Page 16 of Ash (Dragon Riders MC 3)
And judging by the way he looked at me, he thought much of the same thing.
“Anyway,” he said before clearing his throat, “take a shower. Get yourself some rest. Help yourself to anything in either kitchen.”
“Oh, so the kitchen down here has food?”
He nodded. “It’s got necessities. And if you go up the steps that lead into the main part of the house, it’ll dump you right into the kitchen up there. Feel free to pick stuff from there, too.”
“I appreciate that so much. Thank you.”
We stood there staring at one another for a little while before he finally turned on his heels. But he didn’t leave my presence without stealing one last glance over his shoulder. I tossed him another wink and he shook his head, but I saw the shadow of a smile crossing his face.
Maybe one day we can use this shower together.
But until then, I resolved myself to a shower alone.
Before I crashed into bed, wet and naked.“Ash?”
My eyes fell open and I rolled over onto my back. The one thing about this room was that it was completely underground. So, when the lights were out, they were really out.
“Ash, you here?”
I called out for him as I pushed myself up. I slid off the mattress and padded over to where I thought the door was, though it took me a while to locate the light switch. I turned on the light and had to shield my eyes from how piercing it was at first. But once my eyes adjusted, I rummaged through my bags for something to wear.
Before I headed upstairs.
“Ash!” I exclaimed.
The birds chirped and the sun shone heavily through the upstairs kitchen windows. I smelled coffee in the pot, but the pot was half-empty. And lukewarm. I looked over at the dining room table and saw an empty plate that held nothing but crumbs from the food that used to be there.
But there was still no Ash.
“Ash!” I bellowed.
I walked into the dining room from the kitchen and saw a small piece of paper sitting on the table by the plate. I picked it up and unfolded it, wondering if it was something Ash left behind. But instead, I found a note addressed to me. Signed by the man I was looking for.
Huh.
Hannah,
Went to the Iron Horse this morning. I didn’t have the heart to wake you after sleeping all day yesterday. I hope you feel well-rested. I’ll be back tonight. Help yourself to anything. There are keys hanging up by your door downstairs. They go to the beat-up truck underneath the awning. If you want to go somewhere, it’s got a full tank.
AshI set the note down and rushed back down the stairs. I rummaged around until I found my cell phone and quickly got it plugged in. Of course, the damn thing was dead. I hadn’t plugged it in for days. But once I got my phone to finally turn on, I plugged in “Iron Horse” into my GPS.
And it showed me exactly where I needed to go from Ash’s place.
“I wonder,” I murmured.
I made my way back downstairs and found the keys Ash’s note spoke about. Then, I quickly threw on some clothes. Nothing fancy, mind you. Just some jeans and a t-shirt with a pair of my flats. I gathered my phone, purse, and phone charger, then I started my search for that beat-up truck.
Though, it didn’t take me long to find it.
“Ha-ha!”
As I slid into the driver’s seat of that truck, it hit me. I was no longer in Hillridge Springs. I didn’t know where the fuck I was, but it wasn’t there. I was states away from every worry and problem I’d struggled with for months, and it felt like heaven. I plugged my phone into the car charger I set up and cranked the engine, listening as it quickly turned over. Then, I rolled down the windows and set off toward the Iron Horse.
I finally have my freedom.
My phone told me it was two in the afternoon the next day, which meant I had slept well over twenty-four hours. And I felt fantastic. The GPS navigated me through the dirt roads that had been carved out through the woods until I finally hit a paved road. And from there, the drive to this place was only twenty minutes. I parked in the parking lot in front of the bar and readied myself to go inside. I wasn’t sure how Ash would react to me being there in the middle of the day. Hell, for all I knew, he wasn’t here anymore at all.
I wanted to see him, though.
I gathered my purse and turned off the engine before I made my way inside. Power and freedom washed over me as I walked into the bar and didn’t hear my cousin calling out for me, or my ex popping out of the woodworks. No one knew me here. No one stared at me. No one eyed me or looked me up and down or murmured about me off in the distance. This fresh start felt amazing. I carried myself with pride as I walked up to the bar.
