On a Knife's Edge (2 page)

Shit
.

She stared at the ground, thinking. Maybe she could put the
F350 back without Dell knowing she took it. That was a mother-fucking-big
maybe. Still…she should at least try.

“I gotta call it in, Shasta.”

Her head snapped up. “What? Why?”

“This isn’t selling beer to minors. I could get charged as
an accessory to grand theft.”

“That’s ridiculous. Dell would never—”

“Yes he would and you know it. In any case, I can’t take
that chance.” Felix turned to go back into the store. “I’m sorry.”

“But, Fe-lix,” she whined. “You can’t do that to me.”

Lynch stepped forward. “Hang on, man,” he said to Felix. He
looked at her. “You stole the sheriff’s truck?”

She threw her hands in the air. “It’s not
stealing
if
he’s my
brother
.”

Lynch blinked, his eyebrows squished together like he didn’t
quite understand her words. Then his face split into an enormous grin that
showed off perfectly straight and blindingly white teeth. She thought only
lifeguards and male models had such flawless teeth.

He laughed. A huge laugh.
A-throw-your-head-back-and-howl-at-the-moon kind of laugh. Just like his teeth
and voice and shopping choices, Shasta didn’t think criminals laughed like
that. She and Felix exchanged confused looks.

After what seemed like a full minute of chortling, Lynch’s
hilarity finally faded. “Whooo.” He wiped his fingers over his eyes, still
chuckling. “Goddamn…that’s funny shit.” He cleared his throat, but his grin
remained. “Tell you what, I’ll take care of this.”

“You?” Shasta said. “What are you gonna do?”

“I’ll take the truck someplace where the cops can find it.”

“But I gotta call it in, Lynch,” Felix said.

“I know. Just gimme fifteen minutes to get to the other side
of Stardust.” He picked up his groceries. “I’ll gas up when I get back and keep
my milk cold, will ya?”

Felix’s mouth flattened as he reluctantly took the bag. “All
right. But fifteen minutes, Lynch. No more.” The owner stalked back into his
store.

Shasta stared at Lynch. “Why—”

He bent over his Harley. Seeing his faded jeans stretched
tight across his butt stole her ability to speak. He hefted the machine upright
like it was a bicycle instead of a motorcycle.

He looked at her. “Why what?”

She frowned with a head shake. “What?”

A furrow appeared between his eyes. “You said why. I simply
asked why what.”

“Oh, right. Why help me after I supposedly busted up your
bike?”

“There’s no supposedly, you did bust up my bike.”

“Then why?”

“Because I’d have given anything to see your brother’s face
when he realized his truck was missing. Since I can’t do that, I can at least
make sure he doesn’t know who took it.”

“But why do that?”

“Cuz it’ll eat the shit outta him.” He squatted down for a
closer inspection of his Harley.

“I still don’t understand.”

His shoulders stooped on a heavy sigh. He shoved to his
feet. “Look, I’m beyond tired. If you don’t want my help, just say so.” He dug
the truck fob from his pocket and held it out.

She shifted her weight, torn between wanting to go to the
lake and needing Lynch’s help. “If you take the truck, how will I get back?”

“I’ll drop you off at school.”

“School? I’m not going to school today. I’m meeting friends
at Tahoe.” She pulled back her shoulders. “Today is Ditch Day.”

However, the appeal of Ditch Day had lost its luster. It
sounded so…juvenile now. So childish. Maybe the combined drama of Cassie
bailing on her, being reminded of her dad and Dell knowing his truck was gone
before she managed to get out of town had soured her on the time-honored
tradition. Or maybe it was the man standing before her who made her rethink her
plans. She didn’t want Lynch Callan to think her juvenile…

“Okay then.” He tossed the fob at her and pushed his bike
off to the side. “Go.”

Shasta barely managed to catch the key because the way his
jeans rippled as he manhandled his bike distracted her. A funny zing—like
electricity—hit her low in the belly, making her feel achy and restless.

She’d experienced a similar feeling a few times with some of
the guys she’d dated, but nothing this strong. She had chills while sweat
beaded on her forehead. She licked her suddenly dry lips.

Lynch set the kickstand and turned. “So what’s it gonna be?”

