Strike (20 page)

“Been busy, mate,” I reply casually.

“Come on. Let’s go out tonight, get into the rum and get some birds. I haven’t had any action since we went out last.”

“Not tonight.”

“What’s been keeping you busy? I saw those twin sisters from Manly in the city a couple of weeks ago. They asked about you. Have you seen them lately?”

“Yeah, like I said, I’ve been busy.”

Billy laughs and shakes his head. “I knew it. You always were a selfish prick. One girl is never enough for you. Well, let me know when you’re ready to give them up. Maybe they’d like a bit of young blood.”

I should set him straight. I should, but I don’t have the energy to deal with the shit he’d give me about having a girlfriend. Between the session out on the track today, the skydiving and the twenty-four hour marathon with April, I’m not in the fucking mood. I just wanna drown in a hot shower and go to bed. Even if I tried to explain, he wouldn’t understand anyway. He’s all of twenty-one. What the fuck would he know?

“They’d walk all over a young cock like you. Takes a real man to know how to handle two women. You’ve gotta know what you’re doin’.”

He shrugs. “Come on, Jones. Help a brother out.”
Christ, is he pouting?
I’ve got to shut him down.

“Not tonight.”

“Pfft. Suit yourself.”

“Good on you, boy,” Mac barks from behind, slapping me on the back. A shiver runs up the length of my spine. How long was he standing there?
Oh fuck
. He glances over at Billy, and huffs out a resigned breath. He grips my shoulder, and drills me with his intense gaze.

“You’re gonna kick arse tomorrow. Best training session I’ve seen from you yet, Jones. You keep nailing the holeshot into the first corner. I’m impressed. Just keep doin’ what you’re doin’.”

“Thanks, Mac,” I say on an exhale.

“Tomorrow’s gonna be one helluva day,” Mac says, and claps his hands together.

Stone walks over. He looks as fucked as I do. “What the hell got into you today, Jones? All that fuckin’ roosting … I needed more tear-offs. Way to block-pass me on the corner, mate.” He smirks, and I nod, acknowledging the compliment.

“What can I say? I had Red Bull with my Weet-Bix.”

“Whatever you had, have it again tomorrow, boy,” Mac says, his large hand gripping my shoulder.

I had your daughter, Mac. Over and over. She’s responsible for this high. Christ. He’d fucking kill me if he could read my mind.

I can’t say I’m not fucking petrified of what he’ll do when April tells him. If she still wants me to be there when she tells him, I will, but I’d better make sure I’ve got my full body armour on: helmet, boots, kidney belt, the works.

“Sure thing, Mac,” I say.

Mac smiles and turns to face Stone. “Is Eevie gonna be here tomorrow?”

“Yeah, she’s at some day spa place now. I thought she needed a bit of looking after. We’ve left the boys at home this time. The flight’s too hard for her with both of them.”

“Yeah, I bet those little rascals keep her busy. Tell her that Peaches is coming up tomorrow. She’s gonna take some more shots of the team. You know I haven’t seen much of her at the track since she grew up. Doesn’t take much to make me happy; it’ll be good to have my girl here.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Eevie will be happy to see her,” Stone says.

I get my phone out of my gear bag. There’s a text waiting for me from the one person I’ve been thinking about all day.
Obsessively
.

A
PRIL
:
T
HINKING ABOUT YOU.
A
GAIN. XXX

Three kisses. She’s
really
thinking about me. It was all I could do
not
to think about her too. It wasn’t just the sex I was imagining, but more how she’d changed within a short space of time. It’s like whatever barrier she was hiding behind is gone. She is opening up to me—

“You comin’ to the pub for dinner, Jones?” Stone asks.

“Huh?”

He looks to my phone and then smirks at me. “Comin’ to the pub?” he asks, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, sure … I just need to make a call.”

He raises an eyebrow. What the fuck is with him? “Hurry up then, mate. We’ll wait out front.”

I move outside, and dial her number.

“Hey, you,” she says, bringing a stupid grin to my face as I imagine her doing the same.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“How’d you go today?”

“Awesome. I’m pretty pumped for tomorrow.” I kick at the stones on the ground. I wonder what she’s wearing. Actually, it’s better I don’t ask.

“Me too. Hey, I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s a bit of a problem.”

