name.

" Regan what ?" he asked, his hand tightening again.

"Fletcher. Regan Fletcher," I yelled.

All at once, hands dropped from me, and Rook stepped back, breaking all contact. His nostrils flared, his chest heaving as his eyes roamed over me.

"Who are you to Cameron Fletcher?"

"How do you know my dad?"

"You're his daughter ?" The question, filled with so much disgust, felt like a slap to my face.

"Yes. You know him?"

"No. But I know of him. I have to go."

"Why?"

"I have more to do tonight." His lips were smeared from kissing my neck, his dark hair laid over his forehead, his blue eyes wild now.

"Can't it wait?"

"No." He swung back on the bike and was about to turn it on when I ran over.

"Rook." He already had his helmet on, but he turned to look at me. I went over, pushing the visor up, and his eyes narrowed. "Why are you running away now? How do you know my dad?"

"I'm not running away. I have shit to do. Do you think I can play games with you all night? And I don't know your dad, but I know how much money he has. Stay the fuck away from me, Regan."

He nodded hard, the visor slamming down, before he disappeared into the dark.