Jax shook himself. No, he was better off getting them the hell out of that motel room. He could take care of himself and Mason—other people couldn’t be trusted. The waitress brought his burger and he wolfed it down, eating every bite and licking his fingers. He felt someone’s gaze on him and looked up to see the amused gaze of a man in the next booth. He looked to be in his fifties and had gray, slightly greasy hair. He wore casual, dirty looking clothes, but his smile was friendly, and he nodded at Jax when he caught Jax looking at him.

“You boys must have been pretty hungry.” He looked around the restaurant and back into the adjoining convenience store. “Maybe your daddy will buy y’all another one. Is he one of the truckers?” he asked, glancing toward a group lining up at the cash register.

“No,” Jax said. “We’re on our own—I’m plenty old enough that I don’t need anyone else to buy a burger for us.”

“Sorry,” the guy said, holding up a hand in mock defense. “Didn’t mean to offend you. You look pretty young, though, to be traveling all alone on the road, just you and your little brother.”

Irritated by the continued references to his young appearance, Jax started to snap something back at the man, then decided if he were to ever get a ride he’d better stop acting so prickly. “No, actually, we’re hitchhiking to our sister’s house,” he said, deciding to stick with the story. She’s going to have a baby soon, so we’re going to help her out.”

The man stood up, picked up his plate and drink and came over to Jax’s booth, standing beside it. “You don’t mind, do you? I hate to eat alone.”

Jax gave him what he hoped was a pleasant smile. Something about this guy gave him the creeps, but if he was headed in the right direction…The man held out a greasy hand to him. “Gus Bellamy’s the name. Glad to meet you boys.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Jax said, shaking the hand. He slid out to give the man his seat, while he settled next to Mason. “Which way are you headed?”

“Arizona, eventually, by way of Texas,” Bellamy replied with a chuckle. “I have stops all along the way. How about you two? Where does this sister live, anyway?”

“Um, actually she lives in Texas. What a coincidence. Do you think we could get a ride with you? Does your company permit that?”

“Hmm? Oh, I’m on my own—independent trucker. I make my own rules, and I wouldn’t mind a little company on the way.” He finished his meal and sat back to look Jax over again. “’Specially with nice young boys like you.”

“Look, Jax,” Mason said, pulling at his sleeve, and Jax turned to see what he was pointing at.

Outside the restaurant, one lone biker was turning off the motor on his big, low-slung bike and taking off his helmet. He was a big guy, like the others had been, but Jax saw to his relief that he wasn’t wearing a black leather jacket like Cade and the others, and he didn’t look familiar to Jax. Not that he’d paid much attention, really, to all of the men riding with the gang who’d picked them up. The biker was staring rather intently through the glass at Jax and Mason though, and Jax turned quickly away. “Don’t stare at people, Mason. It’s rude,” he whispered, and put his focus back on the man across from him.

“Well,” Jax said. “If you wouldn’t mind giving us a lift, I’d really be grateful.” Jax sneaked another look at the biker and saw that he was on a cell phone, still staring in at him. Uneasy, Jax looked around the parking lot, but saw no sign of any other bikers and decided he was being paranoid. This was just a biker dude on his phone. No reason for his heart to be pounding in his chest and his breath to start coming so fast. He scrambled to his feet anyway, pulling on Mason’s hand and looked back down at his companion. “So you’ll give us a ride?”

“Yeah, sure,” Bellamy replied, looking up at Jax. “I need to finish my sandwich and pay my bill, though, boy. In a big hurry, are you?”

“Um, no, not really. Actually, I need to pay too,” Jax said. “We’ll go do that while you finish, okay?” He hurried over to the cashier, glancing over his shoulder at the biker, who still seemed to be deep in conversation on his phone. Jax handed over his bill and the twenty, and the girl behind the register rang it up. He pushed the change down in his pocket and couldn’t stop himself from turning around. Though the motorcycle was still there, the biker was gone, and Jax breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief.

Gus Bellamycame up beside the boys. “I’ll pay, but then I need to see a man about a racehorse, son.” Jax looked at him blankly, confused at first, but then remembered hearing his grandfather say something like that years ago whenever he had to go to the bathroom.

Nodding, he said, “Uh, sure. Mason, do you need to use the bathroom?” Mason nodded and Jax took him over to the door. “I’ll wait right here.”