She bit the inside of her cheek. With her father, and then
her brother being the sheriff, none of her boyfriends ever had the stones to do
more than kiss her. No serious petting. Definitely no sex. Nothing passed a
little light necking. But maybe a biker—an outlaw biker—would have the stones
to do…more.

She graced Lynch with her most beguiling smile and cocked
her hip. She wished she wasn’t wearing this dumb sweatshirt. While her boobs
weren’t all that impressive, her bikini top made them appear bigger. “On second
thought, going to the lake doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.” She
pitched the fob back at him.

He held her gaze for a long heartbeat then shrugged. He
stuffed the key in his pocket and retrieved a large wrench and screwdriver from
the pack behind his seat. “Okay.” He walked to the driver’s side. And promptly
smashed the window.

Ice water splashed through her belly. “What the fuck, dude?
Why the hell did you do that?
You have the key
.”

Lynch opened the door. “Yeah, but how would a thief have
gotten it?” He climbed inside and took the screwdriver to the steering column,
splintering it open. “It has to look like the truck was broken into and stolen,
right?”

She blew out a breath. Damn, she never thought of that.

He pulled out some wires and tapped them together. The
engine roared to life. “C’mon. If you’re not going to school, I’ll take you
home.”

She hoisted herself into the passenger seat. “Oh…I think we
can come up with a better plan than that.” She placed her palm on his forearm.
Her chest fluttered at the sinewy feel of his muscles. “Don’t you?”

He stared at her hand like it was an alien creature before
lifting his gaze to hers. The blue of his eyes seemed brighter. More intense.
He grasped her hand, bringing it to his mouth where he brushed a chaste kiss to
her knuckles. The whiskery sensation of his stubble erupted a geyser in her
belly. He squeezed her fingers and released her. Wordlessly, he put the
gearshift into drive and maneuver the truck back onto the road.

Shasta settled into the seat, her hands clasped together to
hide their shaking. She fought to calm her unsettled stomach.

Oh God
…was this really going to happen? Was she
really prepared to
let
it happen?

Her unsettled stomach turned riotous as excitement warred
with caution. What would it feel like to be kissed by Lynch Callan? Bet he was
a great kisser. Not like her wimpy boyfriends who were too afraid to even
French her.

And how would Lynch’s callused palms feel on her skin? A
shiver danced along her spine. Then cold fingers closed around her heart.

What if she changed her mind? Would he allow that or would
he…she swallowed hard…make her?

She inhaled a breath and looked out her window. There was
only one way to find out…

6

L
ynch drove the dirt roads
which skirted the perimeter of Stardust. He kept his gaze straight ahead, but
remained acutely aware of every move the sheriff’s sister made beside him.

Shit. He did not need this right now. He was too worn out to
think clearly. Having just finished a grueling thirty-six hour run, escorting
three separate shipments of primo weed for distribution to the Bay Area, he’d
gone into the Grab-n-Go for something easy to eat before crashing. That’s all.
He never expected to play savior, especially to such a damn fine damsel.

He knew who Shasta was before she dropped the bomb about
Albright being her brother. But the Shasta he remembered had been all gangly
legs and lanky arms. Not the curvaceous creature with burnished brunette hair
and root beer eyes who seemed to suck the oxygen out of the cab interior.

Despite the bulky sweatshirt, which covered a good portion
of  her body, his imagination worked overtime imagining how pert her breasts
would be and how her sleek, sexy legs would feel wrapped around his waist…

He wrestled his thoughts away from that temptation. Fucking
with a man’s truck was one thing. Fucking his sister—
his underage, kid
sister
—was a whole different kettle of fish, as his mom would say. And
having that sister be related to the sheriff…

He sighed. As much as he reveled in being a rebel, that
didn’t make him suicidal.

Still, the way Shasta kept rubbing her thighs together made
his cock twitch. There was little doubt she been flirting with him earlier. But
no way could she be truly aware of who she was messing with. She probably
thought it was just harmless teasing. Right. Harmless. Until the rubber was
forced to meet the road.

But nothing was going to happen. Lynch prided himself on not
being a complete hound dog. He wouldn’t take advantage of an innocent girl.

He knew the instant Shasta realized where he was taking her.
She sat upright, her head swiveling around to stare at him. He eased the truck
to a stop behind a small stand of elm trees on the backside of Albright
property.