A problem? Is there a drama with the flight? She can’t come?

“What?”

“My bedroom smells too clean now.”

I laugh out loud. “Yeah, that’s a
huge
problem. Just gimme twenty-four hours and it’ll be back to the way you want it.”

“My saviour,” she says sweetly.

“Just promise me one thing.”

“Name it.”

“That you won’t touch yourself while I’m gone. That’s my job now.”

“I’m not a total nympho, you know. I need time to recover. You wore me out, although that gentle tongue-lashing you gave me this morning made me feel wetter. Sorry, I mean better.” She giggles and then sighs, as if she’s the happiest girl in the world. I did that. And it’s an incredible feeling.

“Stop teasing. I’m about to go grab some dinner with the guys, then I’m gonna crash.” She’s got me semi-hard just hearing her voice. If she keeps talking like this, I’ll be rock hard.

“Sorry, I’m still tingling. I’ve had this ridiculously stupid grin on my face all day.”

That makes two of us.

“Well I’m glad I put it there. Can’t say it was a chore to.”

“You know I want double my goodnight kisses tomorrow.”

“You got it.”

Someone barges my shoulder. I turn to see Stone mouth
hurry
to me.

“If I don’t see you before the ride, good luck. I know you’re gonna smash it,” she says, her genuine words causing a deep ache in my chest. April believes in me. She’s a precious beautiful thing, and she’s mine. It’s a huge responsibility. She said she’d give me her heart. She trusts me. I can’t fuck this up.
I won’t.

“Thanks, beautiful. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Night,” she whispers. I disconnect the call and slip the phone in my pocket.

“Hurry the fuck up, Jones,” Aidan calls out, waiting beside a taxi. The sooner we can shower, eat and get to bed, the better.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m comin’.”

****

* APRIL *

Sunday

“It’s good to see you, April. I love watching Aidan ride, but sometimes it’s a long day when you don’t have anyone to talk to,” Eevie says. “So what made you come?”

I shrug, and fidget in my seat. “You know … I’m taking some more shots, seeing my dad and stuff.”

The side of her mouth quirks up and she narrows her bluey-green eyes at me.

“Oh, good. Well, it’s nice to have the company.”

Yeah. She doesn’t buy it.

She probably didn’t know I’d paid more than four hundred dollars for the flights to Brisbane since I only booked two days beforehand, and then hired a car and drove nearly two hours to get to Toowoomba. Yeah, it was a lot of effort, but whether Spencer thought he needed me here or not, I was going to be here for him. He’d told me he rarely got support from his family. I have no idea why. He’s a bloody talented rider. I’ve only seen him ride once, and I can tell he’s a natural, and could see his love of the sport. When I said I was coming to watch him, the look on his face was pure gold. I know me being here will mean something to him, but more than that, I know it will mean something for
us
.

I told Spencer I’d give him my heart, and I meant it.

I’ve practically gift-wrapped it for him.

“Come on. I suppose we’d better wish them all good luck,” I say, after a break in the conversation.

“Yeah. You know I never tire of seeing Aidan in his MX gear. My kind of man in uniform.”

“Yeah, I agree.”
Whoops.
I actually said that out loud. “I mean, well, any kind of man in uniform will do me.”

“You seeing anyone?” Eevie asks as we make our way to the guys.

“I’m working on it,” I reply.

Man, am I working on it.

****

* SPENCER *

Stone, Billy Boy and I are kitted up in our full gear when two glamours stroll over.
April and Eevie.

Eevie throws her arms around Stone and kisses him madly. “Good luck, babe,” she says, and then squeaks as Stone lifts her off the ground with her arse gripped in his hands. I’ve never been more jealous of the fucker in my life. If only I could be doing that to April right now.

My gaze doesn’t leave April as she quietly walks around the group, politely wishing everyone good luck. Mac, of course, is right by her side, breathing down her neck. It’s almost like Mac has his favourite toy in the sandbox, and he won’t share for anything. There’s no way I can get her alone. Dammit. I just want to hold her hand, slip my hand around her waist …
anything
.

Stone comes up and extends his gloved hand to me. “Ride it like you stole it, Jones,” he says.

“Fuck yeah,” I say and chuckle as we firmly shake. “No regrets.”

