Chapter 3 - Rose

I can hardly believe what just happened. One minute I was defenseless, about to be beaten by those horrible Outlaw Riders who kidnapped me.

The next, this mysterious biker showed up and took them both down like it was nothing!

As he towers over their groaning bodies, I can't help but stare in awe. He's absolutely massive, with bulging muscles that ripple beneath his leather jacket. His shaggy dark hair and rugged face give him a dangerous look, but those intense eyes seem to soften when they land on me.

"Follow me. You're coming with me, at least for now. Can't leave a defenseless kid out here on her own."

Part of me feels like I should protest being called a "kid." I mean, I'm nineteen, basically an adult! But the truth is, I've never felt so young and helpless as I do right now after my terrifying ordeal.

So, I simply nod meekly and allow the tall, imposing biker to lead me over to his motorcycle. Up close, I can smell the musky scent of leather and motor oil mixed with a subtle woodsy cologne. He smells...good. Intoxicatingly masculine.

Goddamn it. This total stranger may have saved me, but that doesn't mean I should be fawning all over him. For all I know, he could be just as dangerous as those Outlaws! Probably is!

Seeming to sense my inner turmoil, the biker turns those intense eyes on me again.

"Name's Trickster, by the way. And you are...?"

"R-Rose," I stammer, mesmerized by his gruff baritone voice.

He gives a curt nod.

"Rose. Okay, well, Rose - you're safe now, you hear? I've got a place nearby where we can lay low while I figure out our next move. The cleanup crew is also on the way to collect those two dirtbags. Don't you worry your pretty little head about them anymore, okay?"

I shiver at his words, unconsciously pulling my thin dress tighter around my body. What is he going to do to them? The look in his eyes...he seems utterly merciless.

"You...you're not going to kill them, are you?" I can't stop myself from asking tremulously.

"If I did, they'd be getting off easy after what they tried to do to you." His jaw tightens. "But don't worry, death would be too good for parasites like that. They're gonna wish it was that simple by the time my boys are through re-educating them on how to treat a lady."

A chill runs down my spine at Trickster's ominous words about "re-educating" the Outlaw Riders. Just how far is he willing to go to dish out his ruthless form of justice?

I clutch the thin fabric of my dress tighter, trying in vain to ward off the cold night air. Trickster seems to notice my shivering.

"You also belong to...to a motorcycle club, don't you?" I ask hesitantly.

He scrunches up his nose for a moment before giving a curt nod.

"You could call it that, I guess. But we're a different kind of MC from those Outlaw scumbags." His expression darkens. "My boys and I, we're the Rogue Riders. It's our job to protect this town from those lowlife thugs."

Protect the town? They sound more like violent vigilantes to me. But I know better than to say that out loud right now. This massive slab of a man just saved me from a horrific fate - I shouldn't provoke him.

Seeming to sense my rising discomfort, Trickster's hardened expression softens slightly. In one smooth motion, he shrugs out of his leather jacket.

"Here, can't have you catching a chill on top of everything else," he rumbles, draping the heavy jacket over my shoulders.

A faint flush rises to my cheeks as I tug the jacket tighter around me.

"A-Are you sure?"

He lets out a gruff chuckle. "I shouldn't. Our leather jackets are everything to us but ain't nobody going to find out except you and me. And if they do..." He fixes me with an intense look that makes my knees go a little weak. "Well, let's just say I'll make sure they won't say a word about it. And, besides, I don't think you'd tell anyone, right?"

Something about the way he says it, the underlying protectiveness in his voice, makes me believe he's not really threatening me. If anything, it seems like he'd go to great lengths to keep me safe and out of harm's way. I'm not sure if that notion should reassure or unnerve me more.

"Now c'mon," Trickster continues, gesturing to his motorcycle. "Like I said, I got a place we can hole up nearby while we figure out what to do about your...situation." He grimaces faintly. "Forced into marrying one of those dirtbags? Over my dead body"

"Thank you," I murmur, tugging Trickster's heavy leather jacket tighter around my shivering frame.

The warmth and masculine scent surrounding me are oddly comforting after everything.

Trickster gives a curt nod. "Fast, please. We need to get going before the cleanup crew arrives. Don't want you caught up in any of that ugliness."

A frown tugs at my lips as I keep wondering just what sort of "cleanup" he has planned for those Outlaw Riders. But I know better than to question him right now. This mountain of a man has already saved me once tonight - I won't provoke his ire.

"How are we getting wherever you're taking me?" I ask instead, glancing around the deserted gas station parking lot. There's no car in sight, only Trickster's idling motorcycle.

He must notice my gaze lingering on the sleek bike because the hint of a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"That a problem? You never ridden before?"

I can feel my cheeks flushing at his crude phrasing.

"Ridden? You mean on a motorcycle? No, I've never..."

Trickster lets out a bark of laughter that has me flinching. "Relax, just messin' with you. But really, you've never been on a bike before?"

When I shake my head, he shrugs.

"Well, no time like the present to pop that cherry."

I'm fairly certain my face is beet red at this point from his suggestive language. Trickster seems to realize he's made me uncomfortable and clears his throat.

"Ain't nothing to it, just gotta hold on tight and lean onto me," he explains in a gentler tone. "Here, c'mere, and I'll show you."

Taking me by the elbow, he guides me over to his motorcycle and swings his muscular leg over the saddle. Even sitting, he's nearly at eye level with me - he's just that big.

"Alright, time for you to climb on up behind me," Trickster instructs, patting the space on the seat behind him. "And I do mean hold on tight." His eyes crinkle at the corners as he flashes me a roguish grin. "Wouldn't want you falling off and getting yourself hurt."

Nervously, I approach the motorcycle. It looks so big and powerful. How am I supposed to just climb on that thing?

Trickster must sense my hesitation because he lets out a gruff chuckle.

"What's the matter? Having trouble getting on top?"

I shake my head, feeling my cheeks flush again. This man has a way with words that just flushes me with embarrassment.

"Well, quit gawking and hop on up," he instructs with a nod toward the space behind him. "Ain't got all night to watch you staring at my ride like a deer in the headlights."

Shooting him a glare, I swing my leg over the back of the motorcycle. The seat is hot from the engine rumbling between my legs. I'm suddenly very aware of how exposed I am in this thin little dress.

"That's it. Now scoot yourself on up close and hang on tight." Trickster's deep voice rumbles out the instructions.

I barely have a chance to ask what he means before he's peeling out of the parking lot. I let out a shocked yelp, instinctively flinging my arms around his solid torso to keep from falling off.

Trickster's chuckle resonates through his back where I'm plastered against him.

"Told you to hang on, didn't I?"

I can't stop the furious blushing heating my cheeks.

It should probably disturb me how much I'm enjoying having my body melded against his. But after the night of terror I've endured, feeling so safe and secure in his presence is immensely comforting.

As we roar out onto the open road, I find myself unconsciously snuggling closer and resting my head against the reassuring planes of Trickster's back. For the first time since this crazy night began, the knot of fear in my stomach has begun to uncoil.

One thing's for certain - wherever this gruff, imposing biker is taking me, I'm safer than I've been in a long time. And even if he proves to be just as dangerous as those Outlaws who took me, some part of me feels strangely at peace with that revelation.