A Secret Ride: A Biker Erotic Romance (Karthadossian Riders MC) by Emily Stone

 
    A Secret Ride
     
    Manny Pershing looked down at the unconscious young woman lying on the ground at his feet. He had to get her out of there and fast, before the conversation playing in his ear stopped. Grabbing her under the arms, he dragged her around to the back of the nearest outbuilding and propped her up against the wall. Running back, he grabbed her bag and the cell phone she               dropped when he popped her on the jaw.
     
    He really wished there had been some other way to get her out of there without hurting her, but the fear in her eyes as he approached—there was no way she was going to come quietly.
     
    George was finishing up his meeting with Xander. Once they were clear of the area and heading to the West Side Club, Manny would take Ellie somewhere safe. He checked her phone to see who she’d been talking to. Rex. He should have known. No doubt his son was flying back right now, ready to rescue the damsel in distress.
     
    The call to his son would have to wait. If Manny were to get caught on Karthadossian property with the daughter of their President—well, there'd be no need to wait for Xander to plot his demise.
     
    ***
     
    Rex was breaking several traffic laws in his rush to get back to San Bernadino. He didn’t care. The entire State Police force could be on his tail and it wouldn’t matter. He had to get to Ellie.
     
    Frustrated, he slammed his fist into the handlebar. What had she done? She was upset earlier after their conversation about Manny and her Dad. It was clear that she felt responsible in some way for what her Dad had done. No matter how many times he repeated that she wasn’t, he could see that she wasn’t buying it. Then she went cold, shutting him out and asking him to leave.
     
    He didn’t know where to go. Ellie had obviously been warning him to get to Manny, but then someone had done something to her. Manny could die if he didn’t stop him from going near that storage unit tonight. Ellie was in just as much danger but he didn’t have a clue where to begin looking for her.
     
    Manny knew that what he was doing was dangerous but he was choosing to do it anyway. Ellie was innocent in all this and didn’t deserve to be hurt or killed for trying to be a good person. There was no doubt whom he needed to get to first.
     
    ***
     
    As soon as everyone was clear of the back lot, Manny started trying to wake Ellie. The minute her eyes opened and focused on him she started fighting. She didn’t slap and scream like many women. No, Ellie balled up her fists, took a fighting stance and began to swing. She almost got him too, he was so distracted by the sudden swell of pride for the woman that the little girl he remembered had grown up to be.
     
    “Ellie, you have to stop. Give me a chance to explain. Please?” Manny had to dodge to his left to avoid the nice hook she threw his way.
     
    “You knocked me out. I’m not in the mood to listen to explanations, Manny.” She rocked back on her left heel and came at him again with her right fist. He blocked the punch easily but it had hurt him. It was a small victory.
     
    “If I let you punch me, will you drop this and listen to me?” He had his arms wide open, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.
     
    Ellie eyed him warily. He might look contrite at that moment but who was to say he wasn’t luring her in so he could knock her out again? “Can I punch you the same way you punched me?”
     
    “Absolutely.” Manny moved closer and stuck his chin out, making it easy for her.
     
    Ellie looked at him and realized she wouldn’t be able to do it. Rolling her eyes at her own weakness, she lowered her fists. “What the hell were you doing, Manny? You’re on Karthadossian property. You assaulted me. Are you asking for a quicker death sentence?”
     
    Looking around, Manny came closer. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I really didn’t but I couldn’t let you get caught and your Dad was only minutes