Jittering with nerves, Jax watched him go inside, and saw Bellamy pay his bill and head for the restrooms too. Jax stood by the door and waited, scanning the convenience store for any sign of the biker or anyone who looked familiar. Not seeing him or anybody else he recognized, he noticed a rack full of roadmaps nearby and went over to look at them. Mason came out and joined him and they stood by a rack of maps and magazines to wait. Jax looked over an atlas of Texas to see if he could find a city name in case the trucker asked him where he was going, and then the trucker was standing beside them again.

“Ready, boys?”

Filled with relief to see the trucker return, Jax nodded quickly, and they followed him out the door to his truck. They made it across the parking lot to an older model eighteen-wheeler, parked between two others. The trucker led the boys to the passenger door and opened it up, calling inside, “Hey, Randy, come and see what I found.”

A head popped out of a curtain behind the seat, and a slightly younger guy who badly needed a shave peered out, half rising up off the bed behind the seats. Jax could see he was balding a little on top. “Well, bring ’em on up here. I got an itch that needs scratching…”

Jax backed away a few steps, pushing Mason behind him, holding up his hands. “No. I think you have the wrong idea. We just need a ride.”

Bellamy turned back to him. His friendly grin had turned somehow feral and full of menace. “And that’s just what we’ll give you, boy. Now you little boys climb on up here before I have to make you.”

Jaxturned, jerking on Mason’s arm and yelling, “Run!” Jax managed to make it only a few steps before he was picked up off his feet and dragged backward, a big hand clamped down over his mouth. His hand smelled like onions and Jax’s stomach turned. Mason stopped, looking back at Jax when he realized his brother had been caught. His face twisted with tears, and he took a halting step back.

“Jax…”

“Better come here, boy, if you don’t want your brother to get hurt.” Mason took a hesitant step forward.

Struggling wildly against the man’s iron grip, Jax was startled to hear a motorcycle roaring up next to them. He opened his eyes in surprise when he did and sagged in relief. It was the biker, Cade, and he was staring at Bellamy with murder in his eyes.

Cade addressed himself first to Mason. “Come here, boy,” he said firmly. Mason cast one worried glance back at Jax, but did as Cade told him and went over to Cade, who pulled him up on the back of his bike. Cade turned his attention back to the trucker. “Let him go,” he said, his voice almost unrecognizable, a harsh, menacing growl.

The trucker holding him shoved Jax up against the truck beside them, holding him there with one hand around his throat. “Now, you just need to get your own boy, asshole. This one’s mine.”

Cade got slowly off the bike and took a step toward them. A feral smile came over his face. “Last chance,” he said in a mocking, sing-song voice. It was seriously the most chilling thing Jax had ever heard. It must have scared the trucker a little too, because he took away his hand and stepped back. Jax broke and ran toward Cade, who pulled him behind him, turning his head long enough to say, “Get over there.”

Jax caught Mason up in his arms as he jumped off the bike and ran to him. Mason threw his arms around Jax’s neck, trembling. When Jax turned back to look, both truckers were standing outside, advancing on Cade, and the younger one had a tire iron in his hand. Cade stood his ground and then did some little movement with his head. He had his back to Jax, so he couldn’t see, but whatever the two truckers facing him saw alarmed them so badly they both blanched at the same time, screamed hoarsely and fell all over themselves trying to get away from Cade. He stood for another moment, then with another little turn of his head he came back to the bike.

“Get on the back with Mason,” he told Jax. He swung a leg over the front as Jax and Mason settled behind him, with Mason wrapping his trembling little body around Jax. Revving the motor, Cade glared back at the truckers and took off across the lot, with Jax clinging to his waist with one hand. He stopped at the edge of the lot, swung his leg off the bike and started to pace agitatedly up and down beside the bike.

“Damn it!” he yelled. Glaring over at Jax, he said, “It would not be a good idea to go back over there and give them what they deserve. Am I right?”

Jax swallowed hard at the fierce look on his face, happy all that fury wasn’t directed at him. “Yes. I mean, no, probably not.”

“Those sons of bitches—gonna get in my face. Motherfuckers!”

“Yes,” Jax said with a nod. “They were, but it’s okay. It’s over.”

Cade rubbed a hand over his face. “I should go back there and rip them limb from limb.”

“Uh,no, you really shouldn’t.”

“Even though they fuckingdeserve it?”

“Yeah, even though.”

Cade stopped pacing and took a couple of deep breaths. He glared back at Jax and at Mason who was still clinging to Jax, his face buried in Jax’s chest. Cade frowned. “And you’re not hurt? Mason’s okay?”