“No regrets, mate,” he says and grips my shoulder as he walks past.

Her caramel hair is piled high in a bun on top of her head. April stops short in front of me. I extend my hand, because I figure this is the safest move I’ve got.

“Good luck,” she says, choking on her words. She sucks in a deep breath, blinking like there’s something in her eye.
It’s hurting her. She’s torn
. Her eyes tell me she wants to fall into my arms, and fuck, do I want her to.

It’s ripping at my insides. I fucking hate this.

“The track’s a bit rough, so watch your lines. Just ride like you did in practice, boy. That’s all I can ask of you,” Mac’s voice booms. He casts a shadow over April as he wraps his arm around her shoulders. She cringes and withdraws her hand from mine, leaving me feeling emptier than I’ve ever felt before.

“Sure thing, Mac. That’s the plan,” I say, and fake a smile. I don’t feel like fucking smiling.

“Come on, Peaches. Let’s get you a good pozzy for some shots.”

They walk away, leaving me standing frozen, like my heavy motorbike boots are bolted to the ground.

This whole thing feels so goddamn wrong. If there were no Mac, I would’ve pushed April up against the nearest wall, car, trailer, whatever, and kissed her until we were both breathless.

Fuck who was watching.

I wanted to hold her tight, and tell her what I’d thought about when I was alone in bed last night. For a change, I wasn’t thinking with my dick. I was starting to listen to my heart. I wanted her to know what a big fucking deal it was, the way she’d dropped everything, and spent half the morning getting here to watch me. Before I knew it, she’d return to that car, and be back on a plane to get home. She’d refused to even let me pay for the bloody tickets. I don’t know what she earns with her work, but I’d wanted to pay to get her here. But she was too proud. She was doing it her way or not at all. Another reason to … love her.

But I had to see the positive in all this. She was here. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it was better than doing this round alone. Hopefully, I’ll never have to do it alone again. Soon enough the season will be over, we can tell Mac, and all move on.

I turn around and walk towards the starting line. Time to get out on the track, elbows up, and kill this. Today, more than ever, I’m on a mission. I’m gonna win this round and get that one step closer to taking out the championship, even if it kills me.

I’ve got shit to prove.

****

* APRIL *

“
And here comes Yamaha’s number eleven, Jones, on the inside, to take the lead from Stone in number twenty-four, the reigning champion. It’s been a good day for Jones, qualifying first, seconds quicker than the field, and he’s put the pressure on the whole race,”
the guy on the loud speaker booms behind us.

He’s doing it. He’s gonna win. I’ve been on the edge of my seat, but now it’s really happening. And I couldn’t be happier for him. My heart in my throat, I try to steady my shaking hands by running them through my tangled hair. He’s flying out there, he’s got the rhythm, and in only one more lap, he’ll have it. God, please let him have it. He deserves it.

“
And it’s number eleven, Jones from Team Yamaha! And a very close second, Stone in twenty-four!
” the speaker booms, louder than before.

Spencer crosses the finish line and stands tall on the pegs of his bike, covered in mud, one arm stretched to the sky in triumph.

He did it. He really did it! My heart pounds like a drum in my ears, each thumping beat ordering me to go to him. I just wanna run, throw my arms and legs around him, and hold him with everything I’ve got.

Spencer stops his bike at the side of the track, and Daddy and a couple of the support guys are all over him, hugging him and slapping his back. He turns his head towards me and pounds his fist twice against his heart before pointing in my direction. And, like some kind of princess, I start to cry. Happy tears fall down my cheeks and I brush them away, and breathe in deep. Calm. I need to get my shit together.

Spencer’s acknowledging me being here the only way he can, and it’s all my fault.

I hope to hell he doesn’t think I’m ashamed of him, that he thinks that’s why I haven’t told Daddy about us, because the truth is I couldn’t be prouder to be the woman in his life. He’s fought hard for this, fought hard for me, and being here to watch him is more of an emotional onslaught than I was prepared for.

I grab my camera like it’s a protective shield, and walk down to the gathering. Thank God I’ve got sunnies to hide my eyes. No one needs to see me like this, least of all Spencer. I want this to be a happy moment for him, not one where he sees how this is cutting me up inside because I’m sure, from some of the concerned looks he gave me this morning, he already knows.