Crash and Burn (Back Down Devil MC #2)(9)

Who cares…

Avery ran down the back alley and cut to a main street and slowed. She blended in with the morning the best she could. The sun rose and the day quickly warmed up. It sent Avery down to the beach where she stood and watched the waves crest and crash to the shore. Some people ran down the beach, getting fit. If Avery was running on a beach it would be because someone was chasing her. Other people were on their backs or bellies, soaking up the warm rays of the sun.

By afternoon, Avery couldn't take the hunger anymore. She never thought her life would come to a point like this; staring at a trashcan, wondering if anyone would notice if she dug through it, hoping to find a half of a sandwich or something edible.

It made her angry.

She left the beach and felt disgraced. That’s when she spotted a small, corner pizza shop. The building looked beat to hell and the hand painted BEST PIZZA sign out front was faded and chipped.

Avery made her pass twice. She saw an old man behind the counter making pizzas. He looked like he struggled in every move he made. After making a pie, he put it in the oven, took off his apron, and walked to the back. Avery had snuck inside and scanned the shitty looking place. She could make a score here. She had to. Slipping behind the counter, Avery kept her ears open and her eyes searching. There were slices of pizza on the counter. The register was cracked open too. Avery was tempted. She could grab a slice to go and grab a handful of cash. She still had money from the sale of the motorcycle, but that was traveling money. Right now, she needed to survive in this town until she had a better plan.

When Avery touched the pizza, she broke off a piece of crust and ate it.

It was absolutely delicious.

Avery grabbed the slice and then felt something touch the back of her neck.

“You f*cking cunt,” a shaky voice said. “Turn the f*ck around.”

Avery knew the routine. She put her hands up and slowly turned. She faced the old man and a handgun with a long barrel. The gun shook and the old man had bloodshot eyes.

“Come here to the wall, you whore,” the man said.

“Listen to me,” Avery said. “I can explain this…”

The man put the barrel of the gun under her chin. “No talking.”

Avery turned and backed up to the wall. Her eyes looked left to right, but she couldn’t come up with a good escape plan. Not yet at least.

When her back hit the wall, she let out a fake whimper. “I’m just hungry. I have nothing…”

“You don’t f*cking steal from me,” the man said. “Nobody does. You don’t know who the f*ck I am, cunt. I’ve killed people for less.”

“Please,” Avery said. “Let’s work this out.”

“Yeah, work this out,” the man said. “Tell you what, baby… suck me off and I’ll put a bullet between your eyes. You won’t feel a thing. If you don’t suck me off, I’m going to tie you to a f*cking chair and slowly kill you.”

Holy f*ck…

This guy was serious.

What kind of f*cking town was this?

“Okay,” Avery said. “Calm down.”

“Five seconds to decide, cunt.”

“Don’t call me that. You don’t…”

The man pushed the barrel harder under Avery’s chin, hurting her tongue and throat. She whimpered, this time for real.

“Please,” she whispered. “Give me a second…”

“Two… One…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” It was another voice. “Pop, what the f*ck is going on here?”

Avery turned her head and lost her breath for a second. There was a tall, strong man in a leather cut standing with his hand around the barrel of the gun. His eyes were dark and sexy, and when he looked at Avery, she felt like she could faint. It was the guy she saw just before she dropped the motorcycle and just before the explosion went off.

“Landon, let me handle my business,” Pop said. “This cunt…”

“Stop calling me that,” Avery said.

Pop slapped Avery across the face. His old hand was like a damn brick. It sent her hair sailing around and Avery turned, gripping her cheek. Tears fill her eyes and she tried to stand tough, but damn, it hurt.

“Hey,” the biker yelled. “We don’t f*cking do that right now.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Pop, calm down for a second. Your heart is going to explode. What the f*ck happened?” The biker then looked at Avery. “Did you take it up the ass?”

“What?” Avery asked.

“That’s what Pop likes. If he ordered it… paid for it…”

“I’m not a f*cking whore,” Avery said.

“Okay then,” the biker said.

“Landon, she stole from me,” Pop said.

Landon… the second time Avery heard it, it stuck.

Landon.

Landon was muscular. Landon was sexy.

Landon also had his hand around the barrel of the gun still. He slowly worked the weapon from Pop’s hand and placed it on the counter.

“What did you steal?” Landon asked Avery.

“Nothing,” Avery said. “Yet. I was going to grab a slice. I’m hungry.”

“She’s a cunt thief!” Pop yelled. He touched his chest.