Page 63 of Kiwi

"You ready to go, babe?" I flick the remains of my cigarette to the ground and snub it out with the toe of my boot.

"I'm ready." Piper smiles. Turning, she embraces her mum. "Happy birthday," she tells her, and Madison's face lights up.

"I'm beyond happy you came out today." Madison pulls back and looks at her daughter. "Best present I've ever gotten," she tells her. "You sure you have to go?" her mum asks, not ready for Piper to leave. "You're more than welcome to crash here for the night." Madison looks at Crow for agreeance, and he nods his approval.

"Thanks, but we need to get back home," Piper states. "Let's get together in a week or two for lunch, and maybe a little shopping," she adds.

"I'd like that," Madison says, giving Piper one last hug.

On my bike again, we head south, back home to New Orleans. Piper waves as I pull away from Hell's Punishers clubhouse, kicking up a dust cloud as we travel down the half-mile dirt road. In all, it turned out to be a good day. My woman thoroughly enjoyed herself. I've noticed a change in Piper the more her and Madison get to know one another. They still have a way to go, and the mother-daughter bond may never be what it should have been, but it's a good start.

Turning off onto a different exit, I take a detour, taking a backway home on some old country roads—the landscape around us farmland, mostly soybean crops, and cornfields. I look at the bike's gas gauge and notice I'll need to stop and refuel. Five miles down the road, I swing into a small gas station and pulled up to one of four pumps they have. Turning off the engine, I climb off. "You need to use the restroom?" I ask Piper.

"I'm good," she says, watching me pull my bank card from my wallet. I punch my code on the keypad, then fill the tank. I still feel her eyes on me.

"What's on your mind, baby?"

Piper sighs. "Honestly?"

"Always," I tell her, replacing the gas pump nozzle and twisting the gas tank cap closed.

"My mom asked me about kids."

"She did, huh?" I grin.

"Do you want kids?" Piper asks.

An old brown Chevy turns in off the road and rolls passed, parking on the far side of the building. The engine backfires, causing Piper to jump. I give her my attention and answer her question. "I'd love to have kids."

"Yeah?" Piper smiles at me.

"Absolutely. A shit ton. I want a big family." Before mounting the bike, I ask her, "What about you—do you want kids?"

"Yeah. I mean, not right now, but someday." Leaning down, I kiss my woman.

"We've got nothin' but time to make plans for our future." I kiss her one more time. As I mount the bike, I notice clouds rolling in, and the sky turning from hues of purples to a dark grey.

"Looks like rain." Piper eyes the sky as well.

"Let's get going. Hopefully, we can keep the bad weather at our backs." The engine rumbles, and we pull back onto the road. The temperature drops a few degrees, and I can feel the extra moisture from a pending storm building in the air. A few miles down the road, I happen to glance in my side mirror. Behind us, cresting the hill is a truck. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like the same brown truck that pulled into the gas station a few miles back. I keep the bike moving, but my eyes on my side mirror. The truck starts gaining speed, closing in on us from behind. Within minutes the fucker is riding my ass, and it's starting to piss me off.

"What is up this guy?" Piper speaks loudly in my ear, acknowledging the jackass's reckless driving.

I continue to watch the asshole in my mirror. The truck lurches forward again, this time so damn close I swerve to avoid his front end clipping my back tire. "Motherfucker!" I growl. He does it again—this time, close enough for me to get a look at the driver's face. My grip tightens, and my gut clenches. Behind the wheel is the oldest Thibodeaux brother, and in the passenger seat, his younger brother. Shit. This isn't good. "Babe," I yell, and Piper leans into my back. "Get on your phone and call one of the guys. Tell them we have trouble." Piper's body tenses against mine from the urgency in my voice. Everything about the situation feels wrong. Something isn't right. "Now," I bark, knowing shit is about to get real.

"I can't find my phone," Piper yells into my ear.

Fuck.

"Hold on," I tell her, and her grip tightens on my waist. Giving the bike some gas, I accelerate, trying to put distance between me and the motherfuckers in the truck. "My phone is in the inside pocket of my cut," I yell back at her. "I need you to reach for it," I tell her and focus on maintaining control of the bike.

"What's going on?" Piper's voice trembles and I can tell she's freaking out.

"Do as I say, babe." I notice the truck gaining on us again. I keep both hands on the handlebars as she reaches around, digs into my cut, and pulls my phone from the pocket. Suddenly the truck moves into the other lane. The driver swerves into us, and I swerve to avoid getting hit. Piper screams, her hands clutching me again.

"Tai, I dropped the phone!" she yells, and I'm scrambling to figure out my next move. The truck swerves again, moving back into the other lane, and I fucking gun it. In a risky move because of my speed, I let go of one handlebar and reach for my weapon. Aiming behind us, I fire at the truck. He seems to back off for a moment, but soon I hear the unmistakable crack of a rifle shot. They're shooting at us. I return fire, my bullet hitting the front fender as they move into the oncoming traffic lane. He floors it, and the truck gains speed.

Trying to keep the bike on the road, I raise my arm and retake my aim just as the passenger window comes into view. Suddenly, I'm staring down the barrel of a gun. Taunting us, he jerks the steering wheel trying to hit my bike. His tire clips mine, and I lose control. Time seems to stop, and everything happens in slow motion. The bike leaves the road. I'm not sure how I manage it, but I have Piper in front of me, my arms wrapped around her waist, tucking her as close to me as possible to try and keep her safe. Us and the bike are skidding across the asphalt and loose gravel before going down a grassy side embankment. Our bodies roll a few times, but I hold my woman tight. What feels like forever happens within seconds before we stop moving. All parts of my body ache when I go to move. "Piper," I'm afraid to let loose of her.