“Why are we here? I don’t need anything from my house.”

Without putting the F350 into park, he reached across her
lap and opened the passenger door. “But I need to sleep.”

She undid her seatbelt and curled toward him, her fingers
tripping down his arm to where his hand gripped the steering wheel. Tightly.

“Sounds perfect,” she purred.

“Sleep alone.”

She straightened, her eyebrows furrowing. “Alone?”

“Yup. Like I said, I’m tired.”

“I’m sure we can think of…something that’ll keep you awake.”

He squinted out the windshield. “Sorry. Not interested.”

She snatched her hand away. “Why?”

“Guess you’re not my type.”

“Bullshit. It’s because my brother’s the sheriff, isn’t it?”
She sniffed. “I woulda thought a biker would have bigger balls than that.”

Her churlish tone clenched his jaw. He turned and drilled
her with his glare, holding her gaze, allowing the silence to grow. Expand. A
blush made a slow creep up her neck to her face.

Leaning over, he seized her chin between his finger and
thumb in a firm, but not painful grip. “Do you honestly think you’re ready for
something like this?” He dropped his voice to a sinister whisper. “Ready for
me
?”

Her pupils dilated as her delicate throat muscles labored to
swallow. To her credit she didn’t avert her eyes. In fact, she narrowed them
slightly. “I’ll never know unless I try.”

A humorless chuckle gusted past his lips. Damn, talk about
balls. This girl had a pair.

His hand fell away. He didn’t have the mental strength to
tangle with her. Hell…tangle with anyone. He rubbed his neck and sighed. “Why
are you doing this? Does it have anything to do with me being a 5th Streeter?
What am I to you? A thrill ride? Just another way to poke at your brother, like
taking his truck?”

The rosy stain on her cheeks turned crimson and she lowered
her gaze. “None of the guys I've dated ever did more than kiss me.” She hitched
her shoulder. “It’s kinda sad being the only seventeen-year-old in town who’s
still a virgin.”

He again captured her chin, but this time his hold was
gentle. The angst in her caramel brown eyes pinched his heart. When was the
last time he cared about something so simple as teenaged peer pressure? “Don’t
be in such a hurry to grow up. It ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.” He released
her. “And you’re too young to start gathering regrets.”

“Do you have regrets?”

He quirked a grin. “Only a million or two.”

Her expression became one of amazement. “Really?”

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

“I guess because you’re a…” Her shoulder did another hitch
as she stared at her hands.

“Gang member?”

She looked up. “Yeah. Is being in a gang something you
regret?”

He shook his head. “Nah.” But that was a lie. If it weren’t
for his mom being old lady of the Streeters VP, he doubted he’d be in the MC at
all. Doubted he would’ve dropped out of school when he was a year younger than
Shasta. Doubted he would’ve been the youngest member to be patched into the
Streeters. Doubted a lot of things…

“What
do
you regret?”

Her quiet voice brought him back. She looked so earnest, as
though she truly wanted to know, he had a hard time ignoring her question. He
draped his hand over the steering wheel and sighed. “For one, not staying in
school.”

Her face scrunched up like one of them just cut the cheese.

He laughed. Her reaction was so typical of a teenager.
Funny…he wasn’t really that much older than her, maybe eight years. It felt
like eighty. “Hey—you asked.”

“You sound like Dell.”

“As much as I hate agreeing with your brother, in this case,
he’s right. School’s important. I know you think it’s lame, but if I could have
one do-over, it’d be to take school more seriously and not drop out.” He sighed
again, switching his gaze out the windshield. “I sometimes wonder what my life
would’ve been like...”

Lost in thought, several moments passed…

The tips of his ears heated and he cleared his throat.
“Anyway, I’m sure you’re gonna do whatever you want.” He glanced over. “Right?”

A shy smile touched her lips, “Probably.”

Lynch felt sucker-punched in the gut. He’d always thought
her pretty, but right now she looked way more than simply pretty. She was
beautiful. No. Not just beautiful either. Exquisite. Perfect. Like a rare gem.

Something shifted in his chest. Tightened, then released.
His head swam with sudden dizziness. When he realized he was staring, he looked
away with a rough